Fairlight's $28,000 XYNERGI keyboard makes Optimus look Minimus

So you thought the $1,536 Optimus Maximus keyboard was a tad expensive? Peep this: the €20,000 (about $28,000) XYNERGI programmable controller from Fairlight. To be fair, you get a hell of a lot more than just a keyboard for your 28-grand as the kit includes Fairlight's CC-1 digital media engine as well. While it's targeted at media professionals, it also integrates like a peach with Microsoft Office and all your other Windows applications. Better yet, the custom key mappings are said to "intelligently" adjust depending upon the "mode the operator is in." However, judging by the video (after the break), intelligence seems defined by your ability to find (and push) the function button.

[Thanks, Chris]

[Shotgun @ Dec 17th 2008 4:49AM]

The Xynergi system is amazing and really does kick some serious Pro Tools ass. But IMHO using the controller as a qwerty keyboard is quite tough due to the slightly clunky and "sticky" buttons (calling them "keys" isn't entirely appropriate). Obviously this is caused by the technical challenge of putting LCD screens in each button. They're great for literally hammering away at whilst audio editing but for everyday typing it would be infuriating. Although after some time working on the (currently brand new) controller possibly the keys will loosen up and be less brutal.

I'd suggest that Fairlight aimed for an experience more like the new flat Mac keyboards. As mentioned before this could be pretty hard considering the LCDs in each button.

This would be my only gripe with an otherwise AMAZING audio system. In lots of ways it runs rings around Pro Tools.

[dgbond @ May 3rd 2009 12:03PM]

Craploads of data
"My Pictures" consumes my C:
Save me, Toshiba!

[CJ @ Sep 12th 2007 8:45AM]

This sort of thing has to become main stream for PC's some time, I want one! that is awesome!

[thekid423 @ Sep 12th 2007 8:46AM]

Wow! Just think how many $150 Medisons I could (possible) get for one of those.

[Xzavier @ Sep 12th 2007 8:50AM]

Well after seeing this keyboard and the Optimus Maximus, I can see where the future of keyboards are going in the next few years...

It's about time the keyboard industry start pumping out some high-tech stuff.

Now let the price wars begin!

[Homeboy @ Sep 12th 2007 8:59AM]

Unlike the compnay manufacturing the Optimus at least this company has a full working prototype to show us.

[david morgan @ Sep 12th 2007 9:15AM]

Why is it so ugly? Looks hellish all those flashing buttons it's not exactly intuitive is it.

And SLICK - please.

[Ellianth @ Sep 12th 2007 8:58AM]

Is it that hard to find options in menus?

I think CTRL+C, as an example of a hot key, is much easier than looking for the dedicated copy key on the keyboard. But that's just me, what says you?

[John Stracke @ Sep 12th 2007 9:17AM]

Fairlight must not have been around for the Era Of Dedicated Keys in the 1980s. I remember the AT&T Unix PC, with its dedicated keys for Copy, Paste, Print, Create, Find...truly a horror.

[MH @ Sep 12th 2007 9:51AM]

This obviously isn't targeted at the home market ($28K price tag is a clue!)
In a studio environment having obvious dedicated keys and assignable dials and knobs is actually very useful, saves having to remember 100's of short-cuts and manipulate on screen dials IMO...

[mike @ Sep 12th 2007 11:38AM]

John ... Fairlight has been around for a lot longer than that, but I agree with your comment.

http://www.ghservices.com/gregh/fairligh/

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 12th 2007 8:59AM]

It has several Any keys...

[Nestor C. @ Sep 12th 2007 8:56PM]

d'oh!

[Ben @ Sep 12th 2007 9:04AM]

Nah... Optimus looks better.

[Ben @ Sep 12th 2007 9:04AM]

Nah... Optimus looks better.

[Jimmie @ Sep 12th 2007 9:19AM]

This thing just looks dumb!

[Butch @ Sep 12th 2007 9:57AM]

Wow!

You spend 28,000 bux on an editing station, and you still can't edit.

Hmmm... maybe throwing money at things DOESNT work...

[Nestor C. @ Sep 12th 2007 9:41AM]

d'oh!

[Matt B @ Sep 12th 2007 9:46AM]

What the heck is that contraption?!?

[dstone @ Sep 12th 2007 9:54AM]

Looks like it was designed more for the video editing professional. If it weren't so expensive, I would love to get my hands on that for just that purpose!

[applefreak @ Sep 12th 2007 10:41AM]

i agree, but does it work with a mac?

[Christopher Powers @ Sep 12th 2007 10:27AM]

This is an incredible breakthrough on keyboards and hopefully soon the technology will trickle down to the design professionals.

We've all had needs to remap keys now and then (video people, design people, gamers, etc) but to do it on the fly & have visual feedback of the keys would be awesome. This thing maybe ugly in some peoples eyes but its really a stunning piece of machinery--overpriced for now but that's the nature of the beast.

Wonder what the very first mouse cost?? Think about it, now you can get them for as little as $5..

[R1cebrner @ Sep 12th 2007 10:06AM]

How about a giveaway with this, but don't tell anyone but me.

[Rainier @ Sep 12th 2007 10:13AM]

PRESS ANY KEY TO CONTINUE...

