Kenton Electronics was founded in 1986 by British musician John Price: "I was a professional keyboard player with a background in electronics and a passion for computers. I owned an Oberheim OBX synthesizer that I wanted to install a MIDI controller on. Unfortunately, the only available interface cost a fortune and wasn't exactly what I wanted, so I decided to build my own. The new MIDI interface turned out to be a success, and I was immediately contacted by my fellow keyboard players who asked me to make something similar for them. I decided to produce a small batch of 12 interfaces, and that's where it all started... I am often asked where the name Kenton comes from. My father, Wylie Price, was the leader of a band in the 40s-50s and a big Stan Kenton fan, so he gave me the name Kenton as my middle name."
