Opcode Announces USB Support for MIDI with OMS

iMac Gets MIDI Support with Industry Software Standard

September 26, 1998 -- Opcode Systems announces that the company's industry-standard Open Music System (OMS) software protocol will support MIDI communications over the USB bus as featured on Apple's newly introduced iMac computer. This follows Opcode's recent announcement of the DATport, a USB-compatible S/PDIF interface which allows two channels of digital audio to be transferred over USB at resolutions as high as 24-bit.

"The combination of the Macintosh and OMS has always been one of the first choices for professional-level music production," said Clent Richardson, Senior Director of Worldwide Developer Relations at Apple Computer, Inc. "The addition of Opcode's OMS support for MIDI over USB enables iMac and future USB-equipped Apple computers to continue that tradition."

"We're extremely pleased that Apple has adopted OMS as the industry standard for music software," stated Chris Halaby, Opcode President."With the increased bandwidth of USB, OMS will provide the most accurate and stable timing for MIDI on any platform, and all in a standardized way. OMS and USB will deliver this level of performance to musicians using any OMS-compatible music software application."

Opcode engineers estimate that MIDI information transmitted over USB will flow at a rate 320 times that of traditional MIDI. This accelerated communications speed will allow musicians using OMS's USB support to experience a level of timing accuracy superior to that of any other computer-based production system currently available.

Visit Opcode on the web at www.opcode.com.