CMI V

If you're a music producer, but more important, if you're a veteran in this field, you might remember the Fairlight CMI and how it landed some major artists right under the spotlight with its uniqueness.

Now you can recreate the familiar sounds that blasted through numerous speakers in the '80s era by turning to CMI V that provides you with a fully functional software reproduction of the aforementioned creation station.

Even though this tool was designed for advanced PC users such as sound engineers or producers, anyone can set it up on their PCs, since the installation process is so easy.

You can use its own setup package for installation or, if you prefer it this way, use the Arturia Software Center, which deploys it as quickly as pressing a button on your keyboard. This tool is available as both a standalone app and a plugin if you want to integrate it into your favorite DAW (Digital Audio Workstation).

Apart from the fact that it can reproduce the sound of its hardware counterpart, this application also comes with an extremely realistic interface that looks like the real thing and acts exactly like it.

Clicking the piano tiles, tapping the typewriter's keys or sliding the controller's buttons lets you interact with your virtual instrument realistically. Even the animations are smoothly adjusted to fit the scenario.

If you have a MIDI controller, things get better. Instead of using your mouse or other counter-intuitive devices to handle the CMI V, you can use something that resembles at least part of it. You just need to connect it to your computer and use the MIDI symbol in the top-right corner of the screen to decide which control handles what section.

More so, you can choose from an extensive preset library, which contains 600 original CMI presets and 360 newly designed ones, make use of its 32-per track polyphony, create sophisticated sequences, mix your audio tracks and adjust the filters however you see fit.

If you're looking to recreate the CMI-specific sound, you might need a little help from CMI V. It comes with a broad range of functions, its interface is accurately reproducing the original instrument and installing it is a piece of cake.