Please check the Frequently Asked Questions below to see if your issue is addressed there. Also try the Fairlight App Help Pages.
If the FAQ and help pages don’t cover what you need, you can use the support request page to ask for help or report a bug.
Other bugs and problems
Some customers are reporting stuck notes when using an external MIDI keyboard through the Alesis IO Dock. Now that we have an IO Dock for testing, we also see this problem, not just in the Fairlight App but in other MIDI Apps as well. This is an IO Dock problem, not a problem with the Fairlight App.
If this is happening for you, could you please use the contact form to report what is happening for you, and specifically what make and model of MIDI keyboard you are using. Also it would be helpful if you contacted Alesis to encourage them to fix the problem.
Note that the problem is very bad in IO Dock firmware version 1.0, somewhat improved in 1.05 and much better in 1.07, but stuck notes still happen in 1.07. You can find the latest Alesis firmware at http://www.alesis.com/iodock under Docs and Downloads.
Unfortunately, the Synthstation API software is incompatible with iOS 5. Akai have just released a new version compatible with iOS 5, but too late to be included in Fairlight App 1.1.7. It is fixed in 1.1.8, which was submitted to the App Store on 13th of November.
If you launch the App and then select an instrument, it will quit.
The workaround is to select a song first, then select an instrument.
This can happen if you have Apps in the background using all the memory. 3D games are particularly memory-hungry. Try quitting other Apps:
Double-tap home, tap and hold an App in the bottom row, tap the (-) button for those you want to quit.
If that doesn't work, please send your crash logs:
http://aplus.rs/apple/how-to-find-crash-logs-for-iphone-applications-on-mac-vista-and-xp/
Welcome to 1980. See the info/settings screen for solutions.
There are so many things we would like to have done for the early releases, but our customers and beta testers kept on asking for power features like MIDI input and sampling. In version 1.1 we gave you octave slide and more keys on the iPad keyboard, and the ability to hide the music keyboard, but we had to draw the line somewhere and release 1.1.5.
We hope that in a future version we'll have a better on-screen music keyboard, including finger swipe. But it's not there in 1.1.5.
Player vs. Pro
Yes, live MIDI input is included. Unfortunately, a mistake in the in-App feature matrix in version 1.0 says (incorrectly) that it is a Pro feature. But you don't need the Pro upgrade to be able to use the Fairlight App as a MIDI-controlled sample module, playing genuine Fairlight voices. This includes Core MIDI devices as well as MIDI input from the Line6 MIDI Mobilizer and the Akai SynthStation.
Just to be clear, you can use a MIDI keyboard to play CMI voices in the $9.99 basic Fairlight Player App.
The Fairlight Apps do not yet have any MIDI-out capability, despite the in-App table saying so in version 1.0. That is a mistake.
With the Pro upgrade, you gain the ability to import and export MIDI files.
If you know that you want the Pro features, you can buy the Fairlight Pro App INSTEAD OF the Fairlight App. The Fairlight Pro App behaves just like the Fairlight app with the Pro upgrade, but has the word "Pro" on its icon. The cost of the Fairlight Pro App is the same as the Fairlight App plus the in-App Pro upgrade.
If you are not sure whether you want the Pro features, you can buy the Fairlight App and upgrade later. This was your only option if you bought version 1.0. The only disadvantage of this approach is that your App will not show "Pro" on its icon even after you upgraded to the Pro features.
Although it is possible to buy BOTH Apps, there is no benefit in doing that-- unless you want to show off to your friends that you have two Fairlight Apps, or you want two independent workspaces (each App has its own database and files). Or maybe you are having so much fun with your Fairlight App that you want to pay us twice!
In version 1.0.1 and later, there are two versions of the Fairlight App: the upgradeable Fairlight App and the pre-upgraded Fairlight Pro App.
The Fairlight (non-Pro) App can be upgraded to the Pro features. You can tap the upgrade button on many pages. This will allow you to use your iTunes account for an in-App purchase of the Pro upgrade.
