The Fairlight Story

US Influential late 70s Computer Music Instrument 29/08/22

The Fairlight CMI has been always a behemoth in the music industry, in terms of it's influence on sampling & sequencing as well as it's sheer size and eye-watering pricetag. Here's a fascinating look at the CMI, speaking to some of the pivotal figures in it's creation and the stories of its development. Its even touted as one of Australias finest inventions! Here's more:

With the introduction in 1979 of The Fairlight Computer Music Instrument (CMI), Peter Vogel and Km Ryrie brought digital sampling and sequencing to the music world, turning the recording industry on its head. Early adopters Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush pioneered the Fairlight's use in the early 80s and by the middle of the decade it had become one of the most coveted tools in music production.

The story of the Fairlight CMI's creation, its cultural impact and ultimate demise is told via exclusive interviews with both Fairlight co-founders Kim Ryrie and Peter Vogel as well as Fairlight engineer Peter Wielk and Professor Samantha Bennett of the ANU School of Music.

This video was produced by Tom Compagnoni for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

For those who want more CMI action, with a bit of Kate Bush - this lecture is just for you:

Finally, we have some Fairlight CMI IIX sounds courtesy fo Perfect Circuit:

The main video is hosted by The Age & Sydney Morning Herald youtube channel which can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/c/smh

About the author [midierror]: midierror makes nifty Max For Live devices, innovative music hardware, award winning sample packs and hosts a podcast speaking to people in the music world.