Microsoft Ships DirectX 6.1 Latest Upgrade Introduces DirectMusic Technology
for Music Production and Performance
February 7, 1999
Microsoft Corp. today announced shipment of version 6.1 of the Microsoft®
DirectX® Software Development Kit (SDK), including the first public
release of the widely heralded Microsoft DirectMusic™ API as well as native
support for the Intel Pentium III processor family.
A mature and comprehensive set of system services in the Windows®
operating system, DirectX unlocks the power of Windows-equipped multimedia PCs
by providing software developers with transparent access to a wide range of peripherals,
including graphics cards, audio adapters and input devices. DirectX was introduced
in 1995 and is now a recognized standard for multimedia application development.
"With DirectX 6.1, we continue in our commitment to deliver industry-leading
technologies to Windows-based application developers and end users," said
Kevin Bachus, product manager of DirectX at Microsoft. "The newest member
of the DirectX family, DirectMusic, will radically change the way consumers and
developers perceive music on the personal computer."
DirectMusic Transforms the Way Music Is Produced and Performed
DirectMusic, which was first provided to a select group of software developers
last February, addresses the historical limitations of MIDI-based music playback
on Windows by delivering superior timing services, support for the MIDI Manufacturers
Association's Downloadable Sounds (DLS) standard for wavetable synthesis, and
an integrated software synthesizer, which guarantees users consistent and high-quality
playback on virtually any hardware configuration. DirectMusic also includes a
DLS version of the industry-standard SoundCanvas General MIDI sound set, licensed
from Roland Corp., enabling composers to become immediately productive with the
technology and reverberation technology licensed from Waves Ltd., which delivers
richer, more complex sound quality.
By lifting the traditional restrictions of MIDI playback on personal computers,
DirectMusic paves the way for composers and developers to fully exploit the capabilities
of MIDI. DirectMusic includes an innovative suite of high-level tools and technologies
that enable composers to create music scores that respond to user actions. Using
the supplied DirectMusic Producer composition tool, composers can create highly
customized and interactive music palettes, directing how the music should change
when played by a software application. For example, the intensity of a piece of
music in a DirectMusic-equipped game might increase if the player is doing well,
or might seamlessly integrate a character's "theme" into the score when
the character appears on-screen.
"DirectMusic has the makings of the next generation of music composition
and playback for the Windows-based PC. The possibilities are limitless,"
said Alexander Brandon, composer of soundtracks for many leading computer games,
including 'Unreal,' 'Dark Vengeance' and 'Jazz Jackrabbit 2.' "Novice and
hobbyist musicians have been waiting for this for a long time, and the advanced
features give professionals a completely new playground for their musical ideas."
"DirectMusic and DLS are a wake-up call to the PC music industry: MIDI
is back!" said Tom White, president of the MIDI Manufacturers Association.
"DirectMusic makes PC-based music more interactive than ever. Thanks to its
support for DLS, composers can finally create compelling, interactive soundtracks
that play on millions of PC sound cards with complete accuracy. DirectMusic is
probably the most significant step in the evolution of PC-based music tools since
the introduction of MIDI."
DirectX Delivers Pentium III Performance Advantages Without Additional Coding
DirectX 6.1 also delivers integrated support in the Direct3D®
API for Intel's Pentium III processor. When Direct3D detects the presence of a
Pentium III processor, it can transparently use the processor's specialized instructions
for executing complex 3-D geometry functions. Such support provides developers
with an automatic way to push the limits of their hardware, without having to
do any additional coding, to create previously unattainable levels of graphical
realism in real time on a personal computer.
"Intel is pleased to see this new DirectX 6.1 release with support for
the upcoming Pentium III processor," said Jon Khazam, director of graphics
marketing, Intel Corp. "Software developers now have a convenient way of
accessing the powerful 3-D performance of all Intel processors. We have worked
closely with Microsoft in the design and implementation of this latest release
so that it takes advantage of the enhanced 3-D graphics capabilities of the Pentium
III processor."
Availability
The DirectX 6.1 SDK is available for download for a limited time at http://www.microsoft.com/directx/download.asp
and can be ordered on the Web at http://www.microsoft.com/directx/sdkcdorder.asp.
The DirectX 6.1 SDK will also be made available as part of the Microsoft Platform
SDK in an upcoming release of the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN™) developer
program. Consumers can upgrade to the latest version of DirectX by using the Windows
Update feature in Windows 98 or by downloading a copy at http://www.microsoft.com/directx/download.asp.
For more information, visit their web site at www.microsoft.com.
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