At Sony’s NAMM booth I came across this nameless prototype mic pre that matches their popular PCM-D1 flash memory field recorder. No release date, price, or even a name. (If you don’t feel like waiting you might look at the Core Sound Mic2496.) At least Sony’s Oxford plug-ins will start to ship in Audio Units this month.

Ed.: The PCM-D1 is a great recorder, so it’s nice to see Sony thinking about a serious mic pre, which has generally been the missing element from these recorders. Of course, it’d be even nicer to know something about it; maybe by Germany’s Messe show in the spring. The other issue: this is starting to get awfully pricey, as penmachine notes in flickr comments; many people may choose a cheaper recording for field use and just switch to a laptop for heavier needs. More photos from Josh after the jump.

I heard buzz from developers way back at AES in fall 2005 that Sony might not be Pro Tools-exclusive any more. It’s great to be able to choose the DAW you want, so that’s great news. VST for Windows next, please? -PK