Dave Smith – before he created the Mopho synthesizer, the Evolver synthesizer, theTetra synthesizer and the Tempest analog drum machine – warmed up by creating theProphet line of synths and a little standard called MIDI.

While synth fans have long recognized Smith as one of the pioneers of modern electronic music instruments, he will will be getting broader recognition, along with Roland founder Ikutaro Kakehashi, via a 2013 Grammy for his contribution to the creation of the MIDI standard:

The Recording Academy announced today that Dave Smith and Roland Corporation’s Ikutaro Kakehashi will receive the 2013 Technical GRAMMY Award for the development of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface).

The MIDI protocol and interface design were co-developed by Dave and his original company, Sequential Circuits, and Japanese instrument manufacturer, Roland. The first MIDI-equipped synthesizer, the Prophet 600, was designed by Dave and started shipping thirty years ago this month. It was at the NAMM show in January of 1983 that MIDI communication between two instruments from different manufacturers—Sequential’s Prophet 600 and Roland’s Jupiter 6—was publicly demonstrated for the first time.

A special ceremony will be held on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013, and a formal acknowledgment will be made during the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast, on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013. [Synthtopia]