Fairlight CMI

The Fairlight CMI, short for Computer Musical Instrument, is an iconic digital sampler that revolutionized the music industry in the 1980s. It was created by Australians Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie, who founded Fairlight Instruments in Sydney in 1975. The Fairlight CMI was the first commercially successful digital sampler and laid the foundation for many technologies used in music production today.

The Fairlight CMI introduced a new way of making music by allowing musicians and producers to sample real-world sounds and manipulate them in real-time. Prior to its release, samplers were primarily expensive and complex systems that required specialized technical knowledge. The Fairlight CMI was the first to combine an intuitive interface with powerful sampling and synthesis capabilities in a single instrument.

One of the standout features of the Fairlight CMI was its groundbreaking interface based on a graphical display and a light pen, which allowed users to directly interact with the waveform of sounds on the screen. This enabled detailed sound manipulation, including waveform editing, envelope creation, and additive synthesis.

The Fairlight CMI also stood out for its ability to sample sounds at high quality and faithfully reproduce them. It could sample sounds from any source, ranging from musical instruments to sound effects and voices, and then play them back using the sampler’s keyboard. This opened up new creative possibilities for musicians by allowing them to create complex compositions using a wide range of sounds.

In its current state, the Fairlight CMI has evolved and adapted to technological advancements. While it is no longer widely manufactured, its influence continues in the music industry. The sampling and synthesis technology introduced by the Fairlight CMI has been incorporated into numerous modern software and hardware, enabling musicians and producers to access similar sampling and sound manipulation features.

The legacy of the Fairlight CMI extends beyond its technical features. It became a symbol of electronic music and was used by many influential artists of the time, such as Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, and Jean-Michel Jarre. Its impact on popular music is undeniable, and its place as a pioneer in the history of digital samplers is secure.

In summary, the Fairlight CMI is a digital sampler that revolutionized music in the 1980s. Its innovative features, such as the graphical interface, high-quality sampling capability, and detailed sound manipulation, laid the foundation for modern music production. While no longer mass-produced, its influence and legacy persist in the current music industry.