If you know that you want the Pro features, you can buy the Fairlight Pro App INSTEAD OF the non-Pro Fairlight App. The Fairlight Pro App behaves just like the Fairlight App with the Pro upgrade, but has the word "Pro" on its icon. The cost of the Pro App is the same as the non-Pro App plus the in-App Pro upgrade.
If you are not sure whether you want the Pro features, you can buy the Fairlight App and upgrade later. The only disadvantage of this approach is that your App will not show "Pro" on its icon even after you upgraded to the Pro features.
Yes, your Pro upgrade is valid for all of your devices. As long as your device is logged in to your iTunes account, and you have already paid for the upgrade, you will not be charged for an in-App upgrade on that device.
The "Check for Upgrades" button in the App's upgrade screen will check your upgrade status with your iTunes account and will performa an in-App upgrade on that device without charge. But even if you tapped the in-App 'upgrade' button, you would not be charged a second time.
This applies to all your devices: for new devices as well as devices where you have deleted the App, you will only ever have to pay for one upgrade as long as you use the in-App upgrade button and you are logged in to the same iTunes account.
NOTE: the upgrade process will only work if your device is connected to the internet. You can test this by loading any web page in Safari.
Do you perhaps have the in-app purchases restricted? When you have restricted in-app purchases the error message "In-app purchases are not allowed" pops up.
To disable this restriction, tap on the Settings icon of your device (not the Fairlight App) -> General -> Restrictions.
This section will prompt for you to enter a passcode or create one if you already haven't. Once you have entered your passcode, scroll down to "Allowed Content."
Next to In-App Purchases, if the button says ON, it means in-app purchases are allowed. If it's off it means it's restricted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, live MIDI input is included. Unfortunately, a mistake in the in-App feature matrix in version 1.0 says (incorrectly) that it is a Pro feature. But you don't need the Pro upgrade to be able to use the Fairlight App as a MIDI-controlled sample module, playing genuine Fairlight voices. This includes Core MIDI devices as well as MIDI input from the Line6 MIDI Mobilizer and the Akai SynthStation.
Just to be clear, you can use a MIDI keyboard to play CMI voices in the $9.99 basic Fairlight Player App.
The Fairlight Apps do not yet have any MIDI-out capability, despite the in-App table saying so in version 1.0. That is a mistake.
With the Pro upgrade, you gain the ability to import and export MIDI files.
In the top right of Page 2, in the Voices column, is a button "All Voices." Tap that and you can see all the CMI IIX floppy disks and all their voices. Selecting a voice lets you play it with the on-screen keyboard or from a MIDI keyboard.
This may be because your Midi Mobilizer firmware is older than the version used by the Fairlight App. You can upgrade your firmware by plugging in your Midi Mobilizer and running the Line 6 Midi Memo Recorder App, which will check your firmware version and upgrade it if necessary.
Have a look in your device's Settings > iPod > Sound Check. This may be suddenly changing the volume when you start playing. Turn it off for working with the Fairlight App, but don't forget to turn to back on again to protect your ears from loud music.
The short answer is: yes, but...
If you have selected an AirPlay destination in any other App (e.g. iPod or Movies), that audio destination applies to all Apps, including Fairlight. If the AirPlay destination has become unavailable (e.g. being used by some other device), not only will the Fairlight App audio not be heard anywhere, but it may stop altogether until you select an available destination, such as the device itself.
Airplay also has a long delay (can be many seconds) between the audio being transmitted and being played on the destination. This may be confusing, with audio feedback and Page R audio sounding seconds after the action or pattern is displayed.
Finally, it seems that the "old" Airport Express (firmware version 6.3) does not work as an AirPlay destination for iOS devices, despite being available for selection. The Fairlight App will stop while it is selected.
The price for the basic App in the USA is $9.99. The in-app upgrade to the Pro version (see the feature comparison) is $39.99. The prices in other countries are somewhat comparable, but in all cases the Pro upgrade costs around four times the initial App price.
Yes, your Pro upgrade is valid for all of your devices. As long as your device is logged in to your iTunes account, and you have already paid for the upgrade, you will not be charged for an in-App upgrade on that device.
