News

Australian Government Recognizes Fairlight Commitment to Innovation with$1.7M Start Grant Award (11/5/2005)

Fairlight's receipt of the Start Grant Award represents the first time the Australian Government has recognized a pro audio and video company for R&D.

Underscoring three decades of unparalleled commitment to innovation in pro audio and video, Fairlight announced today it has been awarded the Australia National Research and Development Start Grant. The grant award provides Fairlight with $1.72AU million dedicated to fostering R&D of Fairlight's pioneering technological advancements in the pro audio and video industry.

In making the announcement, Fairlight CEO John Lancken expressed his gratitude in receiving the prestigious grant. "We're honored to receive the Start Grant Award from the Australian government. Fairlight has spent the past three decades as a technology innovator, defining the essence of professional audio and video, and today we are continuing to lead the way for the industry. The Start Grant recognizes this commitment and is a vote of confidence for more great things to come from Fairlight."

The Research & Development Start Grant is a merit-based, competitive program run by the Australian Federal government designed to support businesses that undertake groundbreaking R&D and commercialization in their respective fields. Essential to winning candidates is a project that can deliver a national benefit to Australia.

Through the Start Grant, Fairlight will receive $1.72 million for the development of a newly discovered technology that will support Media Creation in both audio and video applications. The grant will enable Fairlight to continue to be a leading creator of Australian intellectual property and a center of technical excellence. The additional funding will support new technology development, enhanced staff training and increase Fairlight's high tech product export.

Among Fairlight's recent innovations is the newly released Constellation XT, a large-format mixing console powered by a 240-channel 72 Buss QDC engine and offering a fresh, intuitive approach to surface architecture for greater control and overall efficiency. The control surface also boasts a new high-resolution display featuring Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) technology, yet another industry first from Fairlight.

Celebrating its 30th Anniversary in 2005, Fairlight was an original pioneer of digital audio in 1975 and since then has led the world in some of the most exciting and significant developments of audio and video technology. These advances changed the landscape of music, film and television: first the Fairlight CMI powered popular music in the early to mid-eighties which was followed by the emergence of digital sound-effects for film that used Fairlight's digital sampling and MFX platforms. Today Fairlight recorders, editors and mixers are used extensively for commercials, TV, feature films and music productions worldwide. In both 2000 and 2003 Fairlight was awarded The Academy Plaque for Scientific and Technical achievement in recognition of its contribution to film. Fairlight has also won numerous design and industry awards including Australian Government grants for its innovative technology.

www.fairlightau.com