Subject:Sound Forge 9 Wish List

Posted by: mpd

Date:8/11/2005 6:30:52 AM

Hello Sony,

Here is a list of features that I would like to see in SF9. I'm sure others have suggestions, too.

-- Real-time preview of lossy codecs in the plugin chainer and other preview points. If I know I am targeting a particular codec setting, then it would be nice to tweak my chains in realtime as I hear the coded output.

-- Some more routing flexibility in the plugin chainer. For example, there is no way to do parallel compression in SF (that I know of).

-- Add a listen option to the various plugins that would benefit, eg multiband dynamics and gate.

-- True RMS meters, preferable K-System

-- Phase meter

-- FLAC support, or some other lossless file format for archiving

Subject:RE: Sound Forge 9 Wish List

Reply by: JJKizak

Date:8/11/2005 7:21:42 AM

How about just getting it to recognize drives.

JJK

Subject:RE: Sound Forge 9 Wish List

Reply by: porkjelly

Date:8/11/2005 3:55:36 PM

Here's my wishlist...

-- In the Preset drop down menu for processes and effects: the ability to group custom presets together by similar settings, parameters, etc. This would be helpful for those of us (such as myself) who have a ton of custom presets and have to scroll through several dozen to find the right one

-- A more effecient way of customizing the toolbar; perhaps allowing icons to be dragged and dropped directly from the Toolbar menu onto the toolbar itself, with changes updating instantly. Also the ability to save and restore the toolbar layout

-- Better keyboard mapping. The current one is confusing and not very intuitive

-- in Graphic Dynamics: ability to apply different envelope curves between points as well as the ability to right click on a point in the graph to enter in a specific numeric value for more precise processing

-- in Graphic EQ: the ablity to appy different envelope curves between points

-- Better time stretching capabilities with the option to stretch/compress both time and pitch using values entered as bpm

-- A dockable media/info bar that dislays the list of files open and other information about them (similar to Adobe Audition) and allows instant access to an open file. It's cumbersome to have to repeatedly navigate to specific open files using the "More Windows" option under the Window menu, especially when you have a dozen or more files open and they are buried under one another

-- A built-in auto-update feature

Subject:RE: Sound Forge 9 Wish List

Reply by: RazzBerry

Date:8/12/2005 8:00:48 PM

Hi mpd,

Sound Forge 8 does support WMA lossless, which I've been able to use to achieve 40-45% compression, leaving files that are 55-60% of their original sizes. It's not immediately obvious how to get to it though, since there's no default preset for it in the Save dialog. To access it, select "Windows Media Audio V9" as the "Save as type," then click "Custom..." for the Template. On the next screen, select "Quality VBR" for the Mode, and "Windows Media Audio 9.1 Lossless" for the Format. Make sure you select the appropriate frequency and bit depth from the Attributes drop-down, and the file will be saved in WMA lossless format. I saved the template as "WMA Lossless," so I can use it without going through all this each time.

The only problem with WMA Lossless that I've encountered is that when the file is converted back to a WAV file, there are some extra silent samples in the resulting file, tacked onto either the end, or both the beginning and the end of the file (I've seen it both ways). The exact number seems to depend on the length of the file, and I haven't figured out exactly what the correlation is. This doesn't get in the way of most music, but for live performances, it seems like there may be potential for gaps or clicks between adjacent tracks when using WMA Lossless.

Subject:RE: Sound Forge 9 Wish List

Reply by: zcus

Date:8/13/2005 12:12:51 AM

I know nothing about scripting - so I would like the ability to drop and drag various FX to the script window to create different scripts.

Subject:RE: Sound Forge 9 Wish List

Reply by: airon0

Date:8/13/2005 4:32:32 PM

Problems I see with WMA Lossless
Closed source, company dependant and it seems it's buggy as well.

Therefore it's quite simple. Open standards completly rule this part of the audio world.

Flac, Wavpack (BSD license for christ sake!), LPac, MonkeysAudio(bit closed source that one), TA.

The favorite here is definitly Wavpack. It touches none of the metadata. You get a perfect copy of the original file upon decompression. I use it to archive our entire sound library here.

Therefore, if you're going to support a lossless compression sheme, please use Wavpack. The BSD license is about all I need to point at here fellas, and the tool exists for all three major systems(Windows,MacOSX,Linux). Flac would be so easy to support as well.

On keyboard mappings, you should create your own if you want something else. The keyboard mapping has been one of my favorite bits about Soundforge ever since 4.0. I find it highly usable.

Subject:RE: Sound Forge 9 Wish List

Reply by: mpd

Date:8/15/2005 9:10:45 AM

Two more things.

