Cakewalk Music Software Acquires Mac Technology

Acquisition of Metro is "phase one" of Cakewalk's long term cross-platform product strategy

July 11, 1997 -- Cakewalk Music Software, the industry-leading provider of music and sound creation software, today announced an aggressive strategy to develop Macintosh software with the addition of key developers. As part of a cross-platform initiative, Cakewalk will acquire and further develop additional music software products for the Macintosh operating system.

The initial technology acquisition is Metro, a pro-level MIDI sequencer from JS Technologies. Cakewalk plans to further develop Metro for the Mac platform, and will incorporate some or all of the technology in its Windows product offerings as well. To help execute this strategy, Cakewalk has hired Jeremy Sagan, software developer of Metro. The company has also committed to providing full customer support and future upgrades for current users.

Platform Independence: Freedom of Choice for the Customer

"What this means to professional and amateur musicians is that Cakewalk is committed to providing platform independence. No matter what a customer's preferred platform, Cakewalk will provide the tools they need," said Tom Cook, president of Cakewalk Music Software.

"Cakewalk's company philosophy has always been to provide the most powerful, usable, and affordable music software solutions to the broadest range of customers. So our movement into the Mac marketplace is a logical extension of this philosophy: now we can offer solutions to customers across platforms."

"Our investment in valuable Mac technology like Metro is really just phase one of our cross-platform strategy," continued Cook. "Our next step is to invest in further developing this and other technologies, and provide seamlessly integrated software packages for the musician. Cakewalk is bringing key software developers like Jeremy Sagan onboard to help execute the cross-platform strategy."

The announced acquisition is part of a long-term strategic move for Cakewalk Music Software. While the company continues to increase its market leadership position on the Windows platform, it will now invest development efforts to support the Mac platform as well.

"Through the strength of Cakewalk's development team, we expect to build on these products to offer more powerful solutions at incredible prices," Cook added. The company plans to ship Metro as a comprehensive product offering this September, with other cross-platform product announcements to come later this year.

"This is a welcome announcement," said Guerrino DeLuca, executive vice president of worldwide marketing for Apple. "Cakewalk's commitment offers testimony to the robust demand for quality music development tools for the Mac, and the viability of the Mac OS for professional and amateur musicians. We are proud to place Cakewalk on our roster of third-party solution suppliers, many of whom are long-time staunch supporters of the Mac platform."

Metro Professional MIDI Sequencing Software

Metro is a professional-level, multi-track MIDI sequencer optimized for the Power Mac. Features include support for SMPTE and Quick Time synchronization, assignable faders, multiple loop points within a track, and the built-in Rhythm Explorer, for creating new rhythms in real time during playback.

Metro is designed specifically to work in tandem with Macromedia's DECK II(TM) multi-track digital audio software on a single Mac. Metro runs in tight synchronization with DECK II, and users can quickly switch back and forth from each program without stopping playback.

"We're excited to see Cakewalk make such a strong commitment to the Mac platform and its user community," said Bill Schulze, Product Manager of Macromedia's Digital Audio Team. "Deck II and Metro work together seamlessly, making the two a great solution for professional and non-professional musicians alike. We look forward to building on the existing technological integration. Together, Macromedia and Cakewalk provide a comprehensive music production environment for a wide range of customers."

For more information, visit their web site at www.cakewalk.com.