How the Fairlight CMI changed the course of music

The history of the Fairlight CMI, the world's first commercially available digital sampler and sequencer synthesizer, as told by the people who created and worked on it.

#music #technology #sydney #australia #history

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.

00:00 Introduction
01:22 Naming the company 'Fairlight'
02:15 Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie
05:58 The Fairlight CMI is born
06:40 Peter Gabriel
08:45 Kate Bush
10:27 The Fairlight factory
11:11 The Orch 2 sample
13:11 Fairlight CMI's impact on 80s pop
13:31 Cost of the Fairlight CMI
15:48 Fairlight CMI system software code
16:16 Downfall of the Fairlight company

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[TridentCapital]

I bought and restored a Series IIx and a Series III around 2010 because I was a child of the 80s in awe of these incredible machines used by my favorite artists like Nick Rhodes and Trevor Horn. I of course could never afford one as a kid but it was such a treat to be able to own them and work on them later on. These were futuristic machines with their massive CPUs and light pen interface that provided endless hours of fun an experimentation. And a huge shoutout to Peter Wielk (featured in this video) for his dedication to and continued support of the Fairlight CMI community. In addition to selling me numerous parts for my restoration, he was always willing to chat and provide tips and advice about my Fairlights (and tell some great stories about working with artists back in the day). This is a great video highlighting the history of two visionaries and their amazing invention that completely transformed music.

[anthonybrett]

Kim Ryrie and Peter Vogel...I salute you!

[chucknorris]

I loved how peter gabriel used the fairlight on his 4th album, security. Specially on family and the fishing net, i absolutely adore how the flute hits are sincopated in the intro, the utilization of the sample is just genius

[DihelsonMendonca]

❤️ This is extraordinary ! These guys are light years ahead everybody. That's why their names are written on the history. I lived that time and I saw everything happening. 🙏🙏👍❤️

[MitchMenghi]

This is one of the most enlightening documentaries I have ever watched personally. The main reason why is because not only did I discover that the Fairlight CMI was such an innovative product for it's time but also because I learnt there is a correlation between the name and the reason why one of the biggest and longest running warez, c64 demo scene group got their name from. what a huge revelation.

[franciscob.deoliveira]

Thanks for sharing this unique story. Growing up in North Winnipeg (Manitoba, Canada) us young teenagers and aspiring musicians in the late 70's throughout the 80's had nothing, absolutely 'nothing' except music to surround our daily lives with. When story of the Fairlight, its sampling technology and the price tag came about we knew that either fate or failure would make our careers. We're still trying to live that dream in our 60's. Music is all we had and all we will ever have in life. Thanks to the two inventors of the Fairlight and the direction music production that followed. Without this ground breaking technology its hard to fathom what music would have sounded like during the 80's revolution.

[ax-alex]

Amazing documentation !
I bought in the early nineties a cmi IIx with midi extension from a guy in berlin. it had the same black keyboard as shown hear from Herbie Hancock at 00:35 .
I got with the cmi a box with over 100 discs full of samples, also many from Hancock’s future shock.
2-3 years later i sold everything to a french guy…

[MrCoov]

Peter Vogel - You are the man! This instrument was very inspiring. People could finally see some of the textbook audio principles actually working in real life. It was figuring out what the waterfall plot on a IIx was that made me want to learn about FFTs and DSP in the first place. We all wish that the CMI30A didn't get shut down by the current Fairlight.

[SPINNINGMYWHEELS]

I remember the Hancock appearance.. then suddenly you had Matt Broderick showing off a smaller unit (not Farilight) on Ferris buellers day off.. it progressed very fast.. but wow that Fairlight what a robust tool. Art Of Noise pulled off the artistry in a way where I can still listen to things like Moments in Love today .. unlike some of the other Sample stuff. Thanks for sharing.. love the history of this unit

[Sajid_Khan_USA]

These guys are Legends. Every soundtrack of my life has a piece of your inspiration. You guys should
have a Nobel prize for the science of sound. :)

[iamdebmiller]

This is fascinating! Well done. I love using my DAW, and learning about how it all came to be is very enlightening. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to these two gents who got this whole thing started.

[imaluzababy]

Fantastic vid! That was the music of my youth.
I coincidentally listened to Spotify podcast on a different device with Tears for Fears where they discussed recording today, then this pops up in my YT feed. They're listening

[Mike__G]

Around the same time Bill Buxton and others were working at the University of Toronto on a digital synthesizer based on two DEC computers: an LSI-11 and a PDP 11/45. They called it one of the first portable digital synthesizers. If you had a van.

[MattyCrayon]

Although I never had the opportunity to use the amazing Fairlight. It will always have a high status and almost mythic quality in my life, because of the music it helped generate, which I grew up with. I think as an older high schooler, I eventually purchased and Emulator II, but, Wow, I just wish I could have afforded the Fairlight. Great job guys on bringing this story and its creators to YouTube ❤❤🎹

[sbatty]

Amazing insight. I always remember Duran using the Fairlight heavily on Seven and the Ragged Tiger album.

[audiokyle]

I guess it's tough to license all the music you'd want, great job getting so much in. I'm ready for part 2 where you focus on the Art of Noise!

[xmbase]

wow this video is super informative and features great interviews with the fairlight creators. im glad i saw it thanks

[fergussaint-john]

so brilliant. THANKYOU Fairlight techs & creatives, most of my musical intake and taste from that period was built on this machine 👏👏👏🙏

[NOWThatsRichy]

This was the defining sound of mid 80s synthpop & beyond!

[Scotty_Russell_Music]

Australian musical inventors we salute you. Their machines are as important to me as a les paul thru a marshal.