fbpx
Search and Hit Enter

Dave Smith, the Father of MIDI, has died (1950–2022)

By Simon Whight
Reading Time: 3 min
Remembering Dave Picture

Yesterday saw the sad announcement of the passing of synthesiser luminary Dave Smith aged 72 (1950–2022), creator of arguably one of the most important synthesisers of all time – the Prophet 5.

In terms of aural significance, its use was found in everything from the Blade Runner soundtrack by Vangelis – another recent loss to the industry – to seminal albums such as Michael Jackson ‘Thriller‘ and Madonna ‘Like A Virgin‘. An ageless machine, it was the signature sound behind Radiohead’s electronic revolution ‘Kid A’.

Smith’s influence did not stop there, the creation of the Musical Instrument Digital Interface technology alongside Chet Wood, revolutionised music production with a standard that is absolutely ubiquitous. While many producers may not have had a chance to use his more aspirational synthesisers, but they have absolutely encountered MIDI.

Such was the weight of Smith’s name, he was one of the few people in history whose name could be associated with an instrument and add significant gravitas. Before regaining the Sequential brand from Yamaha in 2015, the Dave Smith signature could be found emblazoned across machines like the Tempest drum machine, the collaboration with Oberheim on the OB-6, and even into the realm of mass market DJ boxes by lending his signature filter sound to Pioneers first sampler – the Toraiz SP-16. In essence – a Dave Smith signature was a sign of quality that carried with it legacy.

Across social media, musicians far and wide have been paying their respects, an often faceless industry has lost one of its greatest faces.

Privacy Preference Center

Consent Management

Inverted Audio uses cookies and similar technologies to give you a better experience, enabling things like:

- basic site functions
- ensuring secure, safe transactions
- remembering privacy and security settings
- analyzing site traffic and usage
- helping us understand the audience
- showing relevant, targeted ads on our web properties

Detailed information can be found on our Privacy Policy page.

Privacy Policy

Required
WE TAKE YOUR PRIVACY SERIOUSLY Inverted Audio Ltd (“we”) promise to protect and respect any personal data you share with us, or that we get from other organisations. Inverted Audio Ltd is a privately held company. Registered office address: 54 Merritt Road, London, SE4 1DX. This privacy statement tells you about the type of data we collect and how we use it. We use your information in accordance with all applicable laws concerning the protection of personal information. This policy explains: What information we may collect about you How we may use that information In what situations we may disclose your details to third parties Our use of cookies to improve your use of our website Information about how we keep your personal information secure, how we maintain it and your rights to be able to access it You can email info@inverted-audio.com to ask about the data we hold on you, make changes or ask us to stop using it.

Required Cookies & Technologies

Some of the technologies we use are necessary for critical functions like security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and to make the site work correctly for browsing and transactions.

Cookies Used

Required
gdpr, wp-settings,

Advertising

These technologies are used for things like:

- personalised ads
- to limit how many times you see an ad
- to understand usage via Google Analytics
- to understand how you got to our web properties
- to ensure that we understand the audience and can provide relevant ads

We do this with social media, marketing, and analytics partners (who may have their own information they’ve collected). Saying no will not stop you from seeing our ads, but it may make them less relevant or more repetitive.

Cookies Used

Adsense, Facebook, Google Adwords

Analytics

Our website uses tracking software to monitor our visitors to understand how they use it. We use software provided by Google Analytics, which use cookies to track visitor usage. This software will save a cookie to your computer’s hard drive to track and monitor your engagement and use of the website, and to help identify you on future visits. It will not store, save or collect personal information.

Cookies Used

Google Analytics, Facebook