Sony Digital Reverbs, Delays and Multi-Effects

Released in 1981

Sony DRE 2000 Digital Reverberator

The Sony DRE 2000 was Sony’s first digital reverb and they headed straight for the heart of Lexicon with a complex and very advanced system, that also proved fragile. These reverbs are hard to find on the used market, partly because those who have them hang onto them, and partly because many of them have died, proving to be too expensive and difficult to fix.

Released in 1985

Sony PCM-1630 Audio Processor

The Sony PCM-1630 was used for mastering audio CDs in the early 1980s by most of the major record labels around the world, it was an essential part of early digital audio disc production.

Released in 1986

Sony MU-E311 31 Band Equaliser

The Sony MU-E311 was part of Sony’s complete range of professional audio products, matching the aesthetic, sound quality and build quality of the Sony MU-R201 stereo digital reverb.

Released in 1986

Sony MU-R201 Stereo Digital Reverb

The Sony MU-R201 was released following the comparatively high-priced Sony DRE-2000 and marked Sony’s initial foray into stereo processing for their reverbs. Although it gained limited traction in the western market, it achieved popularity in Japan. Despite this, Roger Nichols was an ardent proponent of the MU-R201 and employed it extensively in his mixing, including some of the Steely Dan mixes.

Released in 1987

Sony DTC-1000ES Digital Audio Tape Deck

The Sony DTC-1000ES Digital Audio Tape Deck was the world’s first DAT machine, and although it was a consumer machine, it proved to be very successful in the professional world too, perhaps even more so as DAT never really made it in the consumer world.

Released in 1987

Sony MU-L021 Stereo Compressor Limiter

The Sony MU-L021 is a professional stereo compressor limiter designed for use in studios. It features a built-in noise gate, transformerless balanced circuits, and variable control of key parameters. It is rack mountable and ideal for professional applications.

Released in 1988

Sony MU-E041 Parametric Equaliser

The Sony MU-E041 is a professional-grade parametric equalizer featuring four-band EQ with independent control, boost/cut level switch, and transformerless balanced input/output circuits.

Released in 1990

Sony MU-D100 Stereo Cassette Recorder

Released in 1990, the Sony MU-D100 recorder features a design aesthetic that matches the Sony MU-R201, while offering advanced editing capabilities and a highly durable mechanism for professional use.

Released in 1991

Sony DPS-R7 Reverberator

The Sony DPS-R7 was the first in a new digital effects line up from Sony, it’s success spawned a number of other effects using the same architecture as the DPS-R7. The Sony DPS-R7 is an excellent digital reverb that still stands up today, with it’s full bandwidth and excellent reverb algorithms, it is hampered only by it’s truly awful interface if you wish to program it.

Released in 1991

Sony DPS-D7 Digital Delay

On the back of the success of the Sony DPS-R7, Sony developed and released the next processor in the line-up, the DPS-D7 Digital Delay with audible improvements. Sony didn’t just add int he new algorithms and release it, they also chose to make the DPS-D7 use a higher sampling rate of 48kHz to improve the bandwidth even further than the DPS-R7.

Released in 1992

Sony DPS-M7 Sonic Modulator

After a digital reverb and a digital delay, the next logical choice for Sony was a modulation processor, and that is exactly what they delivered with the Sony DPS-M7. With the new Sony DPS-M7, Sony continued to improve the sonic characteristics of the internals, with the DPS-M7 showing even better noise floor performance than even the DPS-D7 that preceded it.

Released in 1992

Sony DPS-F7 Dynamic Filter Plus

After the digital reverb, digital delay and then a modulation processor, what could Sony release next? A dynamic filter, which lacked the appeal of the first three effects in the DPS line up. The Sony DPS-F7 is suited to keyboard players that studios, as it generates rather interesting effects for keyboards including vocoder and synthesizer. Having said that, creative engineers could find great use for this effect in their racks.

Yamaha SPX900 Professional Multi-Effect Processor

The Yamaha SPX900 is a highly sophisticated digital reverberation and effects system which offers 50 preset effect programs including accurate simulations of natural reverberation and early-reflections, delay and echo effects, gated effects, modulation effects, a versatile compressor, a harmonic exciter, multiple effects which function as several Yamaha SPX900 units in one, freeze (sampling) programs and others. With a sampling frequency of 44.1 kHz, it delivers full, ﬂat frequency response from 20 Hz...

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