Exclusive San Francisco Business Caters Only to Rock Stars

Sequential, a seminal company in music history, operates in a nondescript office building in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. The company, founded by Dave Smith, is responsible for pioneering polyphony in analog synthesizers, integrating microprocessors to store preset sounds, and inventing MIDI. The original Prophet-5 synth, released in 1978, supplied the bass solo in "Burning Down the House" by Talking Heads and helped define the sound of '80s synth-pop bands. Smith's legacy continues in North Beach, where Sequential Circuits operates, and the space boasts showrooms overlooking Stockton Street.