Page 153 - Demo

151The sampler meant you could record the sound of your cat meowing and then play it back using a keyboard, and make it sound weird and stuff.When schoolmates Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie spent their lunchtimes hanging out in the science lab, they had no idea they would go on to create something that would change the course of popular music forever.After finishing school, they became obsessed with the idea of developing the world%u2019s best synthesiser. After licensing existing technology from Motorola consultant Tony Furse, they set about finding ways to capture, manipulate and create sounds.In 1979, the pair released the Fairlight CMI (named after the Sydney ferry), the world%u2019s first workstation with an embedded sampler. As a result, the duo are credited with coining the term %u2018sampling%u2019 in music.For those not in the know, the sampler meant you could record the sound of your cat meowing and then play it back using a keyboard, and make it sound weird and stu%u00a0.The pair knew they had a hit on their hands. Vogel travelled the world with a working model to drum up interest. When he arrived in London, he received an enthusiastic reception from Peter Gabriel, who invited him to his house. Gabriel instantly saw the potential and became an early adopter. He went on to introduce the Fairlight to his friend Kate Bush, who used it on her 1980 hit%u00a0 %u2018Babooshka%u2019. Other early adopters included Stevie Wonder, Duran Duran, Yes, Todd Rundgren and Devo. For a time, Vogel was even distributing units from Gabriel%u2019s house.The Fairlight came to define the musical sound of the 1980s. Even its hefty price tag of $25,000 (around $127,000 in today%u2019s money) couldn%u2019t dampen its popularity. By 1985, it had become so ubiquitous that Phil Collins felt compelled to include a note on the sleeve of his multi-platinum album%u00a0 No Jacket Requiredexplaining that he hadn%u2019t used one.Sadly for Ryrie and Vogel, as technology advanced, major electronics companies were able to o%u00a0er similar products at a much lower price. But the duo had already left an indelible mark on musical history.So the next time you%u2019re singing along to%u00a0%u2018You%u2019re the Voice%u2019%u00a0at a wedding, take a moment to remember that John Farnham couldn%u2019t have made that great Aussie anthem without this great Aussie invention.YEAR 1979DESIGNERS Kim Ryrie and Peter Vogel