Sonic Foundry and Ernie Ball Music Man Announce "Best Guitar and Bass Player on the Web" Contest

Sonic Foundry, Inc. (Nasdaq: SOFO), the leading developer and marketer of digital media and Internet software tools, services, and systems, today announced the "Best Guitar and Bass Player on the Web" contest sponsored by Sonic Foundry and Ernie Ball Music Man.

"Best Guitarist and Bass Player on the Web" offers guitar and bass players worldwide an opportunity to mix and showcase their talents. The event will consist of two separate contests: one for guitarists and one for bassists. Entering is easy—contestants log on to acidguitar.com (the official contest Web site), download a special version of Sonic Foundry's ACID XPress software, record their best performance, save it as a WMA audio file, then e-mail the entry back to the acidguitar.com Web site. Contest entry kicks off May 1 and ends November 1, 2000, with online voting running through December 1, 2000.

Winners will be chosen by a panel of music industry professionals including such notables as Steve Morse, Tony Levin, John Petrucci, Steve "Luke" Lukather, Dave Larue, and Vinnie Moore. Winning entrants will be judged on virtuosity, technique, creativity, and how well the performance fits with the backing tracks.

Grand Prize winners will be treated to an all-expense paid trip to the Winter 2001 NAMM International Music Show in Anaheim, California, where he or she will perform onstage with an all-star band made up of accomplished musicians such as Steve Morse, Vinnie Moore, Albert Lee, Steve Lukather, John Petrucci, Dave LaRue, and Tony Levin. Other contest winners will be awarded Sonic Foundry's award-winning software, Ernie Ball Music Man guitars and basses, Ernie Ball strings and accessories, and other items.

"It's an incredible opportunity for guitar and bass players worldwide to showcase their instrumental prowess and the chance of a lifetime to perform onstage with some of the greatest players ever born," said Sterling Ball, president of Ernie Ball. "Sonic Foundry's amazing software and multi-media/Internet expertise really levels the playing field for all players, plus it's a ton of fun."

"Together with Ernie Ball's innovative equipment and our powerful software, we wanted to provide a contest that enables guitar enthusiasts an opportunity to showcase their talents and make a lasting mark in the music industry," stated Jeff Conover, vice president of marketing for Sonic Foundry. "We feel that the talent contestants bring to this contest will result in never-before-thought-of musical creations."

About Ernie Ball

Ernie Ball Company, one of the most innovating companies in the music industry, is recognized for its cutting-edge, grass roots promotions that help up-and-coming musicians gain recognition. Ernie Ball also sponsors the annual Battle of the Bands competition, now in its fourth year and an exclusive Vans Warped Tour 2000 event. They were the first to offer rock strings with the creation of Slinkys and further revolutionized the market by offering guitarists Custom-Gauge single strings. Ernie Ball also produces Music Man guitars and basses, volume pedals, and other accessories.