OPEN LABS™
UNVEILS MIKO™, FIRST
PROFESSIONAL PORTABLE
MEDIA
WORKCENTER™,
AT WINTER NAMM CONFERENCE
First Integrated Digital Hub,
with Wi-Fi, to Create, Organize, Play and Distribute Your Music and
Videos; Enables HD Video, Animation, and Podcasting
ANAHEIM, CALIF. – Open Labs™, the leading designer and developer of
computer-based music production solutions, today introduced MiKo™, a
new class of portable digital media workcenter™ that is specifically
designed for the modern-day electronic artist and today’s digital
lifestyle. The Open Labs MiKo is the first portable digital music,
video, and animation system that provides the power of a
fully-loaded Windows XP™-based computer, a world-class synthesizer,
a video mixer/recorder, and a broadband Internet hub in an
affordable unit that retails for $1,999.
Introduced today at the Winter NAMM Conference in Anaheim, at Booth
#5804 in Hall B of the Anaheim Convention Center, the Open Labs MiKo
extends the power of Open Labs’ award-winning NeKo™, the music
i
ndustry’s most powerful production stations, to a broader audience
of users, which include DJs, VJs, music video hobbyists, and amateur
musicians. At the heart of the Open Labs MiKo is the AMD Athlon™64-bit
single and dual core processor, which drives a powerful built-in,
design-specific, full-featured, Windows XP™- based computer system.
MiKo users can literally record, edit, mix, master, burn, and
distribute their creations, whether high-definition video or 7.1
surround sound audio, on DVD or audio CD or send straight to the
Internet, either through Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
“Creativity is boundless, and MiKo satisfies any and all artistic
desires,” said Craig Negoescu, chief architect, Open Labs. “Whether
your passion is video, animation, music, Podcasting, or DJ’ing, MiKo
is the vehicle to drive it home and share with others.”
The
Open Labs MiKo is the first integrated portable digital media
workcenter to provide a production hub for all digital artistic
elements, including:
·
the first portable production
unit to support HD video
·
a 37-note musical keyboard, with
a 4-input/6-output, 24-bit/96 KHz audio section
·
a 15” XGA LCD touchscreen
·
support for non-linear video
editing
·
real-time controls, including a
dedicated control section for DJ use
·
interconnectivity for MP3
players, video players, digital camcorders
·
expanded podcasting capabilities,
as well as support for high-quality playback of digital music and
video files via the Internet with full 7.1 surround sound.
MiKo
features Open Labs’ suite of applications – Karsyn™, mFusion™, and
the Open Labs Navigator™ - which are a breakthrough set of
technologies that allow users to control different musical keyboard
devices and software packages through a single interface. Together,
they create a clean, efficient environment for creation and
performance. Instead of a complicated general-purpose computing
environment, MiKo presents a streamlined user experience ideally
suited for efficiency in the studio, and clarity and speed on stage.
Included with each MiKo is the Open Labs sound library, which
contains more than 5,000 preset sounds and hundreds of effects, as
well as Cubase LE for direct- to-disk recording and mastering.
MiKo Works Like You Do
The highly-portable, all-in-one
design of the MiKo enables users to take their work with them
wherever they go, without the hassle of traditional, component-based
solutions. Whether you’re in the studio, or onstage, doing video
production, an all-night DJ session or just relaxing while listening
to your favorite tunes or watching a DVD, MiKo can do it all with
style. Just plug in the power, turn on MiKo and you’re ready to go.
Hook-up with MiKo
As a complete media solution,
MiKo plays well with your portable devices. Just hook up via
Firewire, USB or directly to the Internet, and download your video,
audio, and photographs with ease. A complete suite of powerful and
easy-to-use software is available right out of the box for you to
create, edit, manage and play your digital content. When you’re done
creating, you can transfer your project to DVD video or audio CD, or
straight to the Internet via MiKo’s built-in Ethernet port or
wireless 802.11g USB key. This also makes MiKo an ideal platform for
podcast production – bring in your materials, produce your show, and
syndicate your finals – all in one box.
Audio and Video
MiKo provides superb audio and
video quality for all your production and playback needs. MiKo
features a 4-in, 6-out audio section capable of 24bit / 96 KHz
operation. Two ultra-low noise high-headroom microphone/instrument
preamplifiers with 48V phantom power are located on the front panel
for quick and easy connection to your favorite microphones and
instruments. The audio section also includes a high quality stereo
headphone output with volume adjustment. The headphone output has
its own two-channel driver stream, which can be used as a separate
stereo bus or two-channel output giving you the ability to send a
“cue” mix to the headphone output and a main mix to the main output.
Two additional balanced TRS line inputs are provided along with six
balanced TRS line outputs. Two channels of S/PDIF input/output and
MIDI input/output are also included. Optional 7.1 surround sound
module provides decoding of most popular home theater audio
standards and provides output for speakers including front left,
front right, center, side surround left, side surround right, back
surround left and back surround right as well as a dedicated
subwoofer.
MiKo’s robust video section
provides dual component VGA connection to the built-in 15” LCD touch
screen and an external monitor or video projector. Based on a
256-bit graphics engine, each channel is capable of resolutions of
up to 2048 x 1536, which provides high-definition video processing
for full-screen, full-frame video playback of HDTV and DVD content.
