Cakewalk, Fender, and Roland Announce Guitar Alliance

Collaboration Delivers Integrated Tools for Composition, Recording and Live Performance

July 10, 1998 -- Three of the biggest names in the music industry, Cakewalk®, Fender® and Roland, have announced the Guitar Technology Alliance, a collaboration enabling guitarists to be more creative and productive using a turn-key set of products for composition, recording and live performance.

The first solution from the alliance is the combination of three distinct products optimized to work together; Cakewalk Guitar Studio(TM) digital audio and MIDI recording software; the Roland GR-30 Guitar Synthesizer and the Fender Roland-Ready Stratocaster®, a classic Strat® with built-in Roland divided pickup.

The alliance eliminates the obstacles that guitarists have faced creating music on a PC. Historically, recording software was designed for keyboardists, and guitar players found it difficult to use MIDI in composition. The alliance delivers cost-effective, guitar-friendly hardware and software that enables players to generate ideas and recordings fast.

With more than one million guitars sold worldwide each year,* this joint solution will be attractive to both end-users and dealers. To end-users, it offers state-of-the-art components that enhance creativity and productivity. To dealers, it provides innovative ways of reaching this large untapped market.

"Many of our employees play guitar, so we understand well what players need to easily compose, record and capture musical ideas," said Tom Cook, president, Cakewalk. "That understanding combined with Cakewalk's proven experience with recording and editing software is what makes Guitar Studio so unique."

"We have spent years perfecting the art of guitar synthesis and providing players with methods of expanding musical options," said Paul Youngblood, senior product manager, Roland Corporation, U.S. "With the GR-30 guitarists do not lose the natural feel, expressiveness or response desired when playing."

"For a guitar player to seriously consider using a PC to create music, the instrument must be uncompromising and have the look and feel of a regular guitar," said Ritchie Fliegler, vice president of marketing at Fender. "The Fender Roland-Ready Strat is just that, a Strat. The add-ons have no effect on playing style or tone."

The Fender Roland Ready Strat houses a built-in Roland GK-2A Divided Pickup allowing players to drive GK-2A compatible products and access the GR-30's collection of sounds right from the guitar's on-board controls. This Strat has a GK-2A Divided Pickup, three Fender pickups and features a resonant alder body, maple neck and rosewood fingerboard.

The Roland GR-30 lets guitarists intuitively incorporate new, synthesized sounds into recordings and live performance. The GR-30 is a four-pedal, floor-based compact guitar synthesizer, featuring 8 megabytes of 384 tones specially selected for guitar. Combining high speed tracking with precise pitch/envelope detection, the GR-30 provides guitarists with a totally natural feel and response. When the player is ready to record the multi-track performance into Cakewalk, the GR-30 acts as the interface.

Cakewalk Guitar Studio combines the latest MIDI sequencing technology with sophisticated, multi-track digital audio recording and editing, including real-time effects processing. Guitarists can record and play 8-tracks of CD-quality digital audio in tight synchronization with MIDI. Tracks can be edited and mixed in a familiar environment because the user interface is designed specifically for guitarists. It features a Virtual Fretboard for the display and input of melodies and chords. Players are able to capture ideas quickly by using the rhythm patterns provided. There are also specialized utilities including a guitar tuner, MIDI Guitar setup, and guitar effects including chorus, reverb, EQ, flange and delay. With this software, guitarists can now do all composing and recording in one place, combining vocals, acoustic guitars, drum tracks, and MIDI sequences.

*Source: The Guitar and Accessory Marketing Association

For additional information, visit: www.cakewalk.com, www.fender.com, and www.rolandus.com .