Using Fairlight samples
-
- KVRAF
- 9888 posts since 15 Sep, 2005 from East Coast of the USA
Do I need to ask a certain company if it’s ok to use those? I know UVI and some others use Fairlight samples and wondered who to ask about for permission.
-
- KVRAF
- 2315 posts since 11 Mar, 2003
It seems Black Magic Design now own the Fairlight name, but only have audio software for post production, no samplers (unsurprisingly). They may have the rights to the original samples as a "job lot" when they bought the name, even if they're not actively using them in any products. I assume they happily license to Arturia, UVI etc.
No harm in asking them.
No harm in asking them.
Last edited by Mr Arkadin on Sat Sep 28, 2024 2:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.
-
- KVRAF
- 16827 posts since 8 Mar, 2005 from Utrecht, Holland
Are you going to publish a library (or instrument) with these sounds? Then indeed the right thing to do is at least ask permission to the current copyright holder. You can inquire the tech support contact of other library creators for what they have done. But your library won't be unique.
If you ask because you use the sounds in a song an want to do the proper thing: clear your samples. Then (ianal) but me thinks that is not needed. The Fairlight CMI was a musical instrument. If you use its samples in that context, then I think there is no radar to fly under. 40 years ago you could book half an hour in a studio that had one and have these sounds on your record. No questions asked.
If you ask because you use the sounds in a song an want to do the proper thing: clear your samples. Then (ianal) but me thinks that is not needed. The Fairlight CMI was a musical instrument. If you use its samples in that context, then I think there is no radar to fly under. 40 years ago you could book half an hour in a studio that had one and have these sounds on your record. No questions asked.
We are the KVR collective. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. 
My MusicCalc is served over https!!
My MusicCalc is served over https!!
-
ChamomileShark ChamomileShark https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=25116 - KVRAF
- 3239 posts since 12 May, 2004 from Oxford, UK
From memory, the "Fairlight Library" included sounds created by the Fairlight team and owners that then shared their sounds. It was constantly evolving. So it might be hard to track down the copyright owners, especially as many of the creators gave their samples to other users.
If you look for the Fairlight format sounds (.VC?) you will find many libraries with differing names that suggest the original creators, but even then you may find those libraries contain sounds from other people so that makes it even more confusing.
There is an "official" set from J. J. Jeczalik but even with that it acknowledges it's a copyright grey area, perhaps because it contains other people's sounds or because JJ may have been working for someone else when creating the sounds.
If you have the UVI library or CMI V you are ok, I think if you get them elsewhere you are still probably ok. Selling them would be a different matter.
If you look for the Fairlight format sounds (.VC?) you will find many libraries with differing names that suggest the original creators, but even then you may find those libraries contain sounds from other people so that makes it even more confusing.
There is an "official" set from J. J. Jeczalik but even with that it acknowledges it's a copyright grey area, perhaps because it contains other people's sounds or because JJ may have been working for someone else when creating the sounds.
If you have the UVI library or CMI V you are ok, I think if you get them elsewhere you are still probably ok. Selling them would be a different matter.
Pastoral, Kosmiche, Ambient Music https://markgriffiths.bandcamp.com/
Experimental Music https://markdaltongriffiths.bandcamp.com/
Experimental Music https://markdaltongriffiths.bandcamp.com/