Dave Spiers

A Berkshire musician and software pioneer whose work has helped preserve the sound of classic electronic music for future generations has been nominated for the Music Legacy Award, sponsored by Vale & West.

Since 2003, Dave Spiers, co-founder of GForce Software, has helped make vintage synth tones accessible to modern artists, turning rare hardware into practical software instruments for new recordings and performances.

Using GForce, virtual instruments recreating iconic synthesisers such as the OSCar, MiniMoog, Mellotron and ARP Odyssey have been developed, allowing rare and often inaccessible vintage sounds to be used in modern recording and performance/

“Dave Spiers’ musical legacy in Berkshire is about shaping how generations of musicians hear, create and reuse classic electronic sounds,” said the nominator.

Dave’s work has helped keep an important part of electronic music history alive, “extending far beyond technology, and has had a lasting impact on musicians, producers and audiences around the world.”

His sound design, programming and virtual instruments have been used by an extraordinary range of artists, including Underworld, Thomas Dolby, Ultravox, Debbie Harry, Elvis Costello, Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman, Herbie Hancock, Shakespeare’s Sister and I Monster.

“Dave’s contribution is both technical and cultural,” the nominator added. “He has preserved the analogue warmth and character of classic electronic instruments while making those sounds accessible to new generations of musicians.”