-- An indicator in the file window for when you open a read-only file.

-- A more meaningful error message when you try to save a read-only file.

Subject:Technicaly: Sound Forge 9 Wish List

Reply by: cabonium

Date:8/17/2005 2:38:36 AM

A very recommended suggestion:

+++ The ability to fade in/out an effect (Default/VST/DX/Plug-in Chainer) on a selected area graphically. (In the same way like the graphicaly crossfade pan/volume)

At this momet every effect/process cuts directly in and out, (OR) the custom crossfade edges are max. 1 second only. There is no chance to have a visible control over the effect strength on a select area.

Best regards
cabonium

Subject:RE: Technicaly: Sound Forge 9 Wish List

Reply by: mpd

Date:8/17/2005 8:10:01 AM

Look up automation in the help section or the manual.

Subject:RE: Technicaly: Sound Forge 9 Wish List

Reply by: Ben 

Date:9/17/2005 7:05:23 PM

Thought this could do with a bit of a bump.

For me, Porkjelly's wish list above is right on the money - he mentions a few things I really think are worth including in Sound Forge 9:

>>> A dockable media/info bar that displays the list of files open and other information about them (similar to Adobe Audition) and allows instant access to an open file. It's cumbersome to have to repeatedly navigate to specific open files using the "More Windows" option under the Window menu, especially when you have a dozen or more files open and they are buried under one another <<<

Absolutely! I think this is very much needed, and long overdue - it's one of the few clumsy things I feel is left in Sound Forge. When you're dealing with more than a few WAVs at one time - as I'm sure most of us do - the 'Window' toolbar becomes very cumbersome very quickly, when you're trying to find a particular file in your session. A dockable floating window for this would definitely be a great solution - where you could double click to open; drag to empty space etc. It could even have some interaction with the Explorer window, and so almost be similar to what was formally known as Vegas' Media Pool. How about it Sonic?

Regarding FX/processes, I really do think it's about time some of these were looked at and seriously updated - they stand out in today's market as somewhat archaic! As Porkjelly says, Time Compress/Expand could definitely do with some looking into. Dare I say it, but perhaps it's about time you guys bit the bullet and licensed the MPEX algorithms? The ACID-type algos are fine for loops etc, but when trying to apply to Forge settings to whole pieces of music or speech, they're very limiting. So, if not MPEX, time to employ a talented new DSP guy!

Likewise, things like EQ, compression... all the old XFX basically... would be fantastic if updated. Would be a great selling point to the non-Forged masses too.

One other floating window that I'd like in Forge is the equivalent of Vegas' preview fader - essentially to control the output of whatever card you have Forge routed to. So many times have I been working on something in Vegas with the master down by say -15 dB, only to have my ears blown off when opening up a file in Forge and a massively compressed loop to play at 0dB! Being able to set the Forge volume the same as Vegas would be nice, especially if one dozen have lots of separate hardware outputs one could route to.

>>> Better keyboard mapping. The current one is confusing and not very intuitive <<<

Agreed. I've said this before - the keyboard mapping 'module' now ported to all the Media Software products is clunky at best - very un-Sony/SoFo to us die-hards. Seems pretty un-user friendly and backward.

Well that’s all I have for the moment.

Cheers

Ben

Subject:RE: Technicaly: Sound Forge 9 Wish List

Reply by: CDM

Date:9/18/2005 5:47:38 AM

Nice lists so far.

as to the lossless compression - ever try Perfect Clarity Audio? It's one of Sony's proprietary formats and at times can be very space efficient. It depends on the source music. Granted, it doesn;'t help unless the person at the other end doesn't have it but it's good for archivng.

Subject:RE: Sound Forge 9 Wish List

Reply by: mpd

Date:9/24/2005 2:49:27 PM

Another thing, it would nice to be able to use analyzer type plugins properly in SF.

For example, I downloaded a demo for a VST plugin that does spectral analysis, peak metering, rms metering, etc. The only way to use this in SF is either as a FX favorite, or in the plugin chainer. It would be nice to be able to use see this VST plugin at the same time I am using another plugin (eg, use the peak/rms meters to see the effects of compression settings).

Subject:RE: Sound Forge 9 Wish List

Reply by: MR G

Date:9/24/2005 4:54:58 PM

Something thats missing on the formats that music can be saved on is Sony's ATRAC® / Sony's ATRAC2®.

No sorry this should be on a wish list for Sound Forge 8c update.

Maybe the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing or is it a licensing issue.

Subject:RE: Sound Forge 9 Wish List

Reply by: zcus

Date:9/25/2005 5:33:57 AM

I agree .... That ATRAC compression is amazing!