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Listen to the story of the Fairlight CMI - made in Australia
Synthesisers began to reinvent pop and rock music in the second half of the 1960s, introducing sounds well beyond guitars and drums.
Early synths did electronic mimicry of other instruments, but in the mid 70s, two Australians began working on something that could do much more. By the end of the decade, Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie had created the Fairlight Computer Musical Instrument. The price was the same as a house in Sydney at the time. Their first customer was Stevie Wonder. Soon, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Herbie Hancock, all the big stars were lining up for a Fairlight. The technology seems primitive, seen from 2022. Floppy disks, tiny RAM, but it was a great musical leap forward that made sampling possible and created the 80s sound. Listen to the story on ABC Radio National
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AuthorRichard is a writer, podcaster, radio and TV broadcaster, an editor, and a lover of music. He tells the stories of how great songs are made, and of the people who make them. Archives
March 2022
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