Music Kit
| Company type | Software suite |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer software, Music technology |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | David A. Jaffe, Julius O. Smith |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Music-N and MIDI integration software, Objective-C framework, ScorePlayer, Ensemble |
The Music Kit represented a software suite created for the NeXT Computer platform by developers David A. Jaffe and Julius O. Smith. It utilized the Motorola 56001 DSP embedded on the NeXT motherboard and marked the first system to integrate the Music-N and MIDI frameworks, merging flexibility with real-time interaction and high performance. This toolkit was closely linked with the Sound Kit.
Initially showcased in 1988 at Davies Symphony Hall, the version 1.0 was released in 1989 alongside the NeXT computer. It included an Objective-C framework tailored for musical and audio applications, a score language capable of expression evaluation, MIDI support, drivers for sound and DSP, various utilities, and a straightforward score playback application known as ScorePlayer. The Music Kit found use in software such as Finale and Creation Station, as well as in gaming and document processing environments.
With the NeXT 2.0 update, bundled applications like Ensemble—an improvisation tool based on fractal algorithms developed by Michael Mcnabb—were introduced. Essential contributors to the project encompassed Douglas Fulton (documentation), Doug Keislar (third-party integration), Greg Kellogg (driver development), Lee Boynton (driver and Sound Kit work), and Dana Massie (development efforts). Consulting roles were filled by Andy Moorer (DSP design), Roger Dannenberg (data structure design), and John Strawn (DSP programming).
In 1992, concurrent with NeXT’s 3.0 release, the Music Kit was separated from the main package and distributed as copyrighted open-source software to Stanford University's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA), where Julius O. Smith held a professorship. Stanford also engaged David A. Jaffe as a consultant to continue development. Improvements comprised support for the Airel QuintProcessor—a five-DSP board designed for the NeXTcube—audio input/output through the DSP56001 serial interface, compatibility with NextSTEP, and support for Turtle Beach DSP56001 hardware. Additionally, a prototype system nicknamed "Frankenstein" combined eight Motorola evaluation boards to advance Stanford’s Sondius project focused on physical modeling of musical instruments.
Jaffe was commissioned to implement MIDI time code functionality as well. The Sondius team eventually formed Staccato Systems, Inc., backed by Yamaha and Stanford University; this company was later acquired by Analog Devices in 2000.
The Music Kit gained recognition in publications such as NeXTWorld and appeared in resources including The Complete Guide to the Nextstep user environment.
Subsequent ports were created by Leigh Smith and Stephen Brandon.