Sound Forge Pro

Audio recording and audio editing have always been closely connected. There are few really good editing and recording programs combining both quality sound capture and a large stock of tools to work with what you have recorded.

And probably the most efficient and easy-to-use program for these two tasks is Sony Sound Forge.

It is, basically, the Swiss Army Knife for audio. It has a built-in recording tool allowing for quick and efficient setup of recording options, adjusting the software to the hardware available. You can record sound mono, stereo, in 5.1 range and use various frequency settings. It does depend on audio card in your computer, but can make magic with limited resources that it might have. That is why Sound Forge is perfect for people new to audio recording and editing.

Another main feature is the gigantic set of tools Sound Forge has for adjusting, trimming, cropping, cutting and enhancing the captured audio. It has optional noise reduction plug-ins, frequency limit tools, tone change instruments, reverb options, the ability to add effects to sound. Basically, it can turn one voice into a completely different one in several mouse clicks.

Once you are done with one audio file, you can easily create or load another one without closing the current one. Sound Forge supports multiple file operation, and there are even tools to mix, join or otherwise combine different sound files. For example, you can put your singing over an instrumental version of a song, almost like a professional song recording engineer.

Sound Forge supports all major audio formats and has the option to extract audio from video files. So, if you wish to to a voice-over for a foreign video, this is the tool for you.

Of course, a tool as complex as Sound Forge requires learning how to use it. But it has a simple and intuitive interface which helps you get a hold of the program quite easily. And various manuals, instructions and know-hows are available for users who wish to master the more advanced functions Sound Forge has to offer.