Fairlight CMI Series III

The Fairlight CMI Series III is a sampling synthesizer & audio workstation released in 1985. It had an improved sampling rate of 16-bit sampling with a maximum sample rate of 44.1 kHz. The graphics interface was also improved, and an extended version of the Page R called CAPS (Composer, Arranger, Performer & Sequencer) and Eventsync post-production facilities.

Peter Gabriel adopted the new Series III after the release of the So album in 1986, having been largely dedicated to Fairlights since the Series I. The Passion (1989) soundtrack album makes use of the Series III in addition to samplers like the Akai S1000 and AudioFrame. He had also kept the Series II for it has some sounds that the Series III couldn't replicate. After Passion, however, he seemingly dropped the Fairlight in favour of the cheaper Akai sampler on the Us album.