Legendary music artists including Peter Gabriel, Laurie Anderson, Thomas Dolby, Steve Winwood, Herbie Hancock, Hans Zimmer, David Gilmour and more sign on for charity auction to benefit WITNESS.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK, December 19, 2005 — 43 leading lights of the music world are coming together to raise awareness of human rights abuses around the world. The artists have united for a charity auction in which all proceeds will go to WITNESS, a human rights organization that uses video and audio to elevate global awareness of human rights injustices.

Among the artists participating are Peter Gabriel, Laurie Anderson, Thomas Dolby, Steve Winwood, Herbie Hanock, Hans Zimmer, Stewart Copeland, Elvis Costello, Alan Parsons, Kate Bush, Trevor Horn, John Paul Jones, Keith Emerson, Todd Rundgren, Mike Oldfield, Jan Hammer, Barry Gibb, Billy Gibbons, Mike Rutherford, Lindsey Buckingham, David Gilmour and Annie Lennox.

WITNESS and Fairlight will auction a vintage Fairlight CMI keyboard, the world’s first digital synthesizer. The veteran musicians, composers and producers will sign each white key. The keyboard will be mounted and auctioned at a WITNESS event in Los Angeles on April 6, 2006. The auction is the result of the recent partnership of WITNESS and Fairlight, the Australian based manufacturer of media solutions tools for over 30 years. Fairlight developed the CMI in 1978, which was used extensively by all the innovative artists participating in the auction.

“The response from the artists has been overwhelming and a true testament to the creative heart of the music community,” said John Lancken, Fairlight CEO. “WITNESS is devoted to using technology to open eyes to the world’s most egregious injustices. Fairlight has dedicated itself to putting innovative technologies in the hands of the creative artists. To have this collective of legendary artists come together and return their talent for such a noble cause is truly inspiring.

We are very pleased to be partnered with WITNESS and look forward to helping them make a difference.” Peter Gabriel, co-founder and chairman of WITNESS, expressed his gratitude to Fairlight and personal dedication to the project. “I am deeply honored that Fairlight has selected us as the nonprofit beneficiary of the auction,” said Gabriel. “There is great synchronicity between Fairlight and WITNESS since we are both committed to using technology in innovative ways. We look forward to working hand in hand with Fairlight to make this a successful auction and a strong partnership for the future.”

Fairlight was an original pioneer of digital audio and in 1978 developed the world’s first digital synthesizer, the Fairlight CMI. Combining the earliest computer technology with a digital keyboard, the CMI became the mainstay of music innovation throughout the 1980s, reshaping the landscape of music production and performance. The CMI can be heard on countless albums, film scores, broadcasts and live recordings. Discontinued in the mid-1980s, the CMI has become a highly prized collectors’ item for musicians and audiophiles the world over.

Photo Captions (hi-resolution images are available upon request):
1) Legendary keyboardist Steve Winwood (center) pictured in New York signing a key with John Lancken (left) and Steve Rance (right), Fairlight senior software engineer and programmer of early CMIs.
2) Avant-garde artist Laurie Anderson signing a key in her Manhattan studio.
3) Seminal world musician Stewart Copeland signs a key in his Los Angeles studio.

About WITNESS:
WITNESS uses the power of video to open the eyes of the world to human rights abuses. By partnering with local organizations around the globe, WITNESS empowers human rights defenders to use video as a tool to shine a light on those most affected by human rights violations, and to transform personal stories of abuse into powerful tools of justice. Since its founding in 1992, WITNESS has partnered with groups in more than 60 countries, bringing often unseen images, untold stories and seldom heard voices to the attention of key decision makers, the media, and the general public -- prompting grassroots activism, political engagement, and lasting change.

About Fairlight:
Headquartered in Sydney, Australia Fairlight designs and manufactures media creation tools including digital audio recording, editing and mixing systems for standard and high definition audio post, broadcast and music production applications. Fairlight’s DREAM family includes Satellite, StationPlus, Constellation XT and Anthem. The DREAM series is powered by QDC technology delivering unprecedented speed, flexibility and exceptional sonic performance. The platform also supports a complete suite of super low latency DSP based third party Plug-Ins including VSTs.

Fairlight's MediaHub networking strategy provides solutions for audio and video networking enabling real-time, multi-node access to high-speed audio database sharing as well as sustained bandwidth streaming of video to Fairlight’s Pyxis NLV system and elegant media management solutions.

Fairlight own AV Media, a technology subsidiary that innovate and deliver non-linear Standard and High Definition video tools and media transfer utilities.