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Description
One of the world's first music workstations, the Fairlight Computer Musical Instrument (CMI) paved the way for modern music production with its unprecedented multitimbral capabilities and convincing ability to emulate various instruments. After its introduction in 1979, the CMI quickly became a studio staple (despite its nearly $100,000 price tag), appearing in everything from "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" by Tears for Fears to the "Miami Vice" soundtrack.
Videos
Fred Koke
Herbie Hancock jams with his Fairlight CMI
Herbie Hancock jams with his Fairlight CMI
Fred Koke
Some Fairlight CMI IIX Sounds
Perfect Circuit
How the Fairlight CMI changed the course of music
The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age
Herbie Demonstrates the Fairlight CMI Synthesizer on Sesame Street, 1983
Herbie Hancock
Kate Bush and the Fairlight CMI
Manuella Blackburn
The Fairlight CMI: Mother of All Samplers
Fuzz City Records
1980: The Sound of the FUTURE! With the Fairlight CMI | Tomorrow's World | Retro Tech | BBC Archive
BBC Archive
Reviews
Critic Reviews
5.0 out of 5
Based on 0 Reviews and 7 Ratings
Artist usage
Add artist
"I use whatever's handy", says Kershaw. "The Fairlight, Emulators, a JX10, old Oberheims, PPG Waves, my TX rack... I find DX sounds get lost so easily in a mix, but the TX helps push them back up."
Yello's music has always been characterised by a willingness on Blank's part to experiment with all manner of sounds, drawing on his vast and ever-growing Fairlight CMI sample library
As mentioned in this forum, Kaye used a Fairlight, Oberheim OB8 and Kawai grand piano in the studio during the recording of 90125.
For the fourth album of the band Mike Score started to use a Fairlight CMI that did much of the bass work and beats of the album Dream Come True.
At the 18:09 mark of this YouTube video, it is confirmed that Mat Mitchell used the Fairlight CMI.
"At the moment, though, we've got quite a massive library of chips for the Movement, and recently we parallel triggered an SDS7 Simmons set-up. Plus we have a Fairlight as well to do drums if we really want to."
Lisa Coleman used a Fairlight CMI with Prince in the mid 1980s. She played a Fairlight wooden flute sample on the song Strange Relationship.
Dr Fink used a Fairlight CMI with Prince in the mid 1980s.
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Martin is credited with "Fairlight CMI" in the liner notes for the album Junk Culture.
The list of Synthesizers and Samplers that the Radiophonic Workshop had in 1985.
Album Usage
The Fairlight CMI has been featured on the following albums:
End Of World
Public Image Ltd (2023)
Existential Reckoning
Puscifer (2020)
Discovery (Remastered 2015)
Mike Oldfield (2016)
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
Ryuichi Sakamoto (2015)
Zoolook
Jean Michel Jarre (2015)
Sign O' The Times
Prince & Prince (1987)
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants (1986)
Dream Come True
A Flock of Seagulls (1986)
Scoundrel Days
A-ha (1986)
Songs From The Big Chair
Tears for Fears (1985)
Heartbeat City
The Cars (1984)
Junk Culture
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (1984)
Points On The Curve
Wang Chung (1984)
Beat Boy
Visage (1984)
90125 (Deluxe Version)
Yes (1983)
Future Shock
Herbie Hancock (1983)
Tug Of War
Paul McCartney (1982)
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Fairlight CMI, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
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