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JAMS Communicatie & Harmonie

The Computer Musical Instrument That Changed the Face of Music

Sampling, creating and storing your own sounds, programming entire tracks… The Fairlight was the first computer to do it all. In the late ‘70s, it was light-years ahead of its time, paving the way for hands-on music production as we know it today. It’s not just an instrument—it’s a piece of music history. Enjoy these personal stories from musicians, programmers and proud owners.

Clive Smith

“The Fairlight grabbed me in a way that no other instrument did before that. And I do still love them.”

Cris Blyth

“Every time after I’m done, and I’m switching it off, I say: ‘Thank you, Fairlight!’ “.

Michael Turner-Craig

“Most people tend to explore them for the sound of the ’80’s. If you dive into them, you can get so much more out of the Fairlight.”

Rob Puricelli

“What I’d really like to do is educate. The Fairlight is Ground Zero for the way we make music today.”

Joe Britt

“It’s such a deep instrument, especially considering the timeframe it came from.”

Jean-Bernard Emond

“I was lucky enough to be able to repair and completely restore Jean-Michel Jarre’s mythical Fairlight CMI II.”

J.J. Jeczalik

“I’ve always tried creating something that tricks the brain.”

A little piece of history

Info about this project and the author

Karel Post

“Its sound, its quality: it’s just unique. There’s nothing like it.”

Klaus Himmelstein

” I love that particular sound. To me, it’s still up to date.”

Danny Weijermans

“The D/A conversion in both the Fairlight and the Synclavier: it makes them unique in comparison to other samplers.”

Peter Kersten

“It’s well-built, outstanding craftsmanship. It produces breathtaking sounds in a way that only Fairlights can do.”

Tim Curtis

“Because of that machine, many doors had opened up for me, giving me the opportunity to work with a lot of good people.”

Peter Wielk

“I use Fairlight systems every day and I still love them.”

George Barker

“I was actually quite obsessed with it. It was impossible to talk to me about anything except the Fairlight.”