The Fairlight CMI: The Instrument That Changed Music Forever

In this episode, I’m joined by Rob Puricelli from the ProSynth Network to explore one of the most iconic and influential instruments ever made — the Fairlight CMI.

Released at the dawn of the 1980s, the Fairlight wasn’t just a synthesizer — it was a music computer. Together, we dive deep into how it was created, why it was so revolutionary, and how it reshaped the way music was made forever.

Rob walks us through:
What the Fairlight CMI actually was
How digital sampling was accidentally invented
Who created it (and who doesn’t get enough credit)
The artists who made it famous — from Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush to Jean-Michel Jarre, Pet Shop Boys, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood
How Page R sequencing changed music production
Why the Fairlight eventually disappeared — and where its legacy lives on today

We also talk about modern ways to experience the Fairlight sound, including software recreations and plugins, and why the Fairlight deserves to be mentioned alongside names like Bob Moog and Dave Smith in music technology history.

If you’re interested in 80s music, synth history, sampling, or classic music technology, this is one you won’t want to miss.
00:00 – Introduction
00:05 – Why the Fairlight CMI Matters
01:00 – What Is the Fairlight CMI?
02:12 – From Additive Synthesis to Sampling
03:16 – The Fairlight Hardware Explained
03:27 – Who Invented the Fairlight?
05:12 – Tony Furse and the Missing Chapter in Fairlight History
07:34 – Why Sampling Was the Breakthrough
08:07 – The Quest to Recreate Acoustic Instruments
09:04 – The Birth of Digital Sampling
11:15 – Filters, Aliasing, and the Fairlight Sound
12:22 – Public Debut and “Computer-Generated” Sounds
13:26 – Computers and Music in the Early 80s
15:11 – Sequencing Before DAWs
16:48 – When Was the Fairlight Released?
18:03 – Stevie Wonder, Peter Gabriel, and Early Adopters
19:51 – Creative Sampling: Breaking the Rules
21:49 – Kate Bush and Early Hit Records
22:53 – Page R Sequencing Explained
25:55 – Building Full Tracks with Page R
26:47 – Jan Hammer and Miami Vice
27:06 – Pet Shop Boys and Fairlight Pop
29:36 – Layered Drum Sampling in the 80s
31:36 – Orchestral Sounds and “It Couldn’t Happen Here”
33:45 – How Much Did a Fairlight Cost?
35:34 – Art of Noise, Trevor Horn, and YES
36:53 – Competition from Emulator and Akai
38:58 – The End of Fairlight as a Company
39:54 – From Fairlight to Romplers (D-50, M1)
41:06 – Rob’s Personal Fairlight Journey
42:53 – Restoring Vintage Fairlights
45:48 – Letting People Play a Fairlight
48:55 – How to Get the Fairlight Sound Today
49:13 – Arturia CMI V and Software Alternatives
50:27 – Quasar Beach Explained
52:42 – Recreating Classic Performances
54:20 – “Computer Music” Then vs AI Now
56:24 – Why the Fairlight Changed Music Forever
58:15 – Why the Inventors Deserve More Credit
58:43 – ProSynth Network and Where to Find Rob
1:00:28 – Closing Thoughts

Check out Rob’s work

ProSynth Network (weekly live show)
https://www.failedmuso.com/
   / @prosynthnetwork  

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