Korean computer engineers are introducing
a new digital music format that has separate controls on the sound volume for
each musical instrument, such as guitar, drum, base and voice -- an ideal
tool for music lovers of different tastes as well as karaoke fans. The new
format, which has a file extension format of MT9 and a commercial title of Music
2.0, is poised to replace the popular MP3 file format as the de facto standard
of the digital music source, its inventors say. The MT9 technology was first
conceived by Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) and is
being shaped into commercial use by venture company Audizen. It was selected as
a candidate item for the new digital music standard at a regular meeting of
Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG), the international body of the digital music
and video industry, held in France late April.
The distinctive feature of MT9 format is that it has a six-channel audio
equalizer, with each channel dedicated to voice, chorus, piano, guitar, base and
drum. For example, if a user turns off the voice channel, it becomes a karaoke
player. Or one can turn off all the instruments and concentrate on the voice of
the main singer as if he or she is singing a cappella.
