SF9 Issues (+ 1 bug) -Sound Forge - PC - MAGIX Community Forums Archive

Subject:SF9 Issues (+ 1 bug) Posted by: MediaMasher Date:7/12/2007 3:04:08 PM What I'm reading on these forums is actually relieving. Firstly, that I am not the only one who finds some of the interface changes in 9.0 to be productivity killers, and secondly, that there is a positive (and timely) response from development team personnel. Disclaimer: if any of these items are things that are a result of some preference I activated -- or failed to activate -- please forgive me, and kindly clue me in as to what I need to turn off/on to get the desired behavior! Thank you! FYI I use SF for 2-track editing/mastering, sound design (both commissioned, and artistic/experimental), 2-track recording, and now that 9.0 is here with massive multichannel support, I plan to make it my main tracking program! The issues: =========== Shift+Click and drag -------------------- One of my most common activities when editing / sound designing is to set a very precise marker for my start point, place the cursor there, and then shift+click and drag to "fish around" (visually) for roughly where I want my endpoint to be, while intermittently rolling playback to preview. Now, once you shift+click, the selection endpoint stays there, and doesn't follow the cursor anymore. This is definitely a big negative in the "software feels like an extension of myself" category. An extra click is required to grab the end of the selection. I would really appreciate if things were put back the old way. If some people prefer the new style, it should be a user-selectable preference. Extra clicks kill! (...productivity) (I don't know if this is part of what has been discussed in some other threads on cursor behavior, but in general, I would sign off on a blanket "Make it like 8.0" w/r to cursor behavior.) Separate preferences for "force naming" behavior of markers vs. regions ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Would be nice if markers/regions each had their own individual preference. I almost never want to name markers on the fly; I almost always want to name regions on the fly. Better multi-monitor support from tool windows ---------------------------------------------- Specifically, I would like to see all tearable/dockable (basically, ALL) windows capable of using OS-level window operations -- minimize / maximize / tiling, etc. -- so they can be quickly arranged and sized on auxiliary displays. (This one applies to all Sony Media apps, really; not just SF.) Export of internal plugin settings ---------------------------------- You mean I have to re-enter all my synthesis presets manually after upgrading to this new version? Ouch, man! (I mean... right now my library of presets exist as a folder full of screenshots...) While this could be a nifty starter project for my scripting career, I still would like to see native support for porting all relevant settings from one version to another. (Again, applicable to all Sony Media apps.) While we're on the subject, how about just dropping the whole binary format for plugin parameters and storing them as something human-readable/editable (XML?), in a central, user-accessible repository? BUG: process->reverse ---------------------- Trying to use 'process->reverse' on a certain segment of a sound, it failed and just put some anomalous digi-noise there. Copied and pasted the portion to a new file and it did the same thing. I'm honestly not sure what exactly happened after that, because my log narrative was interrupted, but ... I know at some point I was able to reverse it properly and get the effect I wanted. I think it might have worked after 'saving as', on the pasted-to-new file. Either that or I had to re-open forge, reload the file, then it worked. Multiple audio interfaces ------------------------- Didn't SF formerly let you use a different interface for playback vs. recording? For the time being, I am in the unenviable position of having to work with two separate audio interfaces for recording and playback. Basically, I am using a "pro" interface for recording, but ironically, it is actually an unstable PoS (MOTU 2408 MkI/PCI-324, FYI). In production work -- i.e. the kind where I don't want to have to keep profusely apologizing to clients and/or embarrassingly refunding their money -- my rule of thumb is basically "use the MOTU as little as possible" (i.e. tracking only). So I just use my SoundBlaster for playback. I would appreciate the ability to be able to permanently configure SF to use one for recording and the other for playback, as opposed to having to switch them manually all the time. ========================== Thanks in advance for your consideration of these points. (Many more where these came from, but I'm trying to keep the focus on the most-important, at least until I have a chance to read more of the forum and see what has already been discussed.) Most of them are applicable to other Sony Media Software creative apps, as well. I realize this isn't a master feature request list for Acid, Vegas, etc. -- and that those teams may not even read this forum -- but my goal is to get us all thinking about these possibilities, which will in turn drive demand, which will in turn mandate implementation. ;)
Subject:RE: SF9 Issues (+ 1 bug) Reply by: pwppch Date:7/12/2007 7:17:10 PM >>Didn't SF formerly let you use a different interface for playback vs. recording? Still does. You must use the Wave Classic Drivers as ASIO does not permit the use of multiple different physical devices at the same time. Peter
Subject:RE: SF9 Issues (+ 1 bug) Reply by: ForumAdmin Date:7/13/2007 7:08:10 AM >> Shift+Click and drag This will be fixed in the next update. >> Separate preferences for "force naming" behavior of markers vs. regions I'm not quite sure what you mean here by "on-the-fly". If you are not playing back, try "Options->Prefs->General->Automatically name regions and markers if not playing." When enabled, this will enable an edit box direcly on the marker ruler/timeline when you drop them. Don't want a name? Just hit Enter. If you are playing back, you can always add names to what you want directly in the Regions List. >> Better multi-monitor support from tool windows Noted, but not going to change in this version. Note that recent versions of ACID and Vegas allow you to tear off tool windows and dock them together independent of the main window. >> Export of internal plugin settings Have you tried Preset Manager? >> BUG: process->reverse This will be fixed in the next update. >> Multiple audio interfaces As Peter mentioned, this is not possible with ASIO, but can still be done under Wave Classic. J.

