mSoft will be at NAB 2007 April 16-19 in Las Vegas. We will be located smack dab in the center of the special "sound track central" area of the show with all of our music library friends in booth SL 8724. Free passes are available for the show through mSoft by going to: https://registration.expoexchange.com/ShowNAB071/DefaultFull.aspx?SCode=WW07 and entering the promotion code KB1554, but please remember that after April 12, registration must be made on-site and a $20 processing fee will be applied.

Announcing the mSoftNet^TM Family of Products Debuting at NAB 2007!

We will be showing a new product line named mSoftNet^TM that we think will have a significant impact on production music users around the world. There are several levels of mSoftNet products becoming available which offer solutions for one person needing low cost access to a lot of production music through medium facilities and up to very large facilities needing to offer off-site secure access to their in-house multi-terabyte MusicCue system from anywhere on the globe.

The mSoftNet family has separated the "MusicCue" search engine from the main multi terabyte storage while allowing secured networking between the two halves.

MusicCue is the server system that searches and plays music from a local storage system servicing facilities using a lot of music by a lot of people. mSoftNet can serve several users with a quick search and audition of local low-resolution files, and then on demand download production quality files, thru a secured connection (using SSL or VPN).

• mSoftNet Satellite Server - Find That One-In-A-Million Music Track - Literally - Without Breaking the Bank!

If you always wanted a way to look through almost every music track available for production but were not able to afford the cost of the 20 terabyte server system with the labor involved in processing this torrent of music, mSoftNet Satellite is what you need.

Buy the mSoftNet Satellite Server, plug it into your network and its almost one million pre-loaded music tracks in audition quality becomes available to your staff. The server will connect itself via the Internet over secured communications (via SSL) to the mSoftNet Mothership Internet Server. The mSoftNet Mothership server carries the production quality, high resolution WAV files from every music library you can think of, currently covering around 23,000 hours of content.

When you register at the main mSoftNet site, the publishers you have relationships with will activate your access to their music on your local server. This is a patent-pending technology that allows remote control of the assets by the publisher who has the rights to those assets. Through this publisher control, you will be allowed access to audition and/or download the music for which you have current licenses. Publishers of music for which you do not have a license can grant you permission at any time.

Your auditioning is instantaneous because low resolution files live on your in-house mSoftNet Satellite Server. Production quality 48K stereo WAV files of any music files you have publishers' permission to use are automatically downloaded on demand. mSoftNet can optionally make music cue sheets for you from any standard EDL file you submit. Your mSoftNet satellite server remains current because it is automatically updated each night with fresh music and more publishers' permissions.

The mSoftNet Satellite Server starts at $2,500 and includes a 6 month subscription to the mSoftNet Main Site for the WAV on-demand download and nightly music updates. Prices vary by the number of production quality files you download a month. We offer packages to facilities needing just a few ranging up to the ones who need a lot! The first mSoftNet Satellite Server installed before NAB is at Pacific Ocean Post in Santa Monica with several others are in production.

• mSoftNet Mothership Server (Layer to Your MusicCue) - Grants Secure, Remote Search and Download Access To Your Existing MusicCue System!

If you already have an mSoft MusicCue system and wished that there was a good way to let some of your other locations access it, adding the mSoftNet Mothership software layer to your system will be just what you are looking for. It allows a fast and secure way to grant access over a secured connection (such as VPN or SSL), empowering your editors and producers anywhere in the world with encrypted access to your in-house music system.

The first implementation of this technology was installed at CBS Television City, and an installation at World Wrestling is planned for March 2007. Several owners of very large MusicCue systems are planning to detach their in-house assets from their physical limitations by using an addition of the mSoftNet Mothership secure layer.

• mSoftNet Publisher - A Low Cost Search and Download Solution For Any Music Library Website

If you're a music library and have researched the cost of creating a search and download mechanism for your website, you know the magnitude of this task.

mSoftNet Publisher is a new service from mSoft that allows a library to link to an mSoft search system at our offices here in Los Angeles through a transparent "click through" from your website (your customers will never know that they've left it).