The "Check for Upgrades" button in the App's upgrade screen will check your upgrade status with your iTunes account and will performa an in-App upgrade on that device without charge. But even if you tapped the in-App 'upgrade' button, you would not be charged a second time.
This applies to all your devices: for new devices as well as devices where you have deleted the App, you will only ever have to pay for one upgrade as long as you use the in-App upgrade button and you are logged in to the same iTunes account.
NOTE: the upgrade process will only work if your device is connected to the internet. You can test this by loading any web page in Safari.
The basic Fairlight App supports Core MIDI, so it can receive MIDI events via WiFi or (for the iPad) many MIDI USB devices via the Apple Camera Connection Kit. See the Live MIDI Help for details.
Some devices that we have tested with the Camera Connection Kit, and we know work, are:
- AKAI LPK25 keyboard
- ESI Midimate II
- M-Audio Oxygen 8
- Cakewalk UM-1G
Note that due to WiFi latency on a busy network, we recommended that for real-time performance or recording you should use a dedicated WiFi network with just your iOS device(s) and the Mac.
The basic Fairlight App also supports MIDI input from the Line 6 Midi Mobilizer and the Akai SynthStation. It also
Yes, it is. In our recording studio, we had to build a separate soundproof area to isolate the CMI from the performers. But, fortunately for you, in the App you can adjust the floppy disk volume in the info/settings screen.
If the Fairlight App is missing something you would like, please let us know via the feedback form. We have a list, but your input will help us prioritise it.
Bugs fixed in 1.1.6 and 1.1.7
Sorry, this didn't happen in the iOS 5 betas. We are investigating and will release a fix ASAP. In the meantime, if you have an iPad, you might want to consider not upgrading to iOS 5 yet...
Sorry, this didn't happen in the iOS 5 betas. We are investigating and will release a fix ASAP.
When you select a pattern (not a step) in the pattern/step selection screen, Page R goes into pattern-repeat mode as expected. However, tapping the repeat mode button to continue playing does not work.
The workaround for now is to keep tapping the repeat mode button to cycle through pattern repeat mode again. Page R will now proceed to the next step.
Unfortunately, a last-minute bug addition got past our testing process, and so version 1.1.6 crashes in any version of iOS before 5.0.
This is fixed in version 1.1.7, which should be out in a week or so, but in the meantime there are two possible solutions to this problem if you are running iOS 4.x:
- Don't update to 1.1.6. Wait for 1.1.7 to be released
- Update to iOS 5. Apple are strongly encouraging all customers to update to iOS 5.
Bugs fixed in 1.1.5
Version 1.1, in some circumstances, can lose track of the audio data for sampled voices. A workaround for this: after you have set the trim and loop points for a voice you just sampled, export it (button on bottom right of the voice page). Then re-import it in Page 2. After checking that the imported voice is as you expect it, delete the original voice in Page 2.
If you already have a sampled voice with misplaced data (unfortunately the symptom of this is a crash when you try to view it), please use the support form and we will help you fix it.
There is one other case in 1.1.1 that can be worse: if you cancel from the sampler page after sampling a voice, all of your voice data will be deleted and cannot be recovered. So please don't cancel if you have tapped the record button, and always export your voices.
- Page 2 new song does not display the new song
- Oscilloscope / waterfall breaks up on loud sounds
- Page 3 instrument voice adjustments sometimes slow
- Voice waveform display is incorrect at low amplitude in the Retina display
If you have a sampled voice with misplaced audio data (see the FAQ about exporting sampled voices), it will crash when you try to view it. Either delete the voice (losing the sample), or if you want to recover it, please use the support form and we will help you fix it.
It seems that for 0.1% of customers, the song database gets corrupted for some reason. If you have some problem, please try the following remedies, only going as far as is necessary to fix the problem:
- quit and restart your App (tap home, double-tap home, tap and hold Fairlight in the bottom row, tap the (-) button)
- export your song, then delete it, then re-import it from the export file
- export all your songs, instruments and voices, copy the export files from iTunes to somewhere safe, then delete the app from your device and reinstall from iTunes, then re-import your files.
If all that fails, please submit a bug report in the feedback page, and include your crash logs (see instructions here).
