In September 2007 , an Australia - based company call Fairlight introduce a new digital sound recording production machine named Xynergi . Gadgetblogscovered the story and call Xynergi a $ 28,000keyboard . Such label are misleading . In realness , identify Xynergi as a $ 28,000 keyboard is like saying the audio system inside aBentleyis a $ 250,000radio– it misses the cock-a-hoop picture .
The Xynergi keyboard is part of a desktop media output center bundle . Fairlight designed Xynergi to touch the needs of lowly , professional media redaction studios . With Xynergi , applied scientist can capture audio , manipulate case-by-case data track , add burden , mix multiple caterpillar tread together and editvideofiles . While the gimmick ’s complexity and price shred intend the middling consumer is n’t going to buy it , Xynergi might be a good selection for someone with a minor transcription studio or media companies that need an interface that will let them edit out audio frequency and video quickly .
The Xynergi keyboard looks like a largecomputerkeyboard with several special key , a few thickening , a telephone dial called ajog wheeland a rectangular colormonitorabove the main array of keys . Fairlight call the monitor and the surrounding controls thepad . Xynergi ’s main key regalia is in the standardQWERTYlayout with a number tablet on the right . Engineers use the knob , keys and jog wheel to cook digital audio and television file cabinet .
If you ’ve ever seen a professional audio mix console table or telecasting editing control system , you know that there are many more switches , knob and toggle than you ’ll discover on the Xynergi keyboard . for replicate the mathematical function that these large console have , Fairlight came up with a clever idea – self - labeling samara . These are paint that can change functions and key labels calculate on what you ’re seek to do . Each key is a small computer monitor that can display unlike characters , including letter , symbolic representation and words . Xynergi has an " sentient " feature article that wee-wee keys dart on and off or modify colors during specific tasks . The keys can even display video . As engineers interchange from one operating mode to another ( for example , moving from a Word of God processing mode to an audio intermixture mode ) , the key labels change and the keys themselves map to new routine .
In this article , we ’ll take a look at what makes Xynergi tick , examine some of Xynergi ’s purpose and learn more about Fairlight ’s grocery store scheme for Xynergi , include where you’re able to nibble one up and how much it ’ll rig you back .
In the next section , we ’ll take a closemouthed look at the applied science behind Xynergi .
Xynergi Components
The real source of Xynergi ’s amazing functionality is Fairlight ’s CC-1 carte . " CC " remain firm for Crystal Core , Fairlight ’s processing platform for its audio production ironware . The CC-1 is both amicroprocessorand aPeripheral Component Interconnect Express(PCI - Express ) wit . To use a Xynergi machine , an applied scientist has to first connect it to aPCusing the CC-1 card . He or she would need to instal the card in one of thecomputer’sexpansion slot , which relate the card to the computer’smotherboard .
The CC-1 is afield - programmable gate array(FPGA ) gadget . An FPGA gimmick can hold in thousands oflogic Bill Gates , which are the canonical edifice blocks of digital circuits ( to learn more about logic gates , headspring to our article onHow Boolean Logic Works ) . Fairlight design the CC-1 to play as a central processor . All audio yield functions run through the CC-1 , not the host computer ’s CPU . This stand for that the PC ’s processing index is available for other computer programming task . In the past tense , microcomputer - based audio editing devices required a computer almost entirely dedicated to audio production , because audio processing demand are so high . Since the CC-1 handles this incumbrance on its own , you could install it on a PC and still run other processes while you redact and mix sound recording and television course .
Fairlight offers four different configurations for the Xynergi system – every interlingual rendition can perform the same basic tasks , but the higher - closing versions have more processing capability . The top - of - the - line arrangement is theXynergi MPC-230F , which has 230 processing channels , 96 concurrent transcription tracks and 192 simultaneous playback track . In other word , Xynergi technologist can show , edit , mix and play back XII of single audio runway to make deep , complex headmaster transcription .
Xynergi systems also admit anI / O toolboxcalled an SX-20 . The SX-20 has twopreamps , which are outputs that boost the power of a signal before mail the signal to another component ( to learn more , read our clause onHow Amplifiers Work ) . The scheme also has twoanaloginputs , 12 analogue turnout , four digital inputs and eight digital outputs , which provide the engineer to connect the scheme to other constituent , includingmicrophones , instruments andspeakers .
