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Oki Electric Launches World's First 32 Polyphonic Sound Generator Chip for the BRIC Markets
[March 01, 2006]

Oki Electric Launches World's First 32 Polyphonic Sound Generator Chip for the BRIC Markets


TOKYO --(Business Wire)-- March 2, 2006 -- Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (TOKYO:6703) today announced it has developed a 32 polyphonic sound generator LSI, the ML2874, for the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) markets. This is the world's first chip equipped with prosodies to play unique traditional instruments widely known in the rapidly growing BRIC countries. Samples are available today with volume production scheduled in April 2006. This ML2874 was co-developed with Casio Computer Co., Ltd.



"With the increasing number of mobile phone subscribers in the BRIC markets, many mobile phones for these areas are being equipped with sound generator chips for polyphonic ringers. Taking account of this trend, we developed a sound generator chip for the BRIC markets to enable mobile phones to play music utilizing the sounds of the region," said Akira Kamo, President of Silicon Solutions Company at Oki Electric. "Our commitment in providing excellent sound quality enables us to offer a sound generator chip to worldwide mobile phone manufacturers intending to localize their products and differentiate themselves in the BRIC markets."

For example, India, in particular, uses traditional instruments heavily, and music is reproduced with unique prosodies, generating a variety of music cultures each unique to its region. Thus, a general ringer tone LSI like the "GM sound generator" cannot reproduce such music accurately. Following are the newly added functions:


1. Inclusion of a wavetable for traditional instruments

Oki's chip includes a total of 46 timbres to accurately reproduce traditional instruments. Such instruments include: Vina and Zither from India, Cavaquinho from Brazil, Balalaika from Russia, and Bawu from China.

2. Function to change prosody

In addition to standard prosodies, Oki added a function that can reproduce prosodies unique to each region.

The ML2874 became the sixth product in Oki's sound generator family that is compatible with terminals and control software. Oki also made improvements in its original multimedia content format, a tool to enable content providers to create high quality content. This tool can be downloaded, free of charge, from the following URL: https://www.oki.com/jp/sisc/swingnringercp/

[FEED_CRLF
] Following are the sample tunes: -- Let's Have Some Seafood! (Brazil) (MP3: 700KB) (URL: http://www.oki.com/en/press/2006/z05131e-1.mp3)
-- Kalinka (Russia) (MP3: 728KB) (URL: http://www.oki.com/en/press/2006/z05131e-2.mp3)
-- Prakruti (India) (MP3: 689KB) (URL: http://www.oki.com/en/press/2006/z05131e-3.mp3)
-- Spring Moon (China) (MP3: 1.16MB) (URL: http://www.oki.com/en/press/2006/z05131e-4.mp3)
(Available in Windows Media Player & Real Player formats)


About Swing'nRinger

Swing'nRinger is the name of Oki's sound generator LSI series, reproducing music with a natural rhythm that makes people want to dance.

About Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.

Founded in 1881, Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. is Japan's first telecommunications manufacturer, with its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. With the corporate vision, "Oki, Network Solutions for a Global Society," Oki provides top-quality products, technologies and solutions to its customers through its info-telecom system business, semiconductor business and printer business. All three businesses function as a collective force to create exciting new products and technologies that satisfy a spectrum of customer needs in various markets. Visit Oki's global web site at http://www.oki.com/.

Notes:

-- Swing'nRinger is a trademark of Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.

-- Other names of companies and products are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies and organizations.

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