Dave Smith: the synth genius who made pop’s instruments work in harmony

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Dave Smith’s name may be ubiquitous enough to look almost forgettable on the back of a synthesiser

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at least next to the distinctive monikers of his peers such as Oberheim

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Moog, Linn and Rossum – but it fits the portrait of Smith painted by those who knew him and his work

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that of an unassuming yet brilliant innovator, a quiet kind of genius.

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He didn’t just create iconic synthesisers, he united electronic instruments everywhere.

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This week’s announcement of Smith’s death at the age of 72 was met with messages of grief

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and appreciation by musicians and producers the world over.

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Know him by name or not, you will have nodded your head countless times to the sound of Smith’s innovation

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Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Madonna’s Like a Virgin, Radiohead’s Everything In Its Right Place

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