Bugs fixed in 1.1
Some customers have reported this problem, and have fixed it like this:
"It was the new OS's change of the side switch being a landscape lock or mute. Changed it BACK to a mute, changed it to full volume (even though it was working with every other app) and then set it back to landscape lock and it brought the sound back."
Another possible cause is AirPlay. If you have selected AirPlay as a destination in another App (e.g. iPod or Movies), that audio destination applies to all Apps. If the AirPlay destination has become unavailable (e.g. being used by some other device), not only will the Fairlight App audio not be heard anywhere, but it may stop altogether until you select an available destination, such as the device itself.
Bugs fixed in 1.0.1
If you change the song in Page 2, then tap the [Page R] button below the list of songs, your selected song does not load.
Workaround: after selecting a song, use the [Page R] button at the top of the screen.
This is fixed in 1.0.1, which is not yet released.
This intermittent bug has appeared for a couple of customers, and we are tracking down the cause. It seems to be caused by memory contention with other Apps.
If it does happen to you, a workaround is to quit the App: First tap the home button to show the apps, then double-tap the home button. Tap and hold the Fairlight icon in the bottom bar, then tap the red (-) button. Then relaunch the app and it will run.
If it keeps happening, quit other Apps, especially those that use a lot of memory, like 3D games.
We would really appreciate some help in tracking down this elusive bug. If it happens, please use the support form to tell us:
- What are the exact steps needed to make it happen?
- If it happened when tapping a navigation button at the top, which button was it? Page 1? Page 2? Page 3? etc...
- Does it happen often or rarely?
- Do you have a lot of other apps running? If so try quitting all the apps you don't need and see if that helps
Community
If you want to send feedback to Fairlight, report a bug or submit a feature request, please use the feedback form.
If you want to discuss your experiences with the Fairlight App, read the threads and/or leave your own comment on the Apps Overview page.
For a discussion on using the Fairlight App, read the threads and/or leave your own comment below.
To see all comments on the Fairlight web site, you can bookmark the Comments RSS Feed.
Is there an option to “copy” a library sound to a user “floppy” in order to have a version which uses e.g. different loop point or other changed voice parameters?
My impression at this moment is when I edit a library sound the settings are changed for every instance using that sound.
Ben, sorry, unlike your own sampled or imported voices, there is no way to copy a Fairlight voice. Most of the adjustments to a voice are made in the instrument, and you can have as many of those as you like, but like the original CMI, the loop settings are defined in the voice file itself.
So any alterations I make in the loop settings mean the original settings are lost forever and can not be restored?!
There are only two numbers in a loop: the start segment and end segment. If you want to find the original values, you can ask someone else, or you can use iTunes to temporarily remove your cmiPhone.sqlite database (keep a copy!) then run the App, which will now show factory settings. Take note of them, then restore your database.
La aplicacion para ipad fairlight pro no funciona solo hace la presentacion audiovisual y ce cierra la aplicacion
Tengo un OS 4.3
Agradecere respuesta a mi problema
Than’s
Por favor, consulte las preguntas frecuentes:
Mi aplicación se cierra tan pronto como se pone en marcha
Esto puede suceder si usted tiene aplicaciones en segundo plano usando toda la memoria. Juegos en 3D son especialmente mucha memoria. Pruebe a cerrar otras aplicaciones:
Doble toque en casa, toque y mantenga una aplicación en la fila inferior, pulse el botón – para aquellos que quieren dejar de fumar ().
Si eso no funciona, por favor envíe sus registros de accidentes:
http://aplus.rs/apple/how-to-find-crash-logs-for-iphone-applications-on-mac-vista-and-xp/
Hello there,
I am brand new to both iPad and Fairlight Pro – it was one of the very first apps I downloaded, and although I found it a little difficult to fathom, I found that the help is very good, and I, in a reasonable amount of time, figured out how to create and use instruments, and how the step recorder and play back works. I also understand how to export MIDI, but this is where I get lost.
How do I get the exported MIDI to use the voices of the Fairlight – when the MIDI is now on my laptop for instance? When I played it back on the laptop from a generic app, of course, it reverts to piano – I guess I don’t understand how you are supposed to capture an audio performance, featuring the fairlight voices – if you can only export a MIDI file (and no audio).
