The 'orchestra hit' stab, first sampled on a Fairlight for 'Planet Rock', became a ubiquitous electro/hip-hop signature

‘Planet Rock’ introduced the ‘orchestra hit’ — a short, punchy sampled orchestral stab — played on a Fairlight CMI the producers found in the studio. Described as ‘soon-to-be ubiquitous,’ this single sampled sound went on to become one of the most recognizable stabs in electro, hip-hop and later dance music. It is a clear early example of a sampler-based sound (as opposed to synthesized) entering electro’s otherwise synth-and-drum-machine palette and becoming a genre tell.

Examples

‘Planet Rock’ (1982): the orchestra hit stab banged out on a studio Fairlight. The same ‘orch hit’ recurs across 1980s electro and hip-hop and is still a period signature when heard today.

Assessment

What is the ‘orchestra hit’ and on what instrument was it first sampled for ‘Planet Rock’? Why is it significant that a sampled sound, rather than a synthesized one, became an electro signature?