News

Sony showcases World's first ASIO 2.1 and DSD capable PC (3/5/2005)

Earlier this month at Musikmesse 2005, Sony Information Technology Europe (ITE) showcased technology that sets new standards in multi-channel surround sound recording, editing and playback in a PC environment. The company announced that later this year it will introduce the world's first ASIO ready Windows-based PC, which runs the Steinberg-developed ASIO 2.1 audio driver architecture. Using this advanced audio interface, the revolutionary Sound Reality by VAIO PC creates another first in terms of its advanced DSD (Direct Stream Digital) audio solution for PCs.

Sound Reality by VAIO is the product of a major AV/IT development initiative within Sony: it is the first time that the Steinberg-developed ASIO (Audio Streaming Input Output) and DSD have been combined in a single PC-based environment. This advanced audio integration technology creates a sophisticated proposition for several different audiences, including the music professional, the home studio user and the enthusiastic domestic music consumer.

"DSD effectively re-wrote the audio standards when it was introduced in 1999, creating a new benchmark for high-resolution surround sound but until now it has only been available for use in the professional audio industry sector. Now, we have achieved the same high audio standard within the PC environment," commented Serge Stevenart, Manager, New Technologies at Sony ITE. "We have products scheduled for 2005 which will integrate this technology. They target the needs of a range of audio groups from the professional user to Home Studio prosumers and consumers that wish to upgrade their CD (stereo PCM)-based music collections to fully featured high-resolution surround sound that will play back at high quality on their home entertainment systems."

In order to provide maximum audio processing functionality without affecting background CPU performance, Sony has integrated the PC's audio capabilities on a dedicated one-chip DSD solution using ASIO 2.1 as the integration platform within the PC. Alongside the DSD chip, the new Sound Reality by VAIO PC owes much of its audio processing power to a new version of Sony's SonicStage Mastering Studio. This intuitive menu-based software system empowers the user to record, playback and edit music in both DSD and PCM audio formats. Its PCM recording capability is critical since this is CD's core enabling technology. Users can take a standard stereo CD, rip it to their PC hard drive and then use their Sound Reality PC to up-convert the audio signal to a fully uncompressed DSD audio stream.

"DSD is revolutionising the audio industry and Sony's Sound Reality initiative is an important bridge to the future of high-resolution audio in the PC environment," commented Stevenart. "Whether it's used in the home, home studio or a professional music recording environment, Sony Sound Reality represents an important milestone in the convergence of AV and IT technology."

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