I am sure this is something I am not understanding – can someone tell me what I am missing here?
Thanks very, very much! dave
Dave, welcome to the wonderful world of MIDI. There is no simple way to play Fairlight voices on other equipment. When you think about the copyright implications, you might agree that this is a good thing.
At the moment, the only way to get audio out of the Fairlight App is as analogue via the audio-out (headphone socket or dock connector). You could record your whole song onto the laptop, or record each channel separately. You could use Garage Band or some audio workstation software to mix and match bits of the song.
Good on you for learning how to drive a hybrid of 80s green-screen and iOS touch interface!
For the next update, try not to forget about us poor souls who compose in time signatures other than 4/4. Thanks,
Mike
Mike, I understand. I’ve added your vote for other time signatures.
Hi there I love this app I have had it a while on the Ipad and the Iphone.
I know the virtual keyboard is available on the Iphone on the sampler page but on the sequencer page on the Ipad I can input the notes with the virtual keyboard, but so far I have been unable to find the virtual keyboard on the sequencer page on the Iphone. Am I missing something or is it only available on the Ipad?
Just shake it. The keyboard will appear.
Thanks for your reply, when I am in the sequencer page on the iPhone and I shake it, it just vibrates I can only see the keyboard on the sampler page
You have to be editing a track (that is, selected a track by tapping it) for the keyboard to show. Otherwise there’s nothing for the keyboard to do.
Hi – Just got myself the Fairlight Pro app, Ipad 2 and the Alesis I0 Dock running Firmware 1.7. Looking forward to using this in our album due to be released eary 2012. Love it!
Oliver, where did you get firmware 1.7? The Alesis site still has 1.0.5 on its download page, which still has some sticky notes problems.
Since installing IOS 5 on my iPad 2 I cannot preview samples in the P2 Disk samples list. Is this a known bug on IOS 5?
Okay I can see its a known bug in the other bugs and problems list you have above. Apologies.
This is fixed for version 1.1.6, which should be available in a couple of weeks.
Hello Doc. Thank’s for good news about windows version (alesis firmware upgrade). Now my IO Dock is upgraded. I can report that some midi app, now work well and others apps (not only fairlight pro) still have midi note problem (note locked on).
All the apps tested, works well with camera kit adaptor, and the apps tested by me are the same before IO upgrade. I Think is not fairlight app problem (and others apps tested), but could be IO dock problem partially solved by actual firmware. I suggest apps developers, and apps users to contact (i will do it) Alesis, to report this, hoping in new firmware upgrade, that resolve completely this. I Also suggest to use camera kit adaptor waiting new alesis firmware. Is not a solution, but a only temporary way to work well with some apps not well supported by IO dock (sorry for my bad english).
Thanks, Kaiman, you have described it exactly. Fairlight finally got an Alesis IO Dock delivered, and I can confirm that it is an Alesis problem. To prove this, run the free MIDI Monitor App and play a keyboard through the IODock, with multiple simultaneous keys. You will notice that both note-on and note-off events are lost, resulting in missing notes and stuck notes.
Only an Alesis firmware update can fix this.
Just saw that there seems to have been an update (on the iTunes app page, it says Aug. 22 was the date).
1) Did this update fix the release time bug/problem? This refers to how the release time gets longer the lower the pitch of the sample – something that didn’t happen on the IIx.
2) How do I update my existing app?
Thanks for such a nostalgic product – takes me back to when I used it many years ago
John, this problem was discovered too late to go into the 1.1/1.1.5 release. You can see all the bug fixes and new features in the “What’s new in version 1.1.5″ part of the App description in the App Store.
You can upgrade to the latest version of any App by going to the App Store App on your device, or the Apps section of iTunes on your computer, and selecting Updates.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the Fairlight App. I’m sure you’ll enjoy 1.1.5 even more, now it has sampling.
Glad you fixed the keyboard scaling of release times, but the maximum release time is still much shorter than the IIx. Any chance of extending or at least matching that?
