Rocky Mount Instruments or RMI was a subsidiary of the Allen Organ Company, established in about 1966. It was based in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. It is most famous for the RMI Electra Piano, a keyboard instrument that created piano and harpsichord-like sounds without the use of strings, tines, or reeds, instead using transistors, much like the combo organs of the day.
Beginning in 1967, RMI began producing the 300 Series Electra-piano. In 1974, RMI produced the pioneering “Keyboard Computer” model keyboard instrument, the first portable digital sample player. It produced sounds from waveform model punch cards which were input and digitized into volatile memory.
From 1974 to 1976 RMI produced its only true synthesizer, the RMI Harmonic Synthesizer, an instrument that was years ahead of its time. In 1979 RMI introduced the DK-20 (Digital Keyboard) as a replacement for the old analog 300 Series. This model was produced until 1982.During all these years, many artists like Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Genesis, Deep Purple, Stevie Wonder, etc. played on Rmi keyboards.