WDR3 Studio Elektronische Musik: Fairlight CMI

This one in via swissdoc

"Hints to the start of Fairlight are given and why it was called Fairlight. Then I found this ressource:
https://www.outofphase.fr/en/2018/07/20/history-fairlight/

Good stuff about the Fairlight and the early days with the Quasar M8." [previously posted here with a pic]

Googlish:

The mother of all digital samplers comes from Australia. In 1979 Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie built the first copies of the Computer Music Instrument (CMI): processor, screen with light pen, pressure-sensitive keyboard and sound files on floppy discs.

For the first CMI synthesizer with sampling function, the musicians had to put 1 million US dollars on the table. The proud price did not prevent its triumphant advance through the world of pop and experimental electroacoustic music. On the contrary: the Fairlight CMI shaped the sound of the eighties and nineties. Today it is a historical instrument, but some composers are still using the light pen again.

With excerpts from:

Thomas Kessler
Drum Control (1983) for percussion and computer

Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel (1980)

The Art of Noise
Into Battle (1983)

Jonathan Harvey
One Evening (1994) for soprano, mezzo-soprano, ensemble and electronics

Jean-Michel Jarre
Magnetic Fields (1981)

Hubert Bognermayr & Harald Zusatzrader
Erdenklang - computer acoustic sound symphony (1982)

Kirsten Reese
the lightest words had the weight of oracles (2014)
for Fairlight CMI and electric guitar, Seth Josel

Alain Thibault
God's Greatest Gift (1985) Electroacoustic music

John McGuire
A Cappella (1990-97) for soprano and tape, Beth Griffith

Younghi Pagh Paan
Tsi-Shin-Kut, for four percussionists and computer sounds (1991/94)

Martin Wesley-Smith
White knight and beaver (1984) for trombone, amplified violin / viola and Fairlight CMI, Australia Ensemble

Hugh Davies
Vision (1985/87) Electroacoustic Music

Author: Martina Seeber
Editor: Frank Hilberg

Video created with OpenShot on a Debian 8 Jessie Linux System."

---

Original German:

"Die Mutter aller digitalen Sampler kommt aus Australien. 1979 bauten Peter Vogel und Kim Ryrie die ersten Exemplare des Computer Music Instrument (CMI): Prozessor, Bildschirm mit Lichtgriffel, druckempfindliches Keyboard und Sounddateien auf Floppy Discs.

Für den ersten CMI-Synthesizer mit Samplingfunktion mussten die Musiker noch 1 Million US-Dollar auf den Tisch legen. Seinen Siegeszug durch die Welt des Pop und der experimentellen elektroakustischen Musik hat der stolze Preis nicht verhindert. Im Gegenteil: das Fairlight CMI hat den Sound der Achtziger und Neunziger geprägt. Heute gehört es zu den historischen Instrumenten, aber einige Komponisten greifen dennoch wieder zum Lichtgriffel.

Mit Ausschnitten aus:

Thomas Kessler
Drum Control (1983) für Schlagzeug und Computer

Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel (1980)

The Art of Noise
Into Battle (1983)

Jonathan Harvey
One Evening (1994) für Sopran, Mezzosopran, Ensemble und Elektronik

Jean-Michel Jarre
Magnetic Fields (1981)

Hubert Bognermayr & Harald Zuschrader
Erdenklang – computerakustische Klangsinfonie (1982)

Kirsten Reese
the lightest words had the weight of oracles (2014)
für Fairlight CMI und E-Gitarre, Seth Josel

Alain Thibault
God's Greatest Gift (1985) Elektroakustische Musik

John McGuire
A Cappella (1990-97) für Sopran und Tonband, Beth Griffith

Younghi Pagh Paan
Tsi-Shin-Kut, für vier Schlagzeuger und Computerklänge (1991/94)

Martin Wesley-Smith
White knight and beaver (1984) für Posaune, verstärkte Violine/Viola und Fairlight CMI, Australia Ensemble

Hugh Davies
Vision (1985/87) Elektroakustische Musik

Autorin: Martina Seeber
Redaktion: Frank Hilberg

Video created with OpenShot on a Debian 8 Jessie Linux System."