John, the limited number of choices were partly to simplify the user interface to suit the iPhone, but also a way to shoehorn this information into the original .IN instrument file format, which doesn’t have much free space.
However, the maximum release time should equal the full length of the sample when played at C4, so you should only be limited on low notes.
@Roland : Alesis IO Dock firmware, can be upgraded. Did you try if fw upgrade resolve your problem?. I tested Fairlight pro with normal core midi adaptor (connection camera kit), without problem. So i think that some midi bug could be relative at Io Dock, but probabily resolved from Alesis with new firmware release. Tomorrow (10 sept.) I.will receive Io Dock, so i can report if it work well. (kaiman)
I am thinking of getting an Alesis IO Dock – it is core midi, so it should work correct?
In a word: yes. However, as sampling is mono, only the first input is used.
Bought an Alesis iO Dock yesterday and it does NOT work properly with the Fairlight Pro App. Many times the App does not receive the key release information, this results in “hanging” notes, until you hit the hanging key again.
It works properly with the iMS20 app, so this seems to be an issue of the Fairlight app. I tried another Alesis dock in the shop, same negative result with the Fairlight app. Developers, please take care of this problem !!!
Roland, we are still awaiting delivery of an IO Dock for testing. As soon as it arrives we will investigate and deal with this problem.
I had a similar issue when using the Fairlight app with one of the little Akai keyboards. Hanging notes occurred whenever polyphony exceeded 4 notes. I returned the keyboard controller so I don’t know if thar issue was ever rectified.
Versions earlier than 1.1 had a problem with certain keyboards that didn’t send note-off events, such as some Akai keyboards. A workaround for that was included in 1.1. The Alesis I/O Dock problem must be a different thing.
Thanks.
I can confirm that is not fairlight problem. MY IO dock have the same problem with all midi apps. I can not upgrade the firmware, because it’s only released for mac user, and i only have windows OS, but this is not a fairlight problem. I will report future test with alesis firmware upgrade, if it will be possible for windows users.
Could all those of you who are having problems with the Alesis IO Dock please report which MIDI keyboard you are using? This problem may be specific to a keyboard model, rather than the Alesis.
I have tested IO, with different keyboard (virus TI 2, Clavinova, and others) using midi connections, or USB midi, but the problem was present in all test, for all ipad midi apps. (no problem with camera connection kit). I know that in other forum, someone report that new firmware alesis resolve completely this bug. It’s important to know that new firmware is available only for MAC users, but Alesis is also working to release a windows version. In any case is not a Fairlight app problem, and it’s a little e resolvible problem. Kaiman.
Kaiman, thanks for the detailed information. I’m sure other Alesis customers will find it useful.
Thank you Thomas. I’m sure that Alesis product is useful, and i know reading a lot of post in various forum, that IO dock midi bug is resolved by new firmware. I wrote in this forum to confirm that this bug was not imputable to Fairlight app. I’m sure to resolve in few days the firmware update, by a friend that have mac computer. Thank to all Fairlight staff, to create this fantastic app for Ipad. (kaiman).
Hello Kaiman, I got a call from nick at Numark (Alesis) yesterday 9/23/11 with good new. There is now a Firmware update for windows. All of my synths work ok now except for my Fairlight Pro App. Still get hanging notes in fairlight . Good Luck
Doc T, what MIDI keyboard are you using?
We are still waiting for the Alesis IO Dock to turn up so we can investigate. Must have been sent by sea…
Hello Thomas, the keyboard I use as a midi controller is Yamaha MM6. Right now I do not have anything hooked up to the ipad2. I have takin it out of the alesis io Dock, and the Fairlight app will not load. It crashes every time I try to open it. It not my Mm6 it works with all other apps. Please let me know when you get the io Dock. BTW, CAN YOU MAKE A free WINDOWS 7 version of fair light app for Pro version owners like nano studio did. Thank you, DOC T.
Doc, it sounds like the Apps running in the background don’t leave enough memory for the Fairlight App to load. If you don’t know how to quit background Apps, see the FAQ “My App quits on startup” above.
My latest post is in wrong position. (in topo of this page) I missed the correct way to reply. Sorry.