The dual 128-bit pixel pipelines are capable of up to 1.1 billion AA
samples/sec fill rate and up to 34 Million triangles/sec drawing.
This ideal digital video editing/playback feature makes the MiKo the
perfect instrument for VJ’s.
Control it All
MiKo provides a wealth of
professional quality, application specific, programmable, real-time
controls, built-in and ready to use with your favorite applications.
The MiKo master control module contains a master volume knob, 4
buttons that can be used to launch applications and to burn a CD or
DVD, transpose up and down buttons, complete transport, 4-way
navigation buttons with fifth select button and a bank of 5 faders.
The innovative integrated DJ
control section provides knobs for low-cut, high-cut and gain for
both left and right channels, a headphone mix knob, buttons for
headphone, set cue, match, mute, cue and play/pause for both
channels and a professional quality graphite-travel Penny & Giles
cross fader. A QWERTY computer keyboard module is also provided as
well as a 15” high-resolution resistive color touch screen and a
2.5” track pad with dual mouse buttons.
Easy to Use
“We wanted to move to the next
level of integrated media production – for the general digital
artist – and the MiKo was the obvious solution; it operates the way
we use our media and our PCs, but with the capabilities of a full
music and video workcenter that is easy to use,” said Victor Wong,
CEO of Open Labs. “With great power comes great responsibility – as
MiKo is a powerful solution for a wide range of creative artists, we
wanted it to be easy to use as well. Open Labs is dedicated to
creating products that liberate artists from closed environments.
MiKo builds on that tradition by allowing the artist to explore new
creative worlds – and at a price and performance level unheard of in
the industry.”
Speed Demon
For the demands of digital media
production, MiKo features the AMD Athlon 64-bit 3200 series
processor, which provides the necessary performance for digital
media, better memory handling, and compatibility with future
operating systems. MiKo incorporates Open Labs’ PowerRush™ feature,
which will automatically clock-chip up the processor for enhanced
performance when needed on the fly and RunSilent™, which will
automatically slow down all cooling fans when the system is not
being taxed for near silent operation.
Specifications
1.)
Processor
– AMD Athlon 64-bit single and dual core processors.
2.)
RAM- 512MB
upgradeable to 4GB
3.)
HD – 80GB
7200rpm
4.)
DVD-
Burner
5.)
4in/6out
24bit/96KHz.
6.)
1
available HD Bay
7.)
PCI Slots
(4 available)
8.)
Video –
Dual Head
9.)
37-key
Keybed
10.)
Firewire
400
11.)
USB 2.0 (2
ports – back)
12.)
802.11g
WiFi USB key
13.)
15” color
LCD touchscreen
14.)
MiKo
Master Control Module
15.)
DJ
Controller with Penny-Gills cross fader
16.)
Ethernet
10/100T
17.)
Windows,
preconfigured for digital media
18.)
QWERTY
keyboard
Comprehensive 5,000 pre-set sound library, Cubase LE, Karsyn,
mFusion and Open Labs Navigator.
Pricing and availability
The MiKo is being released at a
groundbreaking price for its feature set – retailing at only $1,999.
Preorders will be accepted starting January 19, 2006 for Winter NAMM.
The initial shipment of MiKo will coincide with the Winter Music
Conference in Miami, Florida on March 24, 2006, where it
will be featured by some of the world’s top DJs. Upgrades include
dual core 64-bit AMD Athlon processors, additional memory and a
second hard drive.
About mFusion
mFusion is the latest software
component of the Open Labs OpenSynth™ platform, which is used in the
Open Labs NeKo, OMX™, and MiKo lines of keyboards, digital audio
workstations, and digital media workcenters. mFusion is a set of
software technologies along with a control panel that allows the
user to easily navigate, access, and remap control surfaces for all
Open Labs control panels as well as all third-party MIDI control
devices. mFusion will be shipped preinstalled in all Open Labs
products as well as future products from Open Labs’ growing list of
development partners.
With mFusion, users merely need
to touch a knob or slider to begin the process. A wide variety of
options are available for each control type. For example, a button
can send a MIDI note-on, initiate a program change, keystroke, or
even launch an application. This versatility extends to encoders,
knobs, faders, drum pads, and many other common control types, with
the ability to address and remap up to thousands of controllers
simultaneously.
mFusion’s unified approach
further benefits existing music computing applications. mFusion
takes multiple MIDI devices and exposes the system to only one
device, creating a virtual gateway with multiple extensions, thereby
making it possible for music programs that can only access one
controller to gain full access to multiple controllers.
About Open Labs
Open Labs designs and markets
tools for performing and recording musicians of every level of
expertise. The company’s products, OMX and NeKo, are the first
keyboards and computers to incorporate 64-bit computer processing
technology into single-unit tools that can simultaneously play,
record, mix, and master high-quality digital audio and effects.
Open Labs, formed in 2002, combines decades of expertise in computer
technology, keyboard technology, and product design. The company is
headquartered in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit the Web
site at
www.openlabs.com.
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