AudioX Support to Appear in 1999

Four of the leading names in the pro audio industry today announced plans to deliver products in 1999 supporting AudioX, the open driver specification proposed by Cakewalk that enables any audio software product to control the functionality of advanced PC audio cards.

Cakewalk and other supporters of AudioX will demonstrate prototype software and hardware at the AudioX Developers Meeting on January 29, 1999, at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles.

While current Windows drivers provide a standard way for audio hardware and software to communicate, they do not accommodate higher-end capabilities like real-time digital signal processing (DSP), mixing, and synchronization to film or video.

While a user may purchase a digital audio card with built-in DSP effects like reverb and chorus, there is no guarantee that available software will take advantage of those effects. Similarly, a customer buying audio recording software has no guarantee that it will take advantage of advanced features of a particular audio card.

The emerging AudioX standard is expected to accelerate mass-market adoption of digital audio software and hardware products by eliminating these incompatibilities, making it easier for users to take advantage of audio hardware and software.

"Everyone wins with AudioX," said Tom Cook, president and CEO, Cakewalk. "Buyers gain the freedom to choose the best product for an application without regard for compatibility; software developers gain support for every current and future sound card; and sound card manufacturers gain the ability to market to the universe of buyers."

"Cakewalk's AudioX standard makes sense for the industry," said Mac Takanose, overseas marketing manager, Professional Audio Systems Division, Yamaha Corporation. "One of our biggest challenges in the computer-based audio production market has been making sure there are enough software products that support the digital mixing features we design into our audio cards. With AudioX, there is an efficient means of accessing our DSP technology through software."

"We have always made great efforts to ensure that our digital audio hardware is compatible with the major music software applications," said Michael Marans, vice president business development, Event Electronics. "That represents a huge development effort on our part, as well as on the part of software developers.

"Plus, it often means that some of our customers have to wait for custom drivers while drivers for other applications are developed. We're hopeful that the adoption of an AudioX standard will mean our products can be delivered to a wider audience in a much more timely manner," said Marans.

"AudioX is the logical solution to an industry-wide problem," explained Ted Klein, president and director of research and development, Digital Audio Labs. "The great thing about the AudioX driver spec is that it does not attempt to replace the current Windows driver standard, it complements it. AudioX is a cost-efficient way to extend audio hardware and software capability and compatibility, without reinventing the wheel," Klein added.

AudioX Developer's Meeting in January, 1999

The next AudioX Developers meeting will be held during Winter NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) trade show in Los Angeles, January 29, 1999, 9:00 am US PST at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel. The forum will provide hardware OEMs and ISVs with in-depth information on AudioX technologies, initiatives and industry-wide implementation. Members of the press interested in attending the AudioX Developer's Meeting should contact Kristen Wiltse at 617/450-4300 or kristen.wiltse@cbpr.com.