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Microsoft
Ships DirectX 6.1
Latest Upgrade to Windows Operating Systems'
Services for Multimedia Introduces DirectMusic, a Revolutionary
Technology for Music Production and Performance REDMOND, Wash. - Feb. 3, 1999 -Microsoft
Corp. today announced shipment of version 6.1 of the Microsoft®
DirectX® Software Development Kit (SDK), including the
first public release of the widely heralded Microsoft DirectMusic™
API as well as native support for the Intel Pentium III processor
family. A mature and comprehensive set of system services in
the Windows® operating system, DirectX unlocks the power
of Windows-equipped multimedia PCs by providing software developers
with transparent access to a wide range of peripherals, including
graphics cards, audio adapters and input devices. DirectX was
introduced in 1995 and is now a recognized standard for multimedia
application development. "With DirectX 6.1, we continue in our
commitment to deliver industry-leading technologies to Windows-based
application developers and end users," said Kevin Bachus, product
manager of DirectX at Microsoft. "The newest member of the
DirectX family, DirectMusic, will radically change the way consumers
and developers perceive music on the personal computer." DirectMusic Transforms the Way Music Is Produced and
Performed DirectMusic, which was first provided to a select
group of software developers last February, addresses the historical
limitations of MIDI-based music playback on Windows by delivering
superior timing services, support for the MIDI Manufacturers
Association's Downloadable Sounds (DLS) standard for wavetable
synthesis, and an integrated software synthesizer, which guarantees
users consistent and high-quality playback on virtually any hardware
configuration. DirectMusic also includes a DLS version of the
industry-standard SoundCanvas General MIDI sound set, licensed from
Roland Corp., enabling composers to become immediately productive with
the technology and reverberation technology licensed from Waves Ltd.,
which delivers richer, more complex sound quality. By lifting the traditional restrictions of MIDI
playback on personal computers, DirectMusic paves the way for
composers and developers to fully exploit the capabilities of MIDI.
DirectMusic includes an innovative suite of high-level tools and
technologies that enable composers to create music scores that respond
to user actions. Using the supplied DirectMusic Producer composition
tool, composers can create highly customized and interactive music
palettes, directing how the music should change when played by a
software application. For example, the intensity of a piece of music
in a DirectMusic-equipped game might increase if the player is doing
well, or might seamlessly integrate a character's "theme"
into the score when the character appears on-screen. "DirectMusic has the makings of the next
generation of music composition and playback for the Windows-based PC.
The possibilities are limitless," said Alexander Brandon,
composer of soundtracks for many leading computer games, including
'Unreal,' 'Dark Vengeance' and 'Jazz Jackrabbit 2.' "Novice and
hobbyist musicians have been waiting for this for a long time, and the
advanced features give professionals a completely new playground for
their musical ideas." "DirectMusic and DLS are a wake-up call to the
PC music industry: MIDI is back!" said Tom White, president of
the MIDI Manufacturers Association. "DirectMusic makes PC-based
music more interactive than ever. Thanks to its support for DLS,
composers can finally create compelling, interactive soundtracks that
play on millions of PC sound cards with complete accuracy. DirectMusic
is probably the most significant step in the evolution of PC-based
music tools since the introduction of MIDI." DirectX Delivers Pentium III Performance Advantages
Without Additional Coding DirectX 6.1 also delivers integrated support in the
Direct3D® API for Intel's Pentium III processor. When
Direct3D detects the presence of a Pentium III processor, it can
transparently use the processor's specialized instructions for
executing complex 3-D geometry functions. Such support provides
developers with an automatic way to push the limits of their hardware,
without having to do any additional coding, to create previously
unattainable levels of graphical realism in real time on a personal
computer. "Intel is pleased to see this new DirectX 6.1
release with support for the upcoming Pentium III processor,"
said Jon Khazam, director of graphics marketing, Intel Corp.
"Software developers now have a convenient way of accessing the
powerful 3-D performance of all Intel processors. We have worked
closely with Microsoft in the design and implementation of this latest
release so that it takes advantage of the enhanced 3-D graphics
capabilities of the Pentium III processor." Availability The DirectX 6.1 SDK is available for download for a
limited time at http://www.microsoft.com/directx/download.asp
and can be ordered on the Web at http://www.microsoft.com/directx/sdkcdorder.asp.