What I'm reading on these forums is actually relieving.

Firstly, that I am not the only one who finds some of the interface changes in 9.0 to be productivity killers, and secondly, that there is a positive (and timely) response from development team personnel.

Disclaimer: if any of these items are things that are a result of some preference I activated -- or failed to activate -- please forgive me, and kindly clue me in as to what I need to turn off/on to get the desired behavior! Thank you!

FYI I use SF for 2-track editing/mastering, sound design (both commissioned, and artistic/experimental), 2-track recording, and now that 9.0 is here with massive multichannel support, I plan to make it my main tracking program!

The issues:
===========

Shift+Click and drag
--------------------
One of my most common activities when editing / sound designing is to set a very precise marker for my start point, place the cursor there, and then shift+click and drag to "fish around" (visually) for roughly where I want my endpoint to be, while intermittently rolling playback to preview.

Now, once you shift+click, the selection endpoint stays there, and doesn't follow the cursor anymore.

This is definitely a big negative in the "software feels like an extension of myself" category. An extra click is required to grab the end of the selection. I would really appreciate if things were put back the old way. If some people prefer the new style, it should be a user-selectable preference. Extra clicks kill! (...productivity)

(I don't know if this is part of what has been discussed in some other threads on cursor behavior, but in general, I would sign off on a blanket "Make it like 8.0" w/r to cursor behavior.)

Separate preferences for "force naming" behavior of markers vs. regions
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Would be nice if markers/regions each had their own individual preference.

I almost never want to name markers on the fly;
I almost always want to name regions on the fly.

Better multi-monitor support from tool windows
----------------------------------------------
Specifically, I would like to see all tearable/dockable (basically, ALL) windows capable of using OS-level window operations -- minimize / maximize / tiling, etc. -- so they can be quickly arranged and sized on auxiliary displays. (This one applies to all Sony Media apps, really; not just SF.)

Export of internal plugin settings
----------------------------------
You mean I have to re-enter all my synthesis presets manually after upgrading to this new version? Ouch, man!
(I mean... right now my library of presets exist as a folder full of screenshots...)

While this could be a nifty starter project for my scripting career, I still would like to see native support for porting all relevant settings from one version to another. (Again, applicable to all Sony Media apps.)

While we're on the subject, how about just dropping the whole binary format for plugin parameters and storing them as something human-readable/editable (XML?), in a central, user-accessible repository?

BUG: process->reverse
----------------------
Trying to use 'process->reverse' on a certain segment of a sound, it failed and just put some anomalous digi-noise there. Copied and pasted the portion to a new file and it did the same thing.

I'm honestly not sure what exactly happened after that, because my log narrative was interrupted, but ... I know at some point I was able to reverse it properly and get the effect I wanted. I think it might have worked after 'saving as', on the pasted-to-new file. Either that or I had to re-open forge, reload the file, then it worked.

Multiple audio interfaces
-------------------------
Didn't SF formerly let you use a different interface for playback vs. recording?

For the time being, I am in the unenviable position of having to work with two separate audio interfaces for recording and playback. Basically, I am using a "pro" interface for recording, but ironically, it is actually an unstable PoS (MOTU 2408 MkI/PCI-324, FYI). In production work -- i.e. the kind where I don't want to have to keep profusely apologizing to clients and/or embarrassingly refunding their money -- my rule of thumb is basically "use the MOTU as little as possible" (i.e. tracking only). So I just use my SoundBlaster for playback. I would appreciate the ability to be able to permanently configure SF to use one for recording and the other for playback, as opposed to having to switch them manually all the time.

==========================
Thanks in advance for your consideration of these points. (Many more where these came from, but I'm trying to keep the focus on the most-important, at least until I have a chance to read more of the forum and see what has already been discussed.)

Most of them are applicable to other Sony Media Software creative apps, as well. I realize this isn't a master feature request list for Acid, Vegas, etc. -- and that those teams may not even read this forum -- but my goal is to get us all thinking about these possibilities, which will in turn drive demand, which will in turn mandate implementation. ;)