Peter Zinovieff, British composer and synth pioneer, dies aged 88

The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Kraftwerk all used Zinovieff’s EMS synthesisers

Peter Zinovieff, a hugely influential figure in British music whose early synthesisers helped to change the sound of pop, has died aged 88. He had suffered a fall at home earlier this month.

With its marketing slogan “think of a sound – now make it”, his company Electronic Music Studios (EMS) was one of the first to bring synthesisers out of studios and to the public. With products such as the portable VCS3 and Synthi A, EMS customers – including David Bowie, Kraftwerk, the Who, Tangerine Dream and Pink Floyd – were often taught to use the instruments by Zinovieff.

Related: Peter Zinovieff: ‘I taught Ringo to play synth. He wasn’t very good – but neither was I'

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by Ben Beaumont-Thomas via Electronic music | The Guardian