We will customize your mSoftNet Publisher site with your graphics and colors. Starting at a few hundred dollars per month, the site will only have your music available to search. Several libraries that have already augmented their web sites with the new service are Auracle Music, Stephen Arnold Music, Amygdala Music, 5 Alarm Music, and Trackdown Music. Several more sites (Lazy Bones Music, IMG Music, and others) are currently in production and will go live before mid April. All the mSoftNet Publisher sites will also be accessible from every mSoftNet and MusicCue system worldwide, giving one-click-access to a network of music publishers using our technology under their hood. Each site looks and feels totally different, but they are all using the same powerful mSoft search engine.

• mSoftNet ReSLP

Any mSoft - powered system can take advantage of our patent-pending technology: Remote Search - Local Playback (ReSLP). A publisher or a MusicCue local administrator hands out a hard drive in a USB or FireWire canister to any user which will allow them to work anywhere they like. That user logs into any MusicCue or mSoftNet server over an Internet browser. When they click the speaker icon on the web page - it plays the LOCAL copy of the music on their hard drive. There is no download of music - it is all locally available - and the play back of the production quality file is instantaneous. The access to the music is controlled by the server administrator or publisher of music, even though the users hold the physical drive. The drive is encrypted and cannot be cloned, so control of the music is maintained.

This technology is ideal for music publishers' web sites - the remote storage is useless unless the user is in good standing and is allowed to log to your site for music search!

Booth Buddies at NAB

This will be our 4th year hosting some new music library "booth buddies" showing their musical wares in the corners of our booth. The available slots are filing up now! Here's a list of who you can see (and hear) in our booth at NAB.

• Back Door Music - Music for discriminating yet budget-conscious music supervisors and other music professionals at http://www.bdmusicinc.com.
• Camboso Urban Production Music - New from the UK and going on their own after contributing to the best UK libraries!
• Fuze Arts Music - A new library from industry vet Cindy Rosmann. See them at http://www.fuzeartz.com.
• Gratis Music - Another new library featuring music from over 16 of Hollywood's top film and TV composers. Go to http://www.gratismusiclibrary.com.
• L.A. Studio Tracks - Music from dozens of award winning composers from Los Angeles and beyond. http://www.LAstudiotracks.com.
• Sensory Overload Music - Back for another year, offering broadcast and corporate custom scoring and libraries. http://www.sensory-overload.com.
• Soundmouse - Exciting new music cue sheet program from the UK. Find them at http://www.soundmouse.com/registration/aboutus.aspx.
• Stephen Arnold Music - You hear them most every time you turn on your TV. Go to http://www.stephenarnoldmusic.com.

Annual NAB Booth Party

Besides the massive mSoft server computer that will be managing all the music, SFX, and video we're showing in the booth, we've also arranged for you to be "served" drinks from 4:30 to 6pm on the first two days of the show by two lovely "servers" of the softer variety (which is not to say that our rack mount computers aren't sexy as well).

Year-End Deals Bring New Year System Expansions

Mad River Post, NFL, Riot Atlanta, and other mSoft customers took advantage of our year-end deals and expanded the capacity of their mSoft systems early this year. If it's time for you to add to your system, give us a call for the current "best price" quote. We are ready for the new 750GB drives (about a 1,000 CD capacity), so we can cram a LOT of music into a small space in your machine room rack!

Versus VS CDs - It Was A No Contest Fight!

Versus, formerly Outdoor Life Network, has finally won its battle against a growing and unmanageable CD problem by taking delivery of a new mSoft server. Paul Koopman, Director of Engineering of Versus' Stanford CT offices, had been working to get the system in for quite some time and the right time finally came at the end of 2006. The 3TB system will interface with all of their Avid workstations, and has a total capacity of about 3,500 CDs.

