IEEE 1394 Moves Center Stage in Professional Audio Markets; 1394 Trade Association Announces New Pro-Audio Working Group; 1394-Equipped Audio Products Ready From Yamaha, Mackie, Alesis, TC Electronic, Presonus.

DALLAS -- Leaders of the professional audio equipment market are introducing a broad range of new 1394-equipped systems this year, meeting growing demand for fast, reliable digital audio transport in professional and consumer music systems, according to the 1394 Trade Association and global music industry leaders.

Yamaha Corporation, Mackie/Loud, Alesis, TC Electronic, Presonus, M-Audio and other suppliers are incorporating the 1394 interface into recording and live sound products, taking advantage of FireWire's proven quality of service, low latency, and high bandwidth to move multiple audio sources into a computer-based recording system, then back out to amplifiers and speakers.

New 1394-equipped products were announced at the January National Association of Music Merchants conference in Anaheim, Calif. More than two dozen 1394-enabled speakers, audio amplifiers, digital effects processing systems, and mixing consoles are now in development and set for introduction in 2006.

"Worldwide, the professional audio market totals more than $13 billion annually, and the volume of 1394-equipped products is accelerating rapidly," said James Snider, executive director of the 1394 Trade Association. "Early audio adopters of the 1394 technology are now selling mainstream products for the professional market and cross-over consumer applications, creating many new capabilities using 1394."

Snider said the 1394 Trade Association will establish a Professional Audio Working Group to develop and enhance 1394 specifications relevant to audio applications and new generations of audio systems. The group will hold its first session in Dresden, Germany, April 24-27.

"FireWire delivers an assured digital path that replaces multiple analog connections, affording interoperability without expensive redundancies or the need for proprietary, non-standardized systems," according to Fred Speckeen, director of business development for TC Group. "1394 provides the channels, the low latency and the TCP/IP layer -- all as part of the package," he said. "The audio market has become a very vital and exciting sector for FireWire's benefits. We're showcasing Pro Audio implementations ranging from FireWire speakers to large area recording, touring and installation systems."

"This is a flourishing application for FireWire. Audio is an important element of A/V networking use case scenarios under development at the High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance," said Jalil Oraee, founder and Chief Technical Officer at Oxford Semiconductor, a leader in 1394 audio. "As well as guaranteed quality of services, all 1394 nodes synchronize their internal clocks to a nominated device within the A/V network, thus providing the facility to separate audio and video yet avoid lip sync issues. Users can buy their favorite 1394 audio devices and connect them to their HANA TVs. Audio also may be distributed to several rooms in a house and played simultaneously with no audible intra-room delays."

The 1394 Trade Association is a global organization dedicated to the advancement and proliferation of the IEEE 1394 standard in the consumer electronics, computer, peripherals, automotive, industrial, and other markets. For more information, visit http://www.1394ta.org/Press/2006Press/march/3.28.a.htm.