The computer that let pop stars draw sound

A closer look

Before every teenager had a cracked version of Ableton on their laptop, sampling required the Fairlight CMI, a massive, blocky computer that cost roughly the same as a suburban home. Adopted by wealthy pop stars like Peter Gabriel in the early 80s, the Fairlight had a ridiculously futuristic interface where producers literally drew sound waveforms directly onto a green CRT monitor using a chunky light pen. It was the ultimate flex of digital wealth that dragged pop music into the sampling era.