LAST NEWSLETTER'S TRIVIA ANSWERS

These were all related to holiday music, and apparently hard, since only one person got the required 3 correct to win ...or maybe everyone was out partying with Santa:

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?

A: Darlene Love, whose biggest success was as lead singer of the Crystals on "He's A Rebel", did a version of Phil Spector's "A Christmas Gift For You" from the sixties. This was a rare chance for her to be credited as a solo performer, and her version of "White Christmas" includes a rarely heard verse about being in Beverly Hills.

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?

A: "Silent Night." The singing of a folk-like song with guitar accompaniment was a long-standing tradition even in the 1800's. The haste in its' composition probably had more to do with "waiting for last minute inspiration" that is so common to creative people in general - something I'm sure readers of this Ezine are all too familiar with ;-)

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?

A: It's Bono of U2. The original also included Bob Geldorf, Paul Young, and Midge Ure, with the 2004 version including Paul McCartney, Matt Goss, and Jason Donovan.

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

A: It's Elmo & Patsy's "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer," of course! Elmo & Patsy are really characters portrayed by a man named Elmo Shropshire, a man who, besides performing with a bluegrass band and work on some solo offerings, has spent time being a horse trainer, jockey, veterinarian, and even a competitive runner. "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" was written and first performed in 1979. The video for the single debuted on MTV in 1983, and the full-length album that carries the same name was released a year later. The title track became an instant hit, moving above longtime favorites like "White Christmas" on the music charts. If you're looking for a cool CD with weird versions of Christmas classics like "Jingle Bells," "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and "Jingle Bell Rock," this is it. You also get a generous helping of Christmas cheese with things like "Percy, the Puny Poinsettia" and "Señor Santa Claus." - can you say "now how much will you pay?"

THIS MONTH'S TRIVIA CONTEST

Since it was just Oscar time in Tinseltown, we thought it would be interesting to see what you know about movies and some of the actors that have NOT won awards but maybe should have. You need 3 right for an mSoft t-Shirt:

1. In the 2002 film Gangs of New York, this actor played one of the lords of the underworld of 19th century New York, the utter epitome of evil Bill 'The Butcher' Cutting, but didn't win for it. Who was it?
A) Daniel Day-Lewis B) Leonardo DiCaprio C) Liam Neeson D) Al Pacino

2. Denzel Washington finally received his coveted Best Actor Oscar in March of 2002 for his performance as Alonzo Harris in Training Day. Another performance that was overlooked that same year was submitted by which actor in the Ron Howard biopic of mathematician John Nash, entitled A Beautiful Mind?
A) Sean Penn B) Russell Crowe C) Tom Wilkinson D) Tom Hanks

3. In March of 1996, Nicolas Cage was awarded an Oscar for his work in Leaving Las Vegas. Among the losers that year was which future Oscar winner who played an unapologetic murderer languishing on death row?
A) Jamie Foxx B) Russell Crowe C) Sean Penn D) Kevin Spacey

4. Denzel Washington, winner of the Oscar in 2002, was himself snubbed nine years previous. Which figure of American history did Denzel portray in a 1992 spot-on performance that was nonetheless unrewarded?
A) Martin Luther King B) Booker T. Washington C) Muhammad Ali D) Malcom X

5. One of the most entertaining comedians (and actors) of all-time had to be Peter Sellers. Possibly his greatest career performance went unrewarded during the Oscar ceremony of April 1980. For which film, featuring Sellers as Chauncey Gardiner, did the great comedic actor miss an Oscar that year?
A) Starting Over B) The Dresser C) Being There D) Ordinary People

6. Dustin Hoffman, one of Hollywood's all-time greats, won for his touching performance in the 1988 film Rain Man, but another superior performance from Edward James Olmos as the math teacher Jaime Escalante was "close but no cigar." What was the name of that inspirational film of that same year?
A) Stand By Me B) Dangerous Minds C) Lean On Me D) Stand And Deliver

Call us at (800) 489-9314 or (818) 716-7081 to book your mSoftNet demo time - we'll see you in booth SL8724!