Beatnik Converter 1.0 Released

Headspace, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of the Beatnik Converter, a Windows 95/NT application that converts MIDI and digital audio files to RMF (Rich Music Format) for use with the Beatnik Web audio player (or in Java 1.2.)

This software program is targeted primarily at Web page developers who want to take advantage of RMF's exceptional sound quality, interactivity, and copyright protection. Composers and musicians will also find this tool invaluable if they need to publish their music on the Web.

With over two million Beatnik players downloaded in the past year, and Sun's JDK 1.2 about to hit the Net, RMF is an increasingly attractive format for Web-based music and sound effects. Beatnik is by far the most programmable audio player on the Web, with extensive runtime controls that allow for rich, attention-grabbing Web sites. Unlike many other audio players, no expensive server software is required. Free online authoring documentation explains how to make interactive sound pages for Netscape and Microsoft browsers, while Sun Microsystems has now fully integrated the client player into the core of Java 1.2, meaning Web surfers will soon be able to enjoy RMF without a plug-in.

RMF has also become the de facto sound standard for Internet set-top boxes and appliances, and is currently shipping in products such as Microsoft WebTV Plus and Oracle/NCI's set-top box.

The audio features of Beatnik Converter 1.0 include:

• File size compression--4:1 WAV and up to 5:1 MIDI
• Conversion of industry-standard WAV, MIDI, AU, SND, and Digidesign SDII files
• Consistent sound fidelity across multiple platforms (Mac/PC/Java/WebTV/NCI)
• 10 digital reverb types
• Volume setting and looping
• Batch file conversion for song catalogs
• MIDI patch substitution
• Copyright protection via tamper-proof encrypted 'watermark' including URLs
• Music Publishing templates