Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc. 

(originally posted November 15, 1993)

For Immediate Release
Turtle Beach Rio Announced

A New Pro Synth From The Turtles

York, PA - Turtle Beach Systems, leaders in multimedia sound products 
have announced the new Turtle Beach Rio Professional MIDI Synthesizer 
Module.   

Rio is the next step in the evolution of Turtle Beach synthesizer 
technology.  The Wavefront<191> synthesis chipset provides 32 voices 
of 16 bit CD quality General MIDI compatible instruments stored in 
4 megabytes of ROM on the card.  Rio's synthesis section also includes 
a real-time effects processor which allows the user to add various 
echo and reverb effects to produce even more lifelike instruments 
in MIDI files.  These effects are all software-based for future upgradability.  

Rio separates itself from the rest of the pack by offering SampleStore<191>, 
a technological capability of the hardware (upgradable to 4 megs using 
standard SIPPs), which can take any existing WAV file and use it as 
a MIDI instrument.  

"SampleStore is one of the ways that we're pushing the envelope" says 
Roy Smith, president of Turtle Beach.  "We wanted to improve on the 
synthesizer we offered in our MultiSound card...the effects certainly 
add a great deal of functionality, but SampleStore was key.  We always 
try to create products that remain useful for longer periods of time 
than average computer products.  The key to SampleStore is that a 
user doesn't have to stick with the factory samples like every other 
sound card. You add new instruments at your convenience."

Rio is pin and form compatible with the Creative Labs WaveBlaster 
and Turtle Beach's new Tahiti.  It can be installed on any sound card 
or motherboard offering a WaveBlaster expansion port.

 The Turtle Beach Rio will have a list price of $249.00 and will be 
shipping in December. 

Turtle Beach Systems has been shipping professional audio products 
for over eight years.  Their MultiSound sound card has won virtually 
every award available for quality.


					 ###End###