The DirectX 6.1 SDK will also be made available as part of the
Microsoft Platform SDK in an upcoming release of the Microsoft
Developer Network (MSDN™) developer program. Consumers can upgrade
to the latest version of DirectX by using the Windows Update feature
in Windows 98 or by downloading a copy at http://www.microsoft.com/directx/download.asp. Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT")
is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The
company offers a wide range of products and services for business and
personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and
more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of
personal computing every day. Microsoft, DirectX, DirectMusic, Windows, Direct3D
and MSDN are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft
Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. Other product and company names herein may be
trademarks of their respective owners. Note to editors:If you
are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please
visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/
on Microsoft's corporate information pages. Third-Party Comments on DirectMusic "With high-quality audio performance and
interactive compositional techniques, DirectMusic makes possible
richer more immersive sound environments than ever before. We're
looking forward to enabling DirectMusic in several of our forthcoming
titles this year." - Scott Snyder Sound Designer Accolade Inc. "By providing an architecture for creating and
delivering music that is dynamic and nonlinear, DirectMusic adds a new
dimension of excitement to games and interactive titles. Cakewalk
looks forward to supporting developers and composers using DirectMusic
in future versions of our music and sound content creation tools.
DirectMusic makes Windows an even better platform for audio and music
professionals." - Greg Hendershott Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Cakewalk Music Software "Microsoft has done a great job with
DirectMusic. It will mean a lot to improving the quality and
interactivity of music in computer games of the future. We're now
supporting it in the Unreal Engine, and we expect that several of our
licensees will choose to use DirectMusic in their future Unreal
Engine-based releases." - Mark Rein Vice President Epic MegaGames Inc. "Microsoft's new DirectMusic API helps return
audio to its rightful place at the forefront of software development.
For one thing, through support for the DLS standard, Microsoft assures
developers and composers that their music will provide consistent,
high-quality playback on any Windows-based PC." - Rudy Helm Co-chairman Interactive Audio Special Interest Group Owner At The Helm Audio Productions "We're really excited about using DirectMusic
in 'Anachronox.' The ability to have the music change to suit where
you are and what's happening is really exciting, and is definitely
going to make a huge impact on the immersive feeling of the game.
After 'Anachronox' and DirectMusic rock the house, then my next titles
and DirectMusic are going to rock future houses! Having DirectMusic
for a game is like getting a free programmer under the Christmas
tree." - Tom Hall President Ion Storm "DirectMusic has allowed music to become
genuinely interactive without sacrificing either the soul of the music
or the original intent of the composer. Microsoft has done an
excellent job at bringing music and audio back to the innovative
forefront of multimedia. Well done." - Denny Bromley Composer and Audio Engineer JuniorNet Corp. "As one of the first companies to work with
DirectMusic-based technology, Monolith has seen firsthand the impact
of interactive music on our games 'Shogo: Mobile Armor Division' and
'Blood 2.' While we were initially attracted by the excellent CD
audio-quality music DirectMusic delivers on any system, we were
impressed by how easily we could create variations that gave our score
an organic feel. We look forward to exploring the more subtle
interactive aspects of DirectMusic - creating themes, varied melodic
elements and advanced harmonics - in our future products." - Guy Whitmore Director of Audio Monolith Productions Inc. "DirectMusic is a timely innovation within the
interactive music world. Not only does it provide an ingenious way to
manipulate musical patterns of varying emotional intensity but also
the means whereby these patterns may be triggered by activities or
events within a computer game or multimedia product. The DLS aspect
ensures that every end user hears the same sounds, regardless of their
PC system - goodbye, General MIDI!" - Dave Punshon Composer for video games and multimedia products such as LEGO Chess and Gangsters "DirectMusic is truly a revolutionary tool
for creating interactive music. Microsoft's adoption of the DLS
standard brings high-quality synthesis with incredible
flexibility." - Monty Schmidt President Sonic Foundry Inc. "Our job is to create emotions with music and
sound effects. DirectMusic allows us to take game players on an
immersive experience in which we are always directing the
excitement, the tension and the triumph. We are excited about
DirectMusic and feel that a new age of interactive music has just
begun." - Scott Martin Gershin Sound Designer and Supervising Sound Editor Soundelux Showorks "It has always been the policy of Surreal
Software to take advantage of the latest and most cutting-edge
multimedia technology. When the time came to choose a music platform
for Drakan, several options were available to us, each with its own
strengths. In the end, Microsoft DirectMusic became the obvious
choice for a number of reasons. It allowed us to bring high-quality
music into our game with minimal performance and memory expense
while offering us an unprecedented degree of flexibility and control
over the music itself. Coupled with the ease of integration into our
proprietary tools and the excellent support from the DirectMusic
team at Microsoft, the entire package has proven a worthy component
of the next-generation gaming experience." - Tim Ebling Digital Physicist Surreal Software "VR-1 was one of the first companies to
recognize the potential of DirectMusic for massively multiplayer
Internet games. By combining the small, flexible format of MIDI with
the excellent sound quality delivered by DLS and Microsoft's software
synthesizer, DirectMusic has enabled us to create an immersive audio
world that draws players into the world of VR-1 Crossroads." - John Blakely Executive Producer VR-1 Inc. |
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