Version 1.3 of the JavaTM 2
Platform includes a powerful new
API for capturing, processing, and playing back audio and MIDI
(Musical Intstrument Digital Interface) data. This API is
supported by an efficient sound engine which guarantees
high-quality audio mixing and MIDI synthesis capabilities for
the platform.
The provided reference implementation of this API supports the following features:
Audio file formats: AIFF, AU and WAV
Music file formats: MIDI Type 0, MIDI Type 1, and Rich Music Format (RMF)
Sound formats: 8- and 16-bit audio data, in mono and stereo,
with sample rates from 8 kHz to 48 kHz
Linear, a-law, and mu-law encoded data in any of the supported audio file formats
MIDI wavetable synthesis and sequencing in software, and access
to hardware MIDI devices
An all-software mixer that can mix and render up to 64 total
channels of digital audio and synthesized MIDI music
The above list describes the reference implementation, not the API itself.
The API permits flexible configuration of the audio and MIDI system, including
ways for applications to ask the system exactly what resources are
installed and available.
Additional information on the reference implementation is available from the
Java Sound Home
Page. This site also provides links
to a selection of MIDI sound banks that may be used to enhance the sound
quality of the MIDI synthesizer.