Synthesizers
Evan Brooks became interested in electronic musical instruments during the early days of synthesizer development. He worked on MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) controllers for E-MU and other San Francisco Bay Area companies. Soon thereafter, Evan started designing his own technologies...
John Bowen was an engineer at Sequential Circuits during the early days of the synthesizer boom of the late 1970s. John worked with founder Dave Smith, who later went on to develop the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) specifications. John helped write the MIDI code and went on to design...
Tsutomu Katoh had many ideas for using electronics to improve the way people make music in their homes. As the founder of KORG, he was able to see his ideas turn into successful musical products. The company introduced an impressive line of products, many of which revolutionized the industry. One...
Alan R. Pearlman was nicknamed “ARP” as a kid growing up in New York City, so it seemed the perfect name for a company when he was later designing electronic musical instruments. The first instrument created by Alan was the modular synthesizer known as the ARP 2500. The monophonic product was...
Philip Dodds seemed to always be drawn to electric musical instruments as a teen, so it was no shock that he made a major contribution to the field of keyboard and synthesizer development over his long and successful career. He was hired by ARP in 1970 as the world was first being introduced to the...
Robert Hartford was originally hired by ARP in 1977 as the company’s janitor, but soon was promoted as a clever facilities manager who was the guy who “knew how to get things done.” His principal role over the years is not well known, but ought to be. He is one of those guys the team can depend...
Dick Hyman has always been an innovative musician and as a result has performed on many of the latest developments in musical instruments over his long career. Known mostly for his jazz style on the piano, Dick has gained attention for his early work on the organ, the electronic harpsichord and the...
Herbie Hancock’s career as a musician and performer spans six decades. He was a member of the legendary Miles Davis Quintet and gave the world “Head Hunters” (jazz’s first platinum album) and other crossover hits such as the Grammy winning “Rockit.” Interestingly enough, what Herbie wanted to talk...
Steve Porcaro vividly recalls watching the Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan television program in February 1964 and having the sense that his life would never be the same. After forming several bands with his now famous brothers, Steve became a member of the band Toto, playing keyboards and...
Bill Mays can balance composing, arranging and piano performance with the best of them. As a young musician in San Diego, he cut his teeth on jazz and went on to become a pioneer in the use of synthesizers in the Hollywood studios as early as 1969. With a love of vocal arranging, Bill has worked...