![]() His realisation that the use of this technology would allow ease of programming, led to a degree of procrastination, as he thought that other larger companies such as Moog would move in a similar direction. Clearly this was a concept with considerable legs, which laid the path for one of the most groundbreaking synthesisers of all time.ĭave had always pondered why manufacturers were not taking advantage of the new developments in micro-processor and chipset technology. In an ingenious move, 1976 saw the release of the Model 700 Programmer, which would allow the saving of up to 64 programs/patches when connected to a Minimoog or ARP 2600. The first comingīeing a Minimoog owner, Dave shared the frustration of many users, with its inability to store patches. This was a revelation on release in ’76, sealing the brand’s identity. The Model 600 was quickly followed by the Model 800 Digital Sequencer, offering the capability of storing note patterns in banks. This was the first in a run of similar sequencer-based products, providing the obvious branding for Smith’s new enterprise, Sequential Circuits Inc. He had purchased a Minimoog in 1972, but wanted a sequencer to use alongside, so exploiting his talent and expertise for design, built his first analogue sequencer, the Model 600. His day job involved working with micro-processors, an emerging technology of the era emanating from the Silicon Valley area of Northern California, where Dave lived. Dave founded his fledgling startup in 1974, out of San Francisco. If Bob Moog is described as the Grandfather of modern subtractive synthesis, then surely Dave Smith would be right alongside him, as a Great Uncle. Sequential are inviting people to share their own memories of Smith by emailing this address. He ran from the back of the hall, pushed through the crowd, jumped on stage and calibrated the oscillators (which took a while as we all just stood there nervously hoping it would work), and I was able to finish the gig, and we all gave him a huge round of applause. “One time we were playing in San Francisco and my Prophet-08 went completely out of tune and none of us had a clue how to fix it (no manual to hand and I’m literally on stage between songs)… as luck would have it, Dave was in the audience. I’m shedding a few tears as I write this.ĭave’s legacy is one of creative passion and a deep and lifelong love for music, music technology Such a lovely man, complete genius and in my opinion even in 2022 was still making the best synths in the world. Writing on Instagram, UK-born musician James Blake, who was known for his heavy use of Smith’s instruments, said: “RIP to Dave Smith. ![]() Dave will be greatly missed, but his contributions to music will never be forgotten.” At the same time, he had the foresight to mentor and build Sequential into a team that will continue his work and legacy without pause. ![]() “At 72 he was still actively designing his next generation of synths.
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