Company Press Release

Multi-channel audio and music data rides on the IEEE 1394 high-performance serial bus

HAMAMATSU CITY, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 20, 1997--A specification proposed by Japan's Yamaha Corporation governing the transmission of digital audio and music data signals over the IEEE 1394-standard serial bus for its range of electronic instruments and audio equipment is to be finalized as the Specification for Audio and Music Data Transmission with the cooperation of 1394 Trade Association (1394 TA) companies.

Yamaha Corporation, headquartered in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, is the world's largest manufacturer of musical instruments.

IEEE 1394 was developed from a specification originated by Apple Computer, Inc., of the U.S. called FireWire which was adopted by the US Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers in 1995. IEEE 1394 is a low-cost high-speed digital interface connecting items of household equipment such as video cameras, audio equipment, and electronic musical instruments to one another, and connecting computer equipment to household equipment.

As leading electronic manufacturers are members of IEEE, the organization is very influential in the standardization of interfaces, and many of the guidelines and criterion for electronic equipment adopted by the institute have become de facto international standards. The 1394 TA was formed in 1994 and now consists of 90 companies worldwide, including Apple Computer, JVC, Kenwood, Matsushita Electric, Microsoft, Pioneer, Roland, Sharp, Sony, and Toshiba. The trade association is working to realize the practical application of IEEE 1394 internationally.

``We are very pleased that the 1394 TA has approved our specification for data transmission,'' Seisuke Ueshima, president of Yamaha Corporation, said. ``Consumers will benefit from the faster and smoother transmission of picture and audio data between the kinds of electronic equipment they use in their homes and offices every day.''

Yamaha plans to have products that conform to IEEE 1394 ready for market early in 1998, President Ueshima added.

IEEE 1394 allows the transmission of data between computers at speeds of up to 400Mbps and the sequential connection of picture and audio data functions between household equipment. This frees users from the tangle of wires that today's discrete connections require. One current application of IEEE 1394 is the DV terminal on digital video camcorders, which makes the transfer of digital picture and audio data between digital camcorders possible.

The Specification for Audio and Music Data Transmission proposed by Yamaha and developed by the 1394 TA addresses audio and MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) data transmission issues. With this specification, a simple ``plug-n-play'' cable connection can transmit the equivalent of 100-plus channels of CD-quality digital audio data and music data equivalent to that carried by several hundred MIDI cables. The connection of amplifiers to other equipment such as CD and MD players and tuners-each via its own cable or set of cables-can now be accomplished sequentially with one cable running from the amplifier to the CD player, the MD device, and the tuner.

``Users can expect to see CD and MD audio data equipment, electronic musical instruments, MIDI and other sound sources, and professional equipment such as digital mixers, each applying the specification,'' Yamaha's President Ueshima explained. Until the necessary rules can be established for protecting the rights of the owners of copyrighted audio data, initial uses of the specification will be for the transfer of audio data in the public domain and in professional equipment.

Now that the specification has been finalized by the 1394 TA, Yamaha plans to finish a chip this summer to allow manufacture of an IEEE 1394 audio equipment interface. In addition, the company plans to begin producing professional studio equipment, electronic musical instruments and high-end audio equipment conforming to the IEEE 1394 standard for release early next year (1998).

At the same time, Yamaha will also promote the application of its Specification for Audio and Music Data Transmission among consumer electronics and musical instrument manufacturers, especially among members of 1394 TA.

Yamaha is also focussing on developing a musical instrument connection specification called mLAN. This specification will incorporate original Yamaha technology and will be an extension of the audio and music transmission specification. The company envisages that mLAN will conform to IEEE 1394 and become a specification that defines the protocol for transmission of multi-channel audio and MIDI data, as well as the connection and control of such equipment.

``mLAN will further simplify the connection of household audio systems and electronic musical instrument systems while heightening their functionality,'' believes Yamaha President Ueshima. ``The specification will also simplify the connection configurations of professional equipment for studio, concert and recreational use.''

Apple Computer's Eric Anderson, a FireWire software architect and Apple's representative on the 1394 TA Sterring committee, also expressed enthusiasm over both the specification and mLAN: ``Apple Computer sees musical applications such as entertainment, production, and performance, as ideal uses of FireWire technology. Apple plans to support MIDI and digital audio on 1394 using the specification and mLAN protocol proposed by Yamaha. These protocols will enable a wide range of new applications for users of computer and audio products.''

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