These days most musicians can be 'replaced' by musically sampled equivalents. Well, that's how many people think, but it's not the complete reality. But did you know it was a couple of Aussies who invented the sampler?
The Fairlight Computer Music Instrument was designed by two Australian engineers, Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie. Early on, they began working with fellow Aussie Tony Furse, an engineer and electronics whiz, who had already been working on a digital synthesizer for several years. The synthesizer, called the Quasar M8, was a hand wired monster that took 2 hours to boot.
Over the course of the next 3 years, work was done on a new type of synth. No one really understood it at first, but orders came in, so 1978 was spent making some by hand. It was sloppy and haphazard; each machine being a little different. They had to make the machine more consistent and reliable, so they used the newest technology at the time DRAM modules. After a month, the new machine prototype was done, and they realized you could actually sample a sound into the memory, so Mr.Vogel made an 8-bit Analogue to digital converter for sound quality purposes. The first CMI (Computer Musical Instrument) was released to the public in 1979.
It was the first commercially available digital sampling instrument. Instead of generating sounds from mathematical wave data (synthesis), it digitises sounds from a real audio source via an analogue to digital converter for re-synthesis or processing.
Two of it's first sales were to Peter Gabriel and Stevie Wonder. Not surprising considering the US$20000 plus price tag. This was not for your average muso. The first charting song to use the Fairlight is reputed to be "Shock the Monkey" by Peter Gabriel.
The only competition they had came from England in the mid-eighties, but Fairlight was a long way ahead.
Although the sounds were very rough by today's standards, it cemented a new way of looking at music. Almost every top forty song these days will contain some samples, and most dance music is made only using samples! The problem arises that everyone uses many of the same samples, so they can sound alike.
The Fairlight also pioneered the audio technology that is employed on all Avid's, Final Cut Pro's and of course Pro-Tools. Fairlight were leaders in Post Production Audio systems for many years, but the company struck trouble a few years ago. In 2003 , new investors kept the company alive and it continues to market audio products today.