Opcode Systems

Opcode Systems

Opcode Systems, Inc. was founded in 1985 by Dave Oppenheim and based in and around Palo Alto, California, USA. Opcode produced MIDI sequencing software for the Mac OS and Microsoft Windows, which would later include digital audio capabilities, as well as audio and MIDI hardware interfaces. Opcode's MIDIMAC sequencer, launched in 1986, was the first commercially available MIDI sequencer for the Macintosh computer and one of the first commercially available music sequencers on any commercial computer platform.

At the time Opcode went under, the Studio Vision sequencer was at the front of the pack, with arguably the best MIDI editor written to this day.

Their most notable software titles include:

• Vision (a MIDI-only sequencer)
• Studio Vision (a full sequencer, including digital audio)
• Galaxy (a patch editor and librarian)
• OMS (a MIDI-interface environment)
• Max (a graphical development environment)

In 1998, Opcode was bought by Gibson Guitar Corporation. Development on Opcode products ceased in 1999.

Some of Opcode's ex-employees went on to be part of Apple's Mac OS X Core Audio and MIDI software development.