I was never worried that synthesizers would replace musicians. First of all, you have to be a musician in order to make music with a synthesizer.

I'm an engineer. I see myself as a toolmaker and the musicians are my customers... They use my tools.

By the time I got to building synthesizers, I had perhaps 20 years experience building electronic musical instruments.

Other kids went out and beat each other up or played baseball, and I built electronics.

When a pianist sits down and does a virtuoso performance he is in a technical sense transmitting more information to a machine than any other human activity involving machinery allows.

Back in the 40s and early 50s, building simple electronic projects was a popular hobby of many people. Back then, you could buy, you know, a few parts and - with tubes and build something on your kitchen table, and it would actually work.

What inspires me is not so much the music as the opportunity to interact with composers. I think that has driven everything I've done.