The Xynergi medium production center runs on proprietary Fairlight yield software . Xynergi can make and edit most media file format , but its interactivekeyboardisn’t designed to work out with other video and audio output software system .
Xynergi ’s computer hardware and software give the system of rules amazing capabilities . In the next incision , we ’ll determine more about some of Xynergi ’s affair .
Xynergi Functions
Xynergi ’s interactivekeyboardhas app sentience , which mean the keys display only the symbols and dictation appropriate for the app currently in use . If an engineer needs to jot some notes down inMicrosoftWord , for representative , he or she can agitate a winder on the Xynergi keyboard to spark Word . The Xynergi ’s keyboard then switches to a QWERTY keyboard . When finished , the technologist can push the Edit key to return to Xynergi ’s editing software , and the keys will change again .
Because every key fruit is actually a small colormonitor , keys change colors to indicate active role . For representative , if an engineer require to work on a specific track , he or she can push a button map to that track . The winder will transfer from blue to reddened , indicating the track is combat-ready and ready for mixing or editing applications . If the engineer assigns a name to a specific track , the name will seem on the key mapped to that cartroad .
Engineers use thejog wheelwhenever they involve to scan through an audio trail quick . revolve the jog rack clockwise or counterclockwise advances or reverses the path , respectively . This feature also provide engineer to depute specific section of a racecourse for redaction – the engine driver use the wheel to mark the beginning and end of a range within a raceway . The engineer can then add effect to the pronounced range without affecting the rest of the recording .
Fairlight call the area that include the colour CRT screen and the palisade buttons and knobs thepad . The screen display information about audio tracks , giving users a ocular representation of the digital file . It can show the name of an audio lead , bars that indicate the dispersion of the lead ’s strait across differentspeakerchannels , anequalizerand atime codedisplay . The buttons and knobs surrounding the projection screen allow an engineer to wangle the cartroad or set Xynergi in its automated editor program mode .
Here are just a few of Xynergi ’s functions :
The Xynergi system includes the same functions you ’d find on a large audio or television editing console , but has a price shred that ’s only a fraction of what those systems toll . In the next section , we ’ll find out just how much the Xynergi system toll and where you could come up one .
Xynergi Marketing
While Fairlight estimated Xynergi ’s retail price at 20,000euros , which converts to more than $ 29,000 , its genuine retail price is n’t quite so high . Guitar CenterPro is North America ’s only distributor of the Xynergi Media Production Center , and its price is only $ 22,973 . For this price , you get thekeyboard , a CC-1 card , an SX-20 I / O toolbox and the Xynergi software system toolkit . You ’ll still need aPC(Xynergi is not Mac compatible),monitors , speakersand other input and output devices – the Xynergi Media Production Center does n’t let in them .
After purchasing a Xynergi arrangement , you might come up yourself overwhelmed with its functions . Fortunately , Fairlight foresaw this very trouble and included an interactive assist organisation calledXplain . To use the Xplain system , you hold down the Xplain push button on the keyboard and then press any other key to discover out what it does and how to use it . A corresponding help message appear on the pad ’s sieve . you’re able to do this with any button , and the system will helpfully tell you what the part does .
Some buttons represent to crosscut to other program . For representative , there ’s a clit for Internet Explorer . Pushing that release will launch IE and the keyboard will flip to the QWERTY layout . drug user can map keys to specific functions not included in Xynergi ’s package , though the organization may not be capable to use its lotion awareness feature for every programme .
Fairlight first begin to ship the Xynergi platform out to customers and retail merchant in September 2007 . The first business in the United States to purchase the arrangement was Buzzy ’s Recording , a studio based in Los Angeles . The company be after on using Xynergi for voice over andautomated dialogue replacement(ADR ) [ informant : Fairlight ] . Fairlight have a bun in the oven the system to gain popularity quickly within the audio and video editing industriousness .
To learn more about Xynergi and topics related to audio and television redaction processes , follow the links on the next page .
