Yamaha announced their new O.P.T (Open Plug-in Technology) plug-in format. It’s a revolutionary new concept effectively giving modular expansion to your MIDI sequencer. Obvious applications include a plug-in that would act as an editor for your MIDI hardware from within the sequencer environment.
OPT comprises of several basic components:
Panels - provides support for running software control surfaces that transmit data via the clients’ MIDI ports. e.g. hardware synth editors. Processors - provides support for real-time and offline MIDI queues e.g. for the implementation of MIDI effect processors, arpeggiators, and realtime panel automation. Views - provides support for client track/event access. Typically allows sophisticated MIDI edit views to be created (e.g. List editors, Auto Accompaniment etc). Why was “OPEN PLUG-IN TECHNOLOGY” developed? You may ask.
Yamaha reply:
Yamaha realises the importance of computer based music production and recognises that the integration of its hardware products into this environment is the ultimate goal and dream for many users. To provide seamless integration requires a set of features including control surfaces, edit views (such as enhanced list views), and other MIDI processing tools. “Wouldn’t it be great if the synth editors for your entire studio could run seamlessly inside your sequencer; so you don’t have to open up a second application, “ALT+TAB” between programs, or tie yourself in knots with multiclient MIDI links?” “Imagine a world where the mind numbing MIDI event list, containing everything from automation data to synthesiser edit parameters could be translated from meaningless bytes into plain and simple language that you can understand”
“Imagine being able to take your favourite edit view, such as a drum or list editor, from one sequencer application to another. Or the capability to easily add new views or editors to applications that previously had none”. “Open Plug-In Technology” is designed to meet these needs.
Well there it is. Quite a revolutionary concept and one that has already been adopted by Cakewalk with their new SONAR 2 release (see story). Yamaha are talking to all other major software houses and developers right now. The signs are good and we for one hope that this really takes off.
For more information on “Open Plug-In Technology” visit
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