Sound Forge Pro 14

As the latest version of one of the world's leading professional audio solutions, Sound Forge Pro 11 brings workflow enhancements and tweaks, new signal effects plug-ins, one-touch recording, new display options, and restore and repair tools. It's a great piece of software, though somewhat costly.

Pros

Reliable, professional solution: At this level of complexity, Sony Sound Forge Pro 11 looks and feels like a mature product. Its power and stability ensure that all your audio needs will be satisfied to the last detail.

Audio for video: With videography in mind, the new version supports popular video formats like AVI, WMV, MPEG-1, and MPEG-2, as well as several video-specific functions.

Cons

Price: At $500 for a new installation and $200 for the upgrade, Sound Forge Pro is a serious investment. Given that version 10 is already very stable and powerful, we don't feel there are enough new features to make the upgrade worthwhile.

Competition: Powerful and popular competitors like Cubase offer more affordable alternatives. If you're an existing user deeply accustomed to the software's every nook and cranny, you probably won't move house; but if you're a new professional user you will certainly feel tempted to try more accessible solutions.

Bottom Line

With its strong set of features and many options, Sony Sound Forge Pro 11 satisfies the needs of professionals. Although the feature jump from the previous version is not that great, this solution remains one of the best professional audio software packages. The upgrade isn't indispensable, but it's certainly worthwhile.