CMI Series I
1979
The Fairlight CMI Series I (1979) was the original Computer Musical Instrument, one of the first commercial digital sampling synthesizers and an early digital audio workstation. Built around dual Motorola 6800 processors with eight-voice polyphony and 8-bit sampling at a variable rate, it was played from a music keyboard and programmed with a light pen on a monitor. Fairlight's founders popularised the term 'sampling' to describe its core function; it launched at roughly £18,000.
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We're compiling the full history of the Fairlight CMI Series I. Check back soon for production timeline, variants, notable users, and cultural significance.