Roland Corporation Licenses Revolutionary Dimension Beam^TM Technology From Interactive Light

Roland Musical Instruments to Incorporate Innovative Light-Sensing Controllers

January 29, 1998 -- In an agreement which promises to change the face of musical instrument technology, Roland Corporation recently licensed Interactive Light Inc.'s revolutionary Dimension Beam technology for a range of upcoming musical instruments. The integration of this technology into new cutting-edge Roland instruments gives musicians unprecedented instantaneous control over their music creation through expressive hand and body motions, instrument motion and movement on stage.

Dimension Beam technology employs an ultra-sensitive infrared beam to detect motion without any contact and convert it into MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) and analog control messages, literally turning a musician's body movements into an instrument controller. The first Roland instrument to incorporate a Dimension Beam controller will be the new MC-505 Groovebox, a dance music-oriented beat box/MIDI sequencer and sound module which joins the very successful MC-303 Groovebox as part of Roland's best-selling dance products line. With the addition of the Dimension Beam technology, a disc jockey can now add physical control and dynamic body movement to the popular sounds and dance rhythms contained in the MC-505 Groovebox. The MC-505 is scheduled to be introduced in the U.S. at the NAMM Show in January 1998, and it is tentatively scheduled to be introduced in Japan in January 1998.

With the Dimension Beam controller, even the subtlest of hand gestures will be detected and converted into instrument control messages on the MC-505, opening up a range of expressive control possibilities over note volume, instrument effects, sound altering parameters, sound playback and even the notes themselves. This first-of-its-kind technology is under exclusive musical instrument license to Roland Corporation, and will be incorporated into a range of other Roland musical instruments in the months to come, opening up whole new avenues for music expression.

"Ever since we introduced our Dimension Beam product, we have been overwhelmed by the positive feedback from musicians like Peter Gabriel, Jon Anderson, Jonathan Moffet and Trevor Rabin," said Amir Rubin, Interactive Light's Chief Executive Officer. "Now we are thrilled to popularize this technology through our new relationship with Roland, a true pioneer in the music industry."

"In licensing this technology, we are bringing musicians an incredibly expressive tool for music making," said Ikutaro Kakehashi, Chairman of Roland Corporation. "Roland's new 'D-Beam' equipped instruments will truly be on the cutting edge of music and sound creation. And in partnering with Interactive Light - much like our recent partnership with Microsoft Corporation - Roland has once again established a relationship with an industry leader."

Interactive Light, a privately held company based in Santa Monica, California, sells the Dimension Beam, a product that allows a musician to control MIDI devices in real-time with their body and instrument motions. Interactive Light's Hydra Productions subsidiary creates shows and applications utilizing the Dimension Beam. Interactive Light also develops and markets sports oriented video game simulators to arcades, stadiums, amusement parks, and other locations. For more information, contact Stuart Wallock, (310) 581-8411, VP of Marketing & Sales, Interactive Light, 1202 Olympic Boulevard, Santa Monica, California 90404, United States, www.interactivelight.com.

Roland is a world leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of electronic musical instruments, professional audio equipment, multimedia products and music accessories.

For more information, contact Roland Corporation, Daiwa Dojima Bldg., 4-16 Dojimahama 1-chome, Kita-ku, Osaka 530, Japan, www.rolandcorp.com.