Sony

R3 comprises a five-band, fully parametric EQ design plus switchable-slope, variable-frequency high and low-pass filters.

We look at the reliability of hard drives and investigate some innovative video-related products from Sony, which could soon be commonplace in the audio world.

Could you clarify the difference between floating- and fixed-point 32-bit operation in the digital domain. I know that floating-point systems allow for data to be handled at word lengths above 24-bit, which are then dithered back down. Does it also result in a greater dynamic range?

Sony's Oxford digital mixers are out of many people's reach, but Pro Tools and Powercore users can now get their hands on the Oxford's sophisticated processing tools.

I've read that the SACD format uses a 1-bit word length throughout. Why is this the case, and how does it yield higher audio quality than standard 16-bit CDs?

Can you explain to me how data reduction in audio files is achieved? I understand the general idea behind data-compressed formats like MP3, but I have never seen an explanation of the actual process.

We test and report on another crop of highly insertable software plug-ins: PSP Nitro • Sony Oxford Inflator • Kjaerhus Audio Gold Series • Luxonix Ravity • Audio Damage Mayhem

If you're looking for a high-quality reverb with plenty of user control, Sony's Oxford Reverb might be just what you're after.

Version 5 of Acid Pro is the first major upgrade under the Sony Media Software badge, and has taken two years to arrive. Does it keep pace with other manufacturers' loop-sequencing packages?