[John @ Sep 12th 2007 10:16AM]

But will it play Quake?

[JD @ Sep 12th 2007 12:44PM]

No. And no, it won't play doom either. So please don't ask.

[ed @ Sep 12th 2007 10:24AM]

This is so futuristic that it's retro. Tandy anyone?

[Ayle @ Sep 12th 2007 10:23AM]

Wow this almost made the optimus keyboard affordable.....

[Matt @ Sep 12th 2007 10:34AM]

it'd better be optimized for Warcraft 3 :)

[TVGenius @ Sep 12th 2007 10:38AM]

Let's lose the big screen at the top, and cut the number of buttons in half. I have a keyboard, it works fine for typing, better than this thing. But when you spend all day using stuff like Photoshop and Final Cut Studio, you understand how much it would help to have 30 or so dedicated keys like that, and I like the inclusion of the jog dial too.

But I guess in reality, by the time your editing skills would justify/pay for owning something that expensive, you're already using all the shortcut keys without even having to think or look at the keyboard anyway...

[Somnus @ Sep 12th 2007 10:42AM]

i can't find the any key....

[Rainier @ Sep 12th 2007 11:56AM]

I loved that scene from StarCraft.

[TheBoognish @ Sep 12th 2007 9:03PM]

Those Buttons suck.

[NHAnimator @ Sep 12th 2007 11:07AM]

CTRL-ALT-DEL is now SmileyFace-LittleRedAirplane-BlueFlamingBall

[PeterB @ Sep 12th 2007 11:34AM]

I wonder if this comes with all the best Pirated C64 and Amiga software as well...

[manfesto @ Sep 12th 2007 12:21PM]

That's no keyboard...

It's a Space Station!

[jps @ Sep 12th 2007 12:57PM]

"Oh that'd be great for video!"

Yeah, it might. But isn't the point of this to be a jack-of-all trades for many different applications? If you're just going to be using it for video, I don't see how it's any better than the current preferred setup: an external jog wheel with programmable buttons and an overlay for your keyboard.

Likewise, who would want to take their eye off the screen to look at the scrubber panel? This is why we have multiple monitors! And NOT one randomly on the table or on your lap!

[Ben Grimsbo @ Sep 12th 2007 1:15PM]

But does it blend?

[Peter @ Sep 12th 2007 4:22PM]

It won't fit in the blender!

[Ben Grimsbo @ Sep 12th 2007 4:27PM]

Then...

Will it shred?

[B @ Sep 12th 2007 1:52PM]

Does it make a different farm animal sound for each button you press?

[Tyler @ Sep 13th 2007 10:17AM]

The only common thread I see between this and fairlight's previous wares (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairlight_CMI) is that they are both ludicrously expensive and marketed to a wonderfully eccentric niche group of artists. I would love to see this company's offices.

[Chrispy @ Sep 13th 2007 7:48PM]

That wounderfully eccentric niche group of artists include Warner Bros, Fox, NFL, NASCAR, CBS, basically anyone who needs to mix audio to film and make money out of it.

[applefreak @ Sep 12th 2007 5:14PM]

thats freaking awesome

[will @ Sep 12th 2007 5:40PM]

Even watching the vid I still don't understand why it is 28,000 friggin' dollars... I mean even with the displays of each key why is it THAT expensive? And I mean I'm sure you could remap the keys a million different ways but why the price tag? Wouldn't remapping simply boil down to just assigning a different shortcut for each key and displaying a different image?

[KP1412 @ Sep 12th 2007 5:53PM]

looks like a keyboard for uber geeks

the video with that music did not help the case

[Chrispy @ Sep 12th 2007 6:28PM]

That price tag is for the whole audio edit suit, You get a CC-1 card – capable of mixing 192 tracks of audio onto umpteen busses with full EQ and Dynamics, full editing and automation, all the software to do it AND the funky keyboard

[eric @ Sep 12th 2007 7:48PM]

My keyboard stays under the desk with the drawer retracted. Completely useless for folks like me!

[Chrispy @ Sep 13th 2007 8:00PM]

The Fairlight CMI – which you were smart enough to find Tyler – is still a legendary instrument; most of the big names of the 80’s used it. Stevie Wounder, Jan Hammer, Annie Lennox, David Gilmour, Midge Ure, Mike Oldfield, Jean Michel Jarre to name but a few. Fairlight moved into post production when the likes of Roland and Casio took over the keyboard market.

What you see above is not a computer keyboard, but in its current form a full post production audio workstation – hence the price tag.
Maybe the technology will make it to other more consumer markets soon

[FairlightUS @ Sep 13th 2007 8:03PM]

Hi, lets get a few things clarified, the "keyboard" is just one component you get for $28,000. This a the front end to a huge media engine, capable of mixing over 200 channels of audio at 48K, with 6 band EQ, 3 stage dynamics, 72 busses, a 96 track disk recorder with editing, complete automation for every single parameter, and includes a HD disk recorder too. It is intended for the professional audio/video market who already spend this kind of money for just the audio/video engine alone. The users who work with this kind of equipment need a tactile user interface which is where Fairlight have pioneered user interfaces for professional audio and video equipment for some 30 years. The high end of Fairlights product range extend to over $400,000.
For more information about Fairlights products visit www.fairlightus.com