Vikki Dawson

March 15, 2000

Sound Forge 4.5 is an amazing digital audio editing tool. It includes DirectX plug-in support, built in effects and video support. Sound Forge 4.5 can save to several different file formats including .wav, .asf, .wma, .rm, .avi and mp3 formats. There is a limit of 20 saves for MP3 formats. You can extend that to unlimited by upgrading to version 4.5c and getting the MP3 plug-in for $19.95.

You have many options in setting up your preferences for Sound Forge. Run your mouse over the tabs below to see what they include.

With Sound Forge you can edit ACID loops, synchronize audio and video with frame by frame accuracy, batch process files, apply audio effects and so much more.

I had a lot of fun playing with the DirectX options. I have Cakewalk and was able to apply Cakewalk FX to the sound I was working on in Sound Forge.

You can create streaming audio and video for RealPlayer 7, Windows Media 4.0 and open and save to MP3 files.

Some powerful features of Sound Forge are drag and drop, multiple level undo and redo, crash recovery, DirectX support, time compression, real time play and record, spectrum analysis, cross fade loop, fm synthesis, adjust video frame rate and frame size, edit .AVI files with multiple audio streams, and much more.

Effects in Sound Forge include:

• Amplitude Modulation

• Chorus

• Reverb

• Vibrato

• Delay/Echo

• Envelope

• Flange/Wah-Wah

• Multi-Band Dynamics

• Gapper/Snipper

• Noise Gate

• Pitch Bend/Shift

• Graphic Dynamics

Tools in Sound Forge include:

• Batch Converter

• Spectrum Analysis

• Auto Region

• Crossfade loop

• Sampler Tool

• Statistics Tool

• Simple Synthesis

• FM Synthesis

• STMF/MF Synthesis

• and more...

Video support includes:

• Adjustable video frame rate and frame size

• Edit .AVI files with multiple audio streams

• External monitor support

• and more....

Supported file formats include:

• All ACM formats, AIF/SND, ASF, AU/SND, AVI, DIG/SD, IVC, MP3, PAT, RM, RAW, SFR, SMP, SND, SVX/IFF, V8, VOC, VOX, WAV, WMA

Sound Forge 4.5 is an awesome digital editing tool and the only one you should need for accurate and quality editing of digital audio. I can't begin to cover all the features of Sound Forge in this review. Head on over to Sonic Foundry and check it out.

Copyright 2000, Vikki Dawson, All Rights Reserved