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NY B83410





March 21, 1997

CLA-2-84:RR:NC:1:110 B83410

CATEGORY: CLASSIFICATION

TARIFF NO.: 8543.89.9090

Mr. Dennis Heck
Yamaha Corporation of America
660 Orangethorpe Avenue
P.O. Box 6600
Buena Park, CA 90622-6600

RE: The tariff classification of a Yamaha SW60XG WaveForce Sound Card and a MU10XG Wave Table Tone Generator from Japan.

Dear Mr. Heck:

In your letter dated March 17, 1997, you requested a tariff classification ruling.

The merchandise under consideration involves a model MU10XG Tone Generator which is an external device that is used with computers and musical instruments such as keyboards, for improving sound quality. It utilizes the Yamaha XG MIDI format to provide 676 wavetable voices and 21 drum kits with 32-note polyphony and 4MB of WaveROM. The XG format allows management control of the desired sound. This device has MIDI in/out jacks for connecting the MU10 to a MIDI synthesizer or controller, and to headphones for personal monitoring. Connection to a host computer port is via a RS232C or RS-422 interface. It can be used without a computer to add 676 high-quality voices to any MIDI musical keyboard.

Noting Legal Note 5 (B) to Chapter 84 of the HTS, this external device, would in our opinion, not meet the definition of a "unit" of an ADP system. Please note also our Ruling letter NY A85466 to your company on similar merchandise.

The applicable subheading for the Yamaha MU10 XG Tone Generator will be 8543.89.9090, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for other electrical apparatus, not specified or included elsewhere in Chapter 85, HTS. The rate of duty will be 3.1 percent ad valorem.

The Yamaha SW60XG WaveForce Sound Card appears to be a board level product that adds an additional 676 voices and 4 MB of ROM to a computer to improve and expand the sound quality. Please provide additional information as to the components mounted on this board, and whether or not this sound card has multimedia applications. Does this card incorporate fax/modem components, or is it limited to computer sound enhancement? Can this device also function as a MIDI tone generator?

This ruling is being issued under the provisions of Part 177 of the Customs Regulations (19 C.F.R. 177).

A copy of the ruling or the control number indicated above should be provided with the entry documents filed at the time this merchandise is imported. If you have any questions regarding the ruling, contact National Import Specialist Art Brodbeck at 212-466-5490, or David Curran at 212-466-5680.

Sincerely,

Robert B Swierupski
Chief, Metals & Machinery Branch

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