In honor of our 50 Years of Sequential celebration, we are pleased to present a guest post by David Abernethy, the author of The Prophet from Silicon Valley, an in-depth exploration of Sequential Circuits’ history. Mr. Abernethy shares exclusive behind-the-scenes insights, drawn from his personal experiences during the book’s research. This is the final article in his enlightening three-part series.
Untold Stories from ‘The Prophet from Silicon Valley’ – Part 3
I had the pleasure of meeting Dave Smith on three occasions. The first was when I did my initial interview with him for my book, The Prophet from Silicon Valley. It was a beautiful day and I drove up from San Francisco to Napa Valley, where Dave lived with his wife Denise.
Napa Valley is part of the California wine country industry with miles of vineyards and quaint little villages. I found Dave’s house easy enough and we chatted in the lounge for an hour or so. I think we were both nervous at first, but at some point an odd noise emanated from the direction of the kitchen where Denise was struggling with some appliance or other. Dave yelled out a helpful suggestion and Denise managed to sort it out. ‘Is that the Tempest?’ I asked in my usual deadpan manner (it was under development at the time). Dave’s reply was with a wry smile – he knew I was joking, and the interview became a bit more relaxed. I think we both recognised we shared a dry sense of humor.
My second meeting was a year or so later when I interviewed Dave again, this time in the DSI office in Stockton Street, downtown San Francisco. It was a short, relaxed interview and he gave me a fascinating tour of their large open-plan office/development/assembly floor. I was surprised that all the DSI hardware was manufactured locally, and all the assembly took place in the DSI office. Dave’s personal vintage synth collection was set up to one side and I was able to take a few pics. I did the usual nerdy thing of making a note of the serial numbers, but the synths were stacked so close to the wall that I couldn’t focus on the labels. Luckily DSI employees had keen eyesight. Thanks guys!
My third meeting was another year or so later, once again in Stockton Street. It was after the book had been released and I stopped by to get a promo shot. This time, his vintage collection was set up in a separate office and he was happy to pose with the book.
Being a Sequential fan, I knew what the book needed to be successful. One of those things was Dave Smith’s blessing, preferably with a written foreword. Thankfully he provided this, and also a number of photos from his personal collection (thanks also to Dave Sesnak from Wine Country for assisting in the sorting of Dave’s snapshots).
And so it was a shock when just a few years later he passed away. My condolences to Denise, family, friends and work colleagues. And now, Sequential are promoting the 50th anniversary of Sequential Circuits. The legend lives on.
David Abernethy, January 2024
David Abernethy’s The Prophet from Silicon Valley stands as the definitive history of Sequential Circuits. For those interested in the fascinating details of Sequential’s iconic instruments and the innovators behind them, the book is available for purchase on Amazon. (International readers can also find local print-on-demand options through Amazon.)