MacroSystem was founded in 1990, long before anyone had even thought of non linear video editing. As a result, the first MacroSystem product had little to do with video. It was an Atari ST emulator for the Commodore Amiga with the fine-sounding name of 'Medusa'. This was followed by further products for the Amiga: 'Evolution', the first Amiga hard disk controller, and the Multi-Mega-Card, a highly successful Amiga memory extension.

MacroSystem's first contact with the video medium dates back as far as 1991, the year it became a public limited company, when MacroSystem launched the DeInterlace card for the Amiga - another hugely successful Amiga product.

In 1992, encouraged by the increasing popularity video, MacroSystem launched the most successful video digitizer of its time: Vlab. This was followed a year later by the Maestro and Toccata sound cards, signaling our arrival in the world of digital audio.

CHANGES
Finally, in 1994, the first complete video film post production system VLab/Motion signaled MacroSystem's entry into the world of digital video editing. This came at the same time as the most significant change at MacroSystem, i.e. the development from hardware producer to software creator. Unlike earlier products, VLab/Motion required more than just a simple operating program or a software driver. What was needed was a nonlinear video editing program. The result was MovieShop, our first proprietary video editing software.

THE COMMODORE CRISIS
Also in 1994, the bankruptcy of Commodore, manufacturers of the Amiga, created a highly threatening situation for MacroSystem. Whereas in the past, all MacroSystem products had been tailored exclusively to the Amiga, the company now had to develop an entire system on its own in order to survive.

Born out of a crisis, the success of this first independent video editing system was a surprise, not only among experts. The Draco ensured MacroSystem a place in the professional video editing sector, and at the same time, it contained the seeds of the company's most successful product to date, the Casablanca.

THE DEBUT
When the Casablanca finally hit the market in 1997, MacroSystem suddenly found itself in a unique situation. There was no direct competition and at first, the market, focussed on classic, linear video editing technology, didn't know what to make of the new product.

But once the specialist press, video clubs and numerous users had recognized the advantages of nonlinear video editing over all classic methods, there were no more obstacles to the triumphant success of the Casablanca.

Over the years that followed, MacroSystem concentrated on optimizing its software and developing additional products and new hardware, as it soon became clear that the "classic" Casablanca, based on Amiga technology, was a dead end.

In March 2000, MacroSystem proudly presented the result of years of development: The next generation Casablanca systems Casablanca Avio and the company's new flagship (launched at the Photokina 2000 trade show in Cologne), the Casablanca Kron.

In July 2002 Casablanca Prestige became the new, smart production solution for digital video editing.