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The Software Developer's Kit aids developers in writing interactive software that takes advantage of Yamaha's powerful new S-YXG/DM SoftSynthesizer, which provides realistic music and sound effects for their products.

The Kit contains the S-YXG/DM installer (without Wave); S-YXG/DM installer (with Wave) and a sample MIDI file created with Microsoft's Direct Music Producer. A comprehensive manual also includes a detailed explanation of the S-YXG/DM SoftSynthesizer; instructions on how to port XG music into DirectMusic, as well as how to add XG to a DirectMusic MIDI file.

Yamaha's SoftSynthesizer incorporates software technology that uses a PC's CPU to enable high-fidelity playback of audio data without the need for an external tone generator, a sound card, or other dedicated hardware.

Since its 1995 launch, SoftSynthesizer has been commercialized in several versions, including the S-YG20 and S-YXG50, and has been installed in over 45 million PCs worldwide (including pre-installations on new PCs).

Based on the S-YXG50, this latest XG SoftSynthesizer release, the ``S-YXG/DM'' for software developers, is fully compatible with Microsoft's DirectMusic to allow even more realistic playback of music and sound effects. ``S-YXG/DM'' comes with the same 676 quality instruments and 21 drum kits used in Yamaha's electronic instruments, making it capable of simultaneously reproducing 256 voices in 64 parts. It further fully supports Yamaha's XG Format to allow users to create a rich variety of sounds-for instance, by changing tone quality over time by adding reverberation-with unique built-in functions for modifying sounds, adding effects, and applying digital filters.

``S-YXG/DM'' supports Microsoft's DirectMusic 7, so it can be used to play back background music tailored for specific situations (such as different scenes in a game), as well as sound effects and music depending on which controls a game player manipulates. Compatible with DLS (Downloadable Sounds Format 1) to which sounds can be also added, it furthermore permits playback of tones that software developers have created themselves in addition to sounds from the DLS sounds libraries that Yamaha began supplying, free of charge, to software developers in July 1999.

For this reason, Yamaha also will be offering a stripped down version of the product-including only the synthesizer function-for developers who are already equipped to develop or provide their own sound data in ``S-YXG/DM''-compatible formats.

The Software Developer's Kit will become available for sale June 1 at the following special introductory prices (effective for six months only): Cost of the Kit is $299, plus $2,000 per title up to 20,000 copies, $1,000 per title over 20,000 copies. No additional per title payment is required above 20,001 copies.

For more information about the S-YXG/DM Software Developer's Kit, please contact David Javelosa, Yamaha Multimedia R&D Division, Game Developer Relations, Djavelosa@yamaha.com or call (714) 522-9463.

``SoftSynthesizer'' is a trademark and ``XG'' is a registered trademark of Yamaha Corporation. Other product and company names appearing in the text are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE: Yamaha Corporation