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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.

Fred Koke

Fred Koke

Herbie Hancock jams with his Fairlight CMI

Video thumbnail for Herbie Hancock jams with his Fairlight CMI by Fred Koke

Herbie Hancock jams with his Fairlight CMI

Fred Koke

Fred Koke

Video thumbnail for Some Fairlight CMI IIX Sounds by Perfect Circuit

Some Fairlight CMI IIX Sounds

Perfect Circuit

Perfect Circuit

Video thumbnail for How the Fairlight CMI changed the course of music by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age

How the Fairlight CMI changed the course of music

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age

Video thumbnail for Herbie Demonstrates the Fairlight CMI Synthesizer on Sesame Street, 1983 by Herbie Hancock

Herbie Demonstrates the Fairlight CMI Synthesizer on Sesame Street, 1983

Herbie Hancock

Herbie Hancock

Video thumbnail for Kate Bush and the Fairlight CMI by Manuella Blackburn

Kate Bush and the Fairlight CMI

Manuella Blackburn

Manuella Blackburn

Video thumbnail for The Fairlight CMI: Mother of All Samplers by Fuzz City Records

The Fairlight CMI: Mother of All Samplers

Fuzz City Records

Fuzz City Records

Video thumbnail for 1980: The Sound of the FUTURE! With the Fairlight CMI | Tomorrow's World | Retro Tech | BBC Archive by BBC Archive

1980: The Sound of the FUTURE! With the Fairlight CMI | Tomorrow's World | Retro Tech | BBC Archive

BBC Archive

BBC Archive

Reviews

Critic Reviews

Fairlight CMI Review (EMM Jun 81)

muzines.co.uk

The Fairlight CMI is a groundbreaking digital instrument praised for its innovative approach to sound synthesis and sampling, offering capabilities that were ahead of its time. Its user interface, which includes a light pen for waveform drawing, sets it apart from competitors, allowing for deep sound manipulation. However, its high price tag and complexity mean it's best suited for dedicated musicians and studios rather than casual users. While it's a powerful tool for creative sound design, the learning curve and lack of traditional music notation support could be a drawback for some. Overall, a remarkable but niche piece of equipment.

positive

5.0 out of 5

Based on 0 Reviews and 7 Ratings

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Artist usage

Add artist
See how Steve Levine uses Fairlight CMI

Steve Levine

Composer, Music Producer

Culture Club

...
Verified via Muzines

The first and second photo show Steve Levine with a Fairlight CMI.

See how Jack Hues uses Fairlight CMI

Jack Hues

Guitarist

Wang Chung

...
Verified via Muzines

It is mentioned in this article that Wang Chung used a Fairlight, a PPG Wave 2.2, a Prophet 5, a Jupiter 8, and a LinnDrum, on the "Points On The Curve" Album.

M

Mark Shreeve

Keyboardist, Music Producer

Redshift

...
Verified via Soundonsound

In this interview, Mark's use of the Fairlight CMI is mentioned.

See how Richard James Burgess uses Fairlight CMI

Richard James Burgess

Drummer, Composer

Landscape

...
Verified via Muzines

"On my own album and on Melba Moore I used Fairlight CMI a lot. I use Page R mainly because it's so easy to use. It works the way the human mind works; you can bung a one bar idea into it, then modify it into a two bar idea, then into a whole song, then have different fills every eight bars. It's a great way of working because you don't have to conceive the whole thing in a blob. Previously you used to have to hold the thing in your head, but now it's getting to the point where you can actually sketch onto these machines, and from that sketch you can build the full colour picture."

N

Nick Feldman

Bassist

Wang Chung

...
Verified via Muzines

It is mentioned in this article that Wang Chung used a Fairlight, a PPG Wave 2.2, a Prophet 5, a Jupiter 8, and a LinnDrum, on the "Points On The Curve" Album.

See how Roy Hay uses Fairlight CMI

Roy Hay

Guitarist

Culture Club

...
Verified via Muzines

"I basically used everything you can think of except the Synclavier. I wrote and programmed most of the stuff here on the 9000 and the Studio 440 then transferred all the drum parts to a Fairlight III via a Simmons converter. For one song the basic program was on a Linn, then I had a clap from the Emulator, a bass drum from the Fairlight and a conga from the DX. Which meant I was using the Fairlight as a bass drum."

See how Rusty Egan uses Fairlight CMI

Rusty Egan

Drummer, Music Producer

Time Zone

...
Verified

Used on Visage's 1984 album "Beat Boy", according to a 1984 interview with Electronic Soundmaker & Computer Music.

Surprisingly hardly any electronic instruments were used on the LP, just a Fairlight CMI, Egan's MC202/SH101 sequencer combination, a Jupiter 8 and a Linn Drum.

See how Doug Johnson uses Fairlight CMI

Doug Johnson

Keyboardist

Loverboy

...
Verified via Cherry Audio

Doug Johnson, the keyboardist, has confirmed his use of the Fairlight CMI in an interview with Cherry Audio. He stated, "Believe it or not, I paid 35K for a Fairlight computer/synth/sampler, with the light pen and the whole nine yards. That would have been around 1983 or so. I used it a little; it could sample 8-bit for 1.5 seconds and store it on a humongous floppy disk. I leased it to a studio here in Vancouver, and then I sold it to a Belgian composer in 1989."

See how Nicky Skopelitis uses Fairlight CMI

Nicky Skopelitis

Guitarist, Keyboardist

Public Image Ltd

...
Verified via Photo

Nicky Skopelitis has been occasionally credited for performing the Fairlight CMI, as evidenced by the credits for Deadline's first album.

See how Chris Hughes uses Fairlight CMI

Chris Hughes

Drummer, Music Producer

Tears for Fears

...
Verified via Muzines

What also meets the eye is a three-pack of Alesis ADATs, a Mackie 8-Buss desk, and a range of classic keyboard instruments including a Fairlight CMI Series II, an NED Synclavier, and a Sequential Prophet 5. But while Hughes has always tried to use the latest technology, he's become wary of jumping aboard bandwagons that aren't yet fully fit to roll...

See how Christian Bruhn uses Fairlight CMI

Christian Bruhn

Keyboardist, Composer

...
Verified via Photo

Christian Bruhn is associated with the Fairlight CMI, as noted in the booklet shown in a user-uploaded photo on Discogs.

See how Richard X uses Fairlight CMI

Richard X

Music Producer

...
Verified via Rachel Stevens at RachelStevens.Com

Q: Rachel Stevens’ “Some Girls” was one of your biggest hits in the UK. What do you remember about recording this track, and is it true that you used the synthesizer once owned by the Thompson Twins?

A: Ha! Yes, there was the Thompson Twins’ Fairlight IIx sampler, the big old white ’80s machine with the computer monitor on top. It had apparently been on stage at Live Aid in the USA.

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.

Roland Jupiter-8
Roland Jupiter-8 Synthesizers
11
Yamaha DX7
Yamaha DX7 Synthesizers
9
PPG Wave 2.2
PPG Wave 2.2 Synthesizers
5
PPG Wave 2.3
PPG Wave 2.3 Synthesizers
4
Yamaha CS-80
Yamaha CS-80 Synthesizers
4
Moog Memorymoog
Moog Memorymoog Synthesizers
4
Yamaha RX11
Yamaha RX11 Drum Machines
3
E-Mu Emulator I
E-Mu Emulator I Synthesizers
3

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