The object
Dave Rossum co-founded E-mu Systems and helped develop its modular synthesizers and digitally scanned polyphonic keyboard, technology later licensed into landmark polyphonic instruments. A 2026 Sound On Sound history documents the hardware’s role in synthesizer development. Rossum continues to appear in current music-technology coverage and maintain his instrument-design practice.
01
What Dave did
co-founded E-mu Systems and co-developed its modular synthesizers and digitally scanned polyphonic keyboard hardware
02
Why it matters
E-mu’s keyboard and synthesizer engineering fed influential Oberheim and Sequential instruments and helped shape affordable electronic music hardware.
03
Living-status check
Sound On Sound’s August 2026 E-mu history describes Rossum’s continuing engineering work.