SOUND-BOARD DUET

Brown-Wagh Publishing repackaged its Creative Music System several months ago as the Game Blaster, a PC music board aimed at computer gamers who want more than beeps and boops. But the company isn't stopping there. At June's PC Expo, it announced that it would also distribute a new music card, code-named "Killer Kard" from San Francisco-based Creative Labs.

Brown-Wagh co-founder Richard Brown said the two products target different audiences. The 12-voice Game Blaster lists at $129, although Brown expected it to be discounted to $85–$95.

The Killer Kard, when bundled with the Creative Music System (CMS) software, is for the serious user who needs 23 voices on a stereo board. The number of voices is a combination of the Game Blaster's 12 voices and the 11 voices available on the popular Ad Lib card. Brown said the card is fully Ad Lib-compatible and will retail for $195.

The Killer Kard uses DMA technology and a proprietary hardware compression routine to keep its memory demands to a minimum. It includes a microphone jack and amplifier jack, joystick port, and MIDI interface. With its editing capabilities, the CMS software synchronizes voice and graphics.

—PETER SCISCO