Since this is an update, what's new? Well, as Sony are pushing stereoscopic '3D' at the moment, this latest iteration of VMS is capable of 3D editing, and the boxed Platinum version comes complete with a pair of red and cyan 3D glasses.

To put that track limit in perspective, I've handled some pretty large promotional video projects in the past, and though I've often used more than four tracks of audio or video, I can't recall ever having used more than 10 of each. Since we reviewed Vegas Movie Studio 9 in Sound On Sound May 2010, the software's limitation on the number of tracks has jumped from four audio and four video tracks to a maximum of 10 of each. All of the standard NLE features, such as the timeline, media pool, clip trimmer and an effects browser, are present and correct. Like most NLEs, VMS is designed to edit video clips in a similar manner to the way a DAW is used to edit audio. The cut-down video-editing package we're looking at here is Vegas Movie Studio HD, which is available as four different packages, all of which are surprisingly full featured. Their high-end products include Sound Forge Pro for wave editing and the Vegas Pro NLE (Non Linear Editor) for video editing, but they also make cut-down versions of both for the enthusiast. Some of Sony Creative Software's professional range of media-editing software may well be familiar to SOS readers. Vegas Movie Studio displays audio tracks in much the same way as a DAW, which is one advantage it has over most NLEs.

Sony's latest entry-level NLE has plenty of editing power to help you cut your music videos quickly, and for very little cash.

Sony vegas pro 16 review