Magix are a name I first came across years ago and they still continue to publish software products for both home and professional use, most of their products are available to download as a trial once you can get past their ‘I am not a robot’ shield.
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Any product that has reached version 12 must have a lot going for it, while I have reviewed other packages from Magix previously some doing a lot of what Sound Forge does this is the first time I have used this package.
So in order to help those who have used it before my first port of call was to the What’s New tab.
Firstly I gather this is Sound Forge’s first 64bit version.
While an expert is probably clear with things like Slice Editing, Soft Cut and Spectral Cleaning. As a definite novice user I was glad there were videos to demonstrate just exactly what these processes do. Once I had absorbed that I tried things for myself and now I have a better idea of how to improve recordings, as an example someone scraping a chair along the floor during a solo may in fact have the same basic sound volume as the performer so with other tools that work only with volume it would be difficult to remove but here Sound Forge has a tool to do it.
When mixing recording made at different places or at different times a simple tool is normalise but this in itself is a blunt instrument here you can regulate it.
For a lot of people vinyl is king the problem with this is that the more you play it the less the times you can still play it. Clicks and Crackles will appear that you never knew were there. Yes of course Sound Forge can help you remove them. Once gone place the Vinyl away and play your new digital copy, after all you can still read the LP notes while playing and you do not have to get up off the sofa to turn to side two.
Other features some more obvious than others are DeClickler / DeCrackler / De Hisser / DeNoiser / DeClipper and DeEsser, at this point my spell checker is having a fit.
While I have heard that professional recording studios can – and do – ‘Tune Up Vocals’ to give you perfect pitch I was unaware that this was available for home use, if I tried this with my voice it would certainly stretch it to the limit.
You can of course use these tools to clean up audio for your videos.
While I love audio and attend lots of live gigs some of the things that sound Forge has like for instance Ozone Elements from iZotope which gets things ready for professional broadcast at a good volume level were totally new to me.
According to Sound Forge Ozone Elements iZotope would normally cost £97 and Audio Cleaning Lab one penny short of £35 when purchased separately both products are part of Sound Forge Audio Studio 12.
As you might imagine this is quite a complex package so the 30 day FREE trial might be the way to go. Once satisfied then part with the £49.99 price tag. I see they also have an upgrade path from what to what at what price might require a phone call to their UK phone number.
http://www.magix.com/gb/sound-forge-audio-studio/#c627582
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