WingsOfAnAngel
Banned
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 3
Anyone who does audio editing on the PC should have a copy of Sony's Sound Forge -- its powerful toolset is capable of handling nearly any editing task and the program is a perfect complement to DAW applications such as SONAR and Cubase. It does everything from individual track editing to finishing final stereo masters with smooth professionalism.
But there's always room for improvement, and the newly released Sound Forge 8 (MSRP $319.96 boxed/$299.96 download) adds some welcome new functions. Particularly useful are support for VST plugins, ASIO driver compatibility and the bundling of CD Architect with Sound Forge 8. But there are a number of other additions that augment the workflow in significant ways. Among these are a data scrubber, customizable keyboard mappings, an integrated Script Editor window, HDV templates and Macromedia Flash (.swf) format importing. Batch processing and file-format conversion with the Batch Converter script have also been added.
Installation was trouble-free on a dual-processor Athlon with a Tyan motherboard. The full manual is contained in a PDF file accessible from the Help menu, but a printed 75-page "Quick Start" is also included that covers most of the basic functions.The full manual also can be saved to the desktop from the installation CD.
For me, two of the new features proved immediately useful. VST plugin compatibility not only opens up third-party VST plugins, but enables the use of a UAD-1 effects card in VST mode. And ASIO driver compatibility is a must in my case, since a new Hammerfall audio interface I recently installed only has ASIO and MME drivers, although WDM drivers are in development.
But the most significant inclusion to the program overall is CD Architect, a superb Red Book burning application that includes a wide range of final editing, processing and mastering functions. CD Architect was recently reintroduced to the market as a standalone application after being on hiatus for a while. About six years ago, when I was still using the NT operating system, CD Architect was a staple in my audio production process. It was a great disappointment when I switched to Win2K and couldn't bring the old version of CD Architect along, and I haven't had the opportunity to use it since.
But the new CD Architect 5.2 is in another league, and it transforms Sound Forge into a truly complete soup-to-nuts mastering application. Among its features are CD Text reading and writing. And even though CD Architect is a standalone app, it is tightly integrated with Sound Forge. Files can be exported directly from Sound Forge to CD Architect, and Sound Forge 8 regions are automatically imported as CD tracks.
For everyday use, one of the handiest new features in Sound Forge 8 is the innovative scrubbing function, similar to the one in Vegas 5. It works flawlessly, with two controls that enable playback to be speeded up or slowed down, either momentarily or permanently. I set the rate at half speed (.50) and was able to get a very comfortable listening speed for a fast-paced section where I wanted to find a specific audio event. The top scrub button is momentary, while the bottom pointer keeps the audio playback speed at whatever setting you move it to.
Batch processing and file-format conversion via the Batch Converter script are also great time-savers. I set up four files to be first processed by the UAD-1 card's LA-2A limiter, and then to be converted to Real Media 9 format. The Batch Converter window has five windows: Files to Convert, Process, Metadata, Save Options and Status. The Batch Converter plowed throught the files in less than a minute. Other repetitive tasks can be automated and customized with the new Script Editor window, where scripts can be created, edited or run.
Sound Forge, already a core editing tool, has become stronger and better with version 8. The inclusion of CD Architect 5.2 and the way it's integrated into Sound Forge 8 make both programs function as one entity, a tremendous boost to workflow efficiency. Combined with the new ability to take advantage of VST plugins and the ASIO driver support, there's almost nothing you can throw at it that it can't handle. That now includes imported Flash and HDV files, for those who work with multimedia.
With Sound Forge's traditional strengths, such as sample-level editing, powerful analysis tools, and a suite of built-in effects (including the wonderful Acoustic Mirror Impulse effect), this program is ready to hit the ground running and not look back. Plus, it's fast and stable to boot. If your work involves audio file editing on the PC and you don't have Sound Forge, it's time to get on board. Soon you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.
But there's always room for improvement, and the newly released Sound Forge 8 (MSRP $319.96 boxed/$299.96 download) adds some welcome new functions. Particularly useful are support for VST plugins, ASIO driver compatibility and the bundling of CD Architect with Sound Forge 8. But there are a number of other additions that augment the workflow in significant ways. Among these are a data scrubber, customizable keyboard mappings, an integrated Script Editor window, HDV templates and Macromedia Flash (.swf) format importing. Batch processing and file-format conversion with the Batch Converter script have also been added.
Installation was trouble-free on a dual-processor Athlon with a Tyan motherboard. The full manual is contained in a PDF file accessible from the Help menu, but a printed 75-page "Quick Start" is also included that covers most of the basic functions.The full manual also can be saved to the desktop from the installation CD.
For me, two of the new features proved immediately useful. VST plugin compatibility not only opens up third-party VST plugins, but enables the use of a UAD-1 effects card in VST mode. And ASIO driver compatibility is a must in my case, since a new Hammerfall audio interface I recently installed only has ASIO and MME drivers, although WDM drivers are in development.
But the most significant inclusion to the program overall is CD Architect, a superb Red Book burning application that includes a wide range of final editing, processing and mastering functions. CD Architect was recently reintroduced to the market as a standalone application after being on hiatus for a while. About six years ago, when I was still using the NT operating system, CD Architect was a staple in my audio production process. It was a great disappointment when I switched to Win2K and couldn't bring the old version of CD Architect along, and I haven't had the opportunity to use it since.
But the new CD Architect 5.2 is in another league, and it transforms Sound Forge into a truly complete soup-to-nuts mastering application. Among its features are CD Text reading and writing. And even though CD Architect is a standalone app, it is tightly integrated with Sound Forge. Files can be exported directly from Sound Forge to CD Architect, and Sound Forge 8 regions are automatically imported as CD tracks.
For everyday use, one of the handiest new features in Sound Forge 8 is the innovative scrubbing function, similar to the one in Vegas 5. It works flawlessly, with two controls that enable playback to be speeded up or slowed down, either momentarily or permanently. I set the rate at half speed (.50) and was able to get a very comfortable listening speed for a fast-paced section where I wanted to find a specific audio event. The top scrub button is momentary, while the bottom pointer keeps the audio playback speed at whatever setting you move it to.
Batch processing and file-format conversion via the Batch Converter script are also great time-savers. I set up four files to be first processed by the UAD-1 card's LA-2A limiter, and then to be converted to Real Media 9 format. The Batch Converter window has five windows: Files to Convert, Process, Metadata, Save Options and Status. The Batch Converter plowed throught the files in less than a minute. Other repetitive tasks can be automated and customized with the new Script Editor window, where scripts can be created, edited or run.
Sound Forge, already a core editing tool, has become stronger and better with version 8. The inclusion of CD Architect 5.2 and the way it's integrated into Sound Forge 8 make both programs function as one entity, a tremendous boost to workflow efficiency. Combined with the new ability to take advantage of VST plugins and the ASIO driver support, there's almost nothing you can throw at it that it can't handle. That now includes imported Flash and HDV files, for those who work with multimedia.
With Sound Forge's traditional strengths, such as sample-level editing, powerful analysis tools, and a suite of built-in effects (including the wonderful Acoustic Mirror Impulse effect), this program is ready to hit the ground running and not look back. Plus, it's fast and stable to boot. If your work involves audio file editing on the PC and you don't have Sound Forge, it's time to get on board. Soon you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.
