DC600 data cassette in plastic case. The cassette has a printed label which reads 'SERIES III SOUND LIBRARY New sounds from library release 5.2' and the case is marked 'CPN FILES' on the side.

Details

Category:
Sound Technologies
Object Number:
2017-5357/21
Materials:
plastic (unidentified)
Measurements:
overall: 105 mm x 160 mm x 20 mm,
type:
cassette

Parts

DC600 Data Cassette

DC600 Data Cassette

DC600 data cassette. The cassette has a printed label which reads 'SERIES III SOUND LIBRARY New sounds from library release 5.2'.

More

The Fairlight Computer Musical Instrument is an early digital audio workstation, often referred to as an “orchestra in a box”. It combines a synthesizer, sampler and sequencer in one unit, and was used extensively in the 1980s in popular music and for film scores. Tapes like this one were supplied with the Fairlight CMI.

This particular Fairlight CMI was acquired for use in a pre-production suite at Abbey Road Recording Studios, approximately 1986-89, in a joint venture between Robin Scott and Abbey Road. It was used by various artists and producers in the early stages of record production, including the Pet Shop Boys working on Liza Minelli’s Results in 1988.

The Fairlight was largely superceded in the 1990s by smaller, less expensive, and more user-friendly devices, but it is still coveted by enthusiasts, and its sounds are still commonly heard through samples and sound libraries.

Measurements:
overall: 101 mm x 152 mm x 17 mm,
Materials:
plastic (unidentified) and metal (unknown)
Object Number:
2017-5357/21/1
type:
cassette
Image ©
The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Case for Data Cassette

Case for Data Cassette

Plastic case for data cassette. The case is marked 'CPN FILES' on the side.

Measurements:
overall: 106 mm x 160 mm x 23 mm,
Materials:
plastic (unidentified)
Object Number:
2017-5357/21/2
type:
case