Multimedia: Cakewalk to compose new music, MIDI apps

MacWeek, March 9, 1998 by John Poultney

Cakewalk Music Software will ship a new music accompaniment program for

keyboard players in mid-March. The company will also release a major update to

Metro, its MIDI sequencing application.

The accompaniment program, called In Concert, will provide solo musicians with

a backup band or orchestra. Using standard MIDI files for accompaniment, the

program will take cues from the musician -starting, stopping and adjusting

tempos and dynamics in response to the player's input. If the musician skips

or repeats a section of a song, for example, the software will do the same

with the backing tracks, the company said.

Cakewalk characterized the new program as an extension of an instrument,

unlike standard accompaniment programs, which only play files at a

predetermined speed and volume.

The company also unveiled Version 4 of Metro, an update to the software it

acquired from JS Technologies of Cambridge, Mass., in late 1997. The new

version adds digital audio recording and editing functions to the MIDI

sequencer. Previously, Metro required Macromedia Inc.'s Deck digital audio

tool for these functions. Now, Metro 4 will include real-time effects

processing for chorus, parametric equalization, reverb, flange and delay.

In addition, the software will support plug-ins for Adobe Premiere and

Steinberg North America Inc.'s Virtual Studio Technology architecture,

Cakewalk said. Metro will include formant shifting, used for changing the

pitch of a track without affecting other characteristics. It will support

various sampling rates up to 48 kHz and will be able to extract, edit and

create QuickTime movie soundtracks, according to the company.

Metro 4 will cost $199. Upgrades from Version 3.0 or later will cost $79;

upgrades from versions prior to 3.0 cost $119. Competitive upgrades are also

available and cost $119.

Cakewalk Music Software of Cambridge, Mass., a division of Twelve Tone Systems

Inc., is at (617) 441-7870; fax (617) 441-7887; sales@cakewalk.com;

http://www.cakewalk.com.