Introduction
SoundFont.com is the computer music division of E-MU / ENSONIQ, a leading developer of digital audio products which utilize digital sampling and digital
signal processing (DSP) technology to serve musicians and audio professionals worldwide on both a professional and hobbyist level under two brand names:
E-MU and ENSONIQ. We design, manufacture and market professional digital sampling systems, digital sample playback devices, random access digital audio
recorders, and sample-based synthesizers which make use of proprietary E-MU and ENSONIQ VLSI/Chip technology and advanced software algorithms. Superb
audio-quality and consistent technical innovation have made our products the instruments of choice for quality-minded musicians worldwide.
Our success results from providing advanced technology in the form of high quality, easy-to-use musical instruments that deliver superb sound quality at a
competitive price. Our design capabilities, ability to apply proprietary technology, and our attention to detail throughout our product line are our
principle advantages in the marketplace. We also have nearly 30 years of history and a reputation in the music industry which is second to none.
We apply our proprietary digital signal processing (DSP) technology and design expertise to other markets such as multimedia and location based
entertainment where high-quality sound is an important element of creating emotional impact on the listener. As a result we have become a respected supplier
of audio solutions to leading hardware companies, and sound development platforms for software companies through our relationship with Creative Technology,
our parent company. Proprietary technology, coupled with a strong reputation in the professional audio post-production field, positions us for continued
success in this market.
E-MU / ENSONIQ is one company, based in Scotts Valley, California on the West Coast of the United States about 50 miles south of San Francisco on the
outskirts of Silicon Valley. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Creative Technology Ltd. of Singapore, created as a result of an acquisition in
March 1993 of E-mu Systems and the January 1998 acquisition of Ensoniq, of Malvern Pennsylvania. The combined E-MU / ENSONIQ Corporation allows Creative to
access the industry's finest audio technology for next generation audio products, while E-MU / ENSONIQ continues to develop new leading edge capabilities
focused on the needs of entry level, hobbyist and professional musicians and audio engineers.
E-MU / ENSONIQ has a world-wide presence with a European office, warehouse and service center based in Scotland in the United Kingdom on the outskirts of
Edinburgh. A Pacific Rim office is located in Tokyo, Japan, and there are distributors located in almost every major country not directly served by the
headquarters or branch offices. With distribution throughout the world, E-MU / ENSONIQ has become synonymous with advanced, high quality audio on a global
basis.
Company Background
Founded in 1971 in the days before personal computers, E-mu Systems built its reputation on technical innovation in electronic musical instruments.
Originally a developer of analog synthesizers, E-MU established its reputation for advanced technology even in the days of "patchcord" based synthesizers
that could play only one note at a time. Now, E-MU leads the world in digital sampling synthesis with systems capable of playing 128 notes at one time while
performing real time digital signal processing like 6 and 12 pole filtering that is the envy of its competitors.
Founded in 1981, ENSONIQ was created by a team of engineers from the Commodore Business Machines group who designed the Commodore VIC 20 and Commodore C64
computers. They correctly identified a need for VLSI technology in musical instruments, and focused their cumulative expertise on designing a chip for a low
cost sampler called the MIRAGE.
Markets
E-MU / ENSONIQ serves the needs of a diverse customer base. In the entry level market, ENSONIQ serves the needs of music students with low cost yet very
high quality keyboards such as the Avista 7600. E-MU provides professional quality at an affordable price to the computer hobbyist market through the Audio
Production Studio which provides all the tools necessary to create a complete musical work inside your computer.
In the broader scope of things, E-MU has traditionally competed in the professional audio and musical instrument segments of the market while ENSONIQ has
traditionally been a value leader in keyboard workstations, with several ground breaking instruments to their credit including the ASR-10 workstation.
In the pro market segment, E-MU sells a full range of Samplers which range in price from $1K to $5K, depending on features. Customers include major film TV
production companies, several of the world's most respected and admired film and TV composers, and a remarkable number of professional musicians and world
famous bands. E-MU's customer list reads like a who's who of modern music. Artists and musicians who work with the most famous names in the business, from
Madonna to Michael Jackson to Phil Collins to Stevie Wonder rely on E-MU to help them work their magic. (Note: appearance of names does not necessarily
constitute endorsement of E-MU products, only usage or association with that artist.)
The musical instrument (MI) market segment for electronic musical instruments is the largest segment where we currently participate. Both the E-MU and
ENSONIQ brands enjoy a great deal of success in this market segment. E-MU's Proteus sound modules are owned by tens of thousands of musicians, while
ENSONIQ ZR and ASR products are coveted for their ease of use, affordable price, and excellent sound.
The multimedia market is well known in the computer world for encompassing a wide variety of technologies, especially digital audio. Through our
relationship with Creative Labs, E-MU and ENSONIQ technology has become a major force in the sound card market. The E-MU 10K1 chip is currently the core of
Creative's latest sound card line, called SoundBlaster LIVE! The 10K1 chip makes use of E-MU's proprietary SoundFont downloadable sound architecture that
allows every 10K1 equipped sound card to function as a high quality sample playback unit. In addition to the digital samples of musical instruments, sound
effects, vocal clips and ambient sounds featured in the SoundFont library, E-MU also supports the General MIDI specification for broad market
compatibility.
Sound Library
Both E-MU and ENSONIQ product lines are built around sounds. Both companies have amassed huge libraries which are available on CD-ROM for our customers who
own our samplers. In fact, we have a 30 gigabyte (GB) library of 16-bit and 24 bit CD quality stereo sound samples including an enormous selection of
musical instruments and sound effects. Selected sounds are made into factory-masked ROM sound sets that are incorporated into our sample playback modules
for permanent, instant access to sounds.
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