Sound Forge vs Audacity

Looking for a great DAW application that supports batch editing and allows installing third-party VST plug-ins? Learn about the winner in the Sound Forge vs Audacity standoff and choose the best software for you.

Sound Forge is an electronic digital audio editing software by Magix Software GmbH, that aims to be a high-end professional music production software. The software contains over fifty sounds which can be recorded and processed through various methods and can then be played back using a computer or any audio interface.

Audacity it's a great software for audio editing and mixing that has been used and developed by lots of professional audio engineers all over the world since 2021. It features a wide variety of tools including an extremely powerful Record/ playback tool that can record multiple tracks, a large array of audio editing options, a large library of instruments and effects, a built-in compressor and etc.

Final Verdict:

Its powerful yet easy to use interface allows users to make complex mixes, addition of effects, and even record computer playback on any Windows Vista or future machine. This free software also features powerful sound mixing and recording abilities that have made it one of the most popular open-source audio editors available in the market.

Audacity is the winner >

Audacity Features:

  • Wide variety of controls and capabilities for editing
  • Easy to use
  • The learning curve is small
  • Audacity gives good basic editing functionality
  • Professional MIDI tools

What is Sound Forge?

sound forge interface

The main advantage of using Sound Forge is that it is very flexible and is compatible with all kinds of recording software. Basically, the way this software works is like virtual instruments and it allows creating, controlling and playing back electronic instruments in the most accurate manner.

The major feature of the software is its high quality sound design tools and recording functions. Apart from those tools, it also comes with six unique sound effects, three types of virtual instruments, and fifty-eight instruments and sounds. It also features a library and sub-folders.

Addition, in this version of the Sound Forge program, you can also edit audio with fifths, fourths, thirds, and fourths. Some of the newly added features in this version are support for up to 5.1 speaker output through headphones, new event tool, edit audio by selecting a source, remove duplicate of the selected sound, expand and collapse the input and output panes, create panning pattern, set custom sample rate, display volume level and more.

What is Audacity?

audacity interface

The Audacity interface allows you to conduct simple operations on the graphical user interface, or the command-line interface, with a simple visual representation of the editing result. For audio file operation, the audio track must be imported into the Audacity project, using the import audio icon.

One of the more commonly found features in Audacity is the "Repeat Now" function. With this tool, users can repeat a portion of an audio file, which can be useful when making edits to numerous recordings at the same time. This feature works best when tagging a single sound or area of an audio file, such as a room, hallway, or individual item in a picture.

Other useful features in Audacity include the "Emit Side Chain Effects," which allows you to insert extra audio effects onto each track you are editing. These additional effects will be recorded to the audio software track as well, for a more seamless addition to the project. Another useful feature of Audacity is its extensive collection of sounds and music instrumentation.

Comparison:

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SOUND FORGE
audacity logo
AUDACITY

Sound Forge & Audacity Features:

  • Organizing VST plugins
  • Up to 32 audio channels
  • Markers
  • Presets
  • Multitask and save time
  • Helpful tips
  • Wide OS compatibility
  • Great voice recording tools
  • Packed with effects
  • VST plugin support

Sound Forge and Audacity Price:

STARTING PRICE $59.99 Free
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Cross-Platform:

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Support:

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FixThePhoto Choice:

Sound Forge was a great editor in the early 2000s, but its functionality and core are outdated, so I see no reason to overpay, and besides, it is slower.

Audacity is a relatively new DAW editor with advanced audio editing technologies, and its intuitive interface is worth noting.

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