More Music Libraries Choose mSoft Systems As Their Web Download Sites

Stephen Arnold Music and Trackdown Records have recently ordered mSoft powered online libraries. They join Amygdala Music and 5 Alarm Music as music libraries that have bought MusicCue servers from us in the past for online customers to search and download music from. Based out of Dallas, Texas, Stephen Arnold Music has numerous music production studios all over the country and has an impressive roster of clients that include HBO, CNN, and others too numerous to name. Los Angeles based Trackdown Records is a startup library whose main presence will be online. Their choice of an mSoft server as their main selling tool is quite a compliment! Both systems are being heavily customized for a look and layout that sets them apart from our regular customers' systems, which is easily done since MusicCue uses a standard internet browser as the user interface. Our new "Video Lock" version of the mSoftPlayer media player allows music library users to audition music from the web based MusicCue server against video they have on their computers locally, letting the user pick the sync points and even adjust audio levels between the music and video. We're very pleased to see MusicCue becoming not only the music delivery solution of choice for production facilities around the world, but also the online music search and download solution preferred by a growing number of music libraries.

Announcing mSoft's New Dealer: Key Code Media!

Key Code Media has recently signed on as an mSoft dealer and will be installing a demo server this month in their Studio City, California offices that can potentially be networked to their Irvine, California, Seattle, Washington, Las Vegas, Nevada, and new Santa Monica, California locations as well. Key Code's sales people will be able to make sales calls and connect to the demo server remotely from their laptops to do demos, giving them a powerful sales tool as well as showing the remote access possibilities of mSoft systems. Representing a "soup to nuts" product roster of everything from editing systems like Avid, ProTools and Final Cut Pro to microphones, Key Code is uniquely positioned to sell to the type of customer that would need our products. Their technically astute staff has the abilities needed to help customers understand the potential our systems can bring to their operations. Herb Dow, VP of Sales and Marketing at Key Code's Studio City location said, "Key Code Media is proud to announce the addition of mSoft to our list of products that we supply to the entertainment industry. This is an example of how we look to our clients to tell us the products they want - Key Code's goal is to provide 'Tools for the Talent' and mSoft is a great example of that." Dow engineered the dealer arrangement between our two companies, and can be contacted at (818) 303-3900 ext 3925 or herb@keycodemedia.com. Visit Key Code Media online at http://www.keycodemedia.com/kca.htm.

Big mSoft Systems Get BIGGER Still!

Many of our larger customers have recently added on more RAID storage to be ready for new music and SFX libraries in the coming years. CBS, E! Entertainment, World Wrestling Entertainment, Grace & Wild, and others have recently ordered additional multi-terabyte RAIDs for their MusicCue systems. Each TB of RAID storage can potentially hold about 1,200 audio CDs worth of music or SFX files at 48K/16 bit stereo. mSoft offers both 8 bay and 15 bay external RAID units that can hold up to 6.5TB depending on the drive size they are populated with. This means a large storage room of about 8,000 CDs could fit on one 3 space 19" rackmount RAID! If you're having space problems at your facility or just want to convert a money-draining storage room into a money-making editing room, an mSoft system is the way to do it.

And to make this easy for you, here's a reminder on our year end deals:

There's Still Time To Take Advantage Of Our Year-End "We Pass The Savings On To You" Discounts!

Due to the volume of RAID storage that we buy we have secured some really great prices on all orders placed though to the end of the year.

Here's a special MusicCue year-end upgrade package for existing customers:

1. Existing clients only
2. 3 terabyte storage RAID5
3. 36 months service commitment
4. $450 per month (regular price $900 per month - that's 1/2 off!)

