From Reed's on-line introduction of the
Feylith instrument:
The Feylith (faerie stone) is a 54-voice keyboard instrument. East and
West "Kingdoms" divide the voices into two outputs, providing a stereo
signal. Fifty-four stones, each unique, twenty-seven for each Kingdom,
make-up the two pressure-sensitive keyboard playing fields.
Normally, the sounds include a few spoken words amidst a wide range
of sound effects, all very well recorded.
Each Kingdom has a master frequency control. This allows separate control
over the pitch of each Kingdom... from super low to super high. Clocking
the samples outside of normal range creates an assortment of great abstract
sounds to work with.
The Western Kingdom is straight-forward: set the pitch and press a stone.
The Eastern Kingdom was a wonderful surprise! With the glowing Eastern
Eye turned off, all works as with the Western Kingdom: set the pitch
and press a stone. But... with the glowing eye turned on, a new aleatoric
response system emerges from the eastern Kingdom.
With the Eastern Eye turned on, sets of sounds are tied end-to-end when
the stones are pressed instead of one sound playing at a time. Each
stone triggers a different sequence it seems. Very odd. Practice in
setting the speed dial is very important. The range could be marked
for reference.
Front Panel:
Believe Switch. Turns on the power supply. Lights bright blue mini power
pilot LED.
Kingdom Keyboards, East and West, each containing twenty-seven uniquestones/sounds.
Speed dials, East and West.
Rebirth Switch, East and West. Resets Kingdom Keyboards; stops audio
inprogress.
Kingdom Eyes, East and West. Glass animal eyes serving as lenses for
the peak envelope LEDs, bulging through the case. These eyes glow and
flash orange-red with the sounds of the individual Kingdoms. Each has
an on-off switch.
Kingdom Pilots, East and West. Tiny yellow LEDs within vintage yellow
pilot lenses. Each glows to confirm power to Kingdom; flashes with Rebirth
switch.
Glee Body Contacts, two pair, East and West. Bridge to pitch-bend voice
in play (most obvious with mid-to-high-pitched voices; moisten fingertips
for best response).
Faerie Door. Panel opens to reveal small area for your magic dust supply.
Faerie Windows. Thirty small windows in case, behind which abstract
patterns ebb and flow with viewing angle (lenticular art).
Antique lacquered gold "Deluxe" emblem.
Back Panel:
Stereo (East and West Kingdom) RCA line outputs.
Case is finished in red/black veining with holographic dust and final
gloss. Yellow Kingdom Eyes, Kingdom Pilots, switches and keyboard frames.
Silver hand-inked control titles.
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