Founded in 1971 by Dave Rossum and Scott Wedge, E-MU Systems built its reputation in the 1970's by building modular analog synthesizers and selling them to some of the biggest artists of the day like Frank Zappa and Tangerine Dream, as well as licensing technologies to companies like Oberheim and Sequential Circuits.
From the beginning, E-MU differentiated itself from other manufacturers by integrating the latest technologies into its musical instruments, including the emerging possibilities of computer control. In 1981 E-MU introduced the original Emulator, offering musicians the first affordable digital sampler - a product line that thery are developing to this day. The ‘80's saw development of E-MU's line of legendary drum machines, most notably the classic SP-1200 drum machine which has become synonymous with Hip-Hop music.
In 1989 E-MU released Proteus, the world's first sound module, and subsequently introduced genre-specific modules like Planet Phatt and Orbit that are still found in countless studios around the world. Most recently, E-MU has embraced the potential and power of the latest computers and ported its technologies to the PC, combining E-MU's proprietary DSP, software and sounds with the latest processors to create a new generation of products.