Our VisionClip upgrade special for existing customers:

1. Available to existing clients only
2. Free upgrade to the VisionClip software ($3,000 value)
3. 5 terabyte storage of 2G Fiber - SATA RAID5
4. A fiber HBA Host fiber card
5. 36 months minimum rental commitment
6. $695 per month additional to your contract (regular price: $1,500 per month)

SFX Library Year End Specials: Not only that, but we have some special year end SFX library prices on selected Sound Ideas libraries, and 25% off of ANY Hollywood Edge SFX library until Dec. 31. Besides the discount on the CD library, the price you pay will include the digitized version of the library with metadata for your mSoft system.

Of course, we are offering best price deals on NEW SYSTEMS as well, so call Doug Perkins at (800) 489-9314/(818) 716-7081 or email doug@msoftinc.com for a quote.

LAST NEWSLETTER'S TRIVIA ANSWERS

1. There are lyrics to the original "Star Trek" theme - true or false?

A: True - Gene Rodenberry wrote them so he could get the royalties every time it played, even though Alexander Courage wrote the music. Here's a taste:

Beyond the rim of the starlight
My love is wandering in starflight
I know he'll find in star clustered reaches
Love strange, love a star woman teaches...

There's more, but some of you might have just eaten... you can see why they decided to do it as an instrumental...

2. The Refreshments performed the theme to "Friends" - true or false?

A: False - that was the Rembrandts - the Refreshments performed the theme to "King Of The Hill" - the show that taught us all that, "Propane is God's gas, Bobby".

3. Kelsy Grammer wrote the theme song to "Frasier", the popular TV series he starred in - true or false?

A: False - Bruce Miller wrote the music but Kelsey did sing the "Tossed Salad And Scrambled Eggs" lyric.

4. What is the name of the singer/songwriter that not only performed the theme but also made frequent appearances on the "Ally McBeal" show?

A: Vonda Sheppard, who had a hit out of the theme "Searchin' My Soul" in 1999.

5. What 70's singer/songwriter wrote the theme to "The Golden Years"?

A: OK, I meant to write "Golden Girls", not "Golden Years", so those of you that said David Bowie were right. The person who wrote the theme for the Golden Girls was Andrew Gold - Thanks to Scott L. Comerford of Raytheon who clarified the whole thing and added to all of our knowledge by writing in: "I just did a little research on this vitally important question, and found that Golden Years was the Stephen King TV series in 1991, and used the David Bowie hit of the same name for its theme. The Golden Girls was the show that used Andrew Gold's 'Thank You For Being A Friend.' The quiz says Golden Years, not Golden Girls. That may be why everyone got it wrong." DUH - I guess it would be, Scott, sorry about that.

AND THE WINNER IS: Given all of the above, the only one that got the minimum amount of answers correct to win (even with the last one being a "freebie") was Buddy Hall of Riot Atlanta. Way to go Buddy, you're a gent and a scholar!

THIS MONTH'S TRIVIA CONTEST

These are all related to holiday music - the first person to answer at least three questions right wins an mSoft t-shirt!

1. Everyone knows the world famous Bing Crosby version of Irving Berlin's beloved Christmas ode "White Christmas." What female rock singer re-recorded this classic with an additional verse?

2. There is a very popular Christmas carol that carries with it's origins a tale of why it was originally played on the guitar rather than church organ, but in truth there was actually nothing wrong with the organ of the parish church of Obendorf, Austria, on the Christmas Eve of 1818 when this beloved carol was hastily composed. What is the name of this carol?

3. In 1984, an organization called BandAid was created to collect funds for world hunger in Ethiopia, resulting in the multi-singer recording of the song "Do They Know It's Christmas?". The song was re-recorded for BandAid 20 in 2004. Who was the one singer that performed on both recordings?

4. What Christmas novelty tune has sold more than 7,000,000 copies, and even has an MTV video version?

Finally, I know it's been an mSoft tradition to include a solo guitar version of me (Doug Perkins) playing a Christmas song every year, but I just didn't have time to record one this year. In place of a new one, here's two old ones as well as the "edgy" South Park inspired animation done by our technician Andy Ahn (with voices by our librarian Jim Martin) - Happy Holidays from mSoft!