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Sequential, Dave Smith’s Iconic Synthesizer Company

Focusrite Acquires Sequential,

Dave Smith’s Iconic Synthesizer
Company

 April 27, 2021  Synth Anatomy 0

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Dave Smith sold his legendary synthesizer

company Sequential to Focusrite and is now part
of the British music tech company (Novation,
Adam Audio …)

Well-known synthesizer companies are Moog, Roland

but also Sequential. The latter is run by none other
than Dave Smith, co-inventor of the MIDI standard.
Sequential is one of the top addresses today when it
comes to premium analog synthesizers. The road to
this fame was far from easy for Dave Smith. Starting
out as Sequential and its then-unknown Prophet-5
Synthesizer, now a legend, the company was sold to
Yamaha a few years later in 1987.

This step doesn’t hold up the developer. After a few

years with Yamaha / Korg and the development of
the Wavestation, he created a new synth brand called
Dave Smith Instruments. Among other things, the
OB-6 with Tom Oberheim, the a!ordable Mopho and
Tetra synthesizers, and others. In 2015, Yamaha
returned the Sequential Circuits trademark to Dave
Smith Instruments, which rebranded as Sequential in
2018.

Today, three years after this step, Dave Smith is

making another one, arguably the final one in his
career. He hands over his company to Focusrite but
will continue to work on new instruments with his
team. Here is what both companies have to say
about this deal.

O!cial Press Release

San Francisco, CA and High Wycombe, UK — April

27th 2021 — In a joint statement, Focusrite Group
and Sequential LLC today announced that Focusrite
plc, a leading global creator of music and audio
hardware and software products, has acquired
Sequential LLC, the respected American synthesizer
manufacturer led by legendary electronic instrument
designer and Grammy® winner Dave Smith.

Both companies stand to benefit from the synergy

created by the acquisition. The Focusrite Group will
add the venerable Sequential line of instruments to
its already-impressive portfolio of products, which
includes the acclaimed Focusrite, Focusrite Pro,
Martin Audio, Optimal Audio, ADAM Audio, Novation,
and Ampify brands. Sequential will benefit from
greater resources to expand its global markets and
future R&D e!orts.

Focusrite Sequential

Sequential’s Dave Smith said,

“With Focusrite, we’ve found an ideal home and a

perfect cultural and technological fit. Phil Dudderidge
and his team have a long history of quality, vision,
and focus on what musicians and audio
professionals really want. We’re excited to join such
an industry powerhouse and contribute to our
mutual success. I expect great things.”

Sequential has been a leading force in the resurgent

popularity of analog synthesizers over the last
decade. Its instruments, which include the Prophet®
5 Rev4 polyphonic synth, Pro 3® hybrid monosynth,
and Prophet X Samples + Synthesis keyboard, are
known for their versatility, ease of use, and
excellence of sound. They are a mainstay of
performing and recording artists and can be seen
and heard on countless stages and recordings.

Focusrite

Focusrite Founder Phil Dudderidge commented:

“We’re excited and pleased to add Sequential’s

instruments and pedigree to Focusrite Group’s
portfolio of world-class audio and music production
tools. Dave Smith’s history as an innovator speaks for
itself. From his creation of the world’s first fully
programmable polysynth, the Prophet 5, to his co-
invention of MIDI, Dave has literally changed the
world of music several times. We’re looking forward
to continuing his history of innovation and expanding
the global market for Sequential’s instruments.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Sequential has

become a wholly owned subsidiary of Focusrite plc.
Sequential’s day-to-day operations and product
development remain unchanged and will continue to
be guided by Dave Smith and his team.

Tim Carroll, CEO of Focusrite Group, remarked,

“Sequential is a premium analogue synth brand with

a big stake in music creation. The products are
exceptional and the company is run extremely well,
and the passion of the people at Sequential aligns
perfectly with our Focusrite Group ethos. It’s
tremendously exciting to be able to bring Sequential
into the Focusrite family, further the incredible
journey that Dave Smith started, and keep growing
together.”

My Thoughts

The future will be very exciting, especially how both

companies will work together. A Novation Sequential
Synthesizer with technology from both companies
would be exciting. After the Sequential has
completely withdrawn from the “a!ordable” segment
(Mopho, Tetra…), it will be interesting to see if they
will re-enter the market with a new a!ordable synth.
They now have the power and the financial means to
make it happen.

I very much welcome this move by Dave Smith and

Sequential. Often companies end up badly and are
continued by other companies that have absolutely
nothing to do with their history. This is a much better
way Dave Smith is going here. I wish Dave you, and
the Sequential team all the best.

More information here: Sequential 

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