Sony Sound Forge Audio Studio 9 review

Audio editing software is the sort of thing you only really appreciate once you've tried it, but from then on you'll never look back.

It's the ideal accompaniment to music or video production software. Rather than gathering audio or video files on a timeline, it edits individual files directly. It isn't much use for composing, as it can't create multitrack recordings, but it's perfect for creating samples for use in other software, fixing problems such as excessive noise in audio recordings or video soundtracks, and polishing finished mixes, a process known as mastering.

Sound Forge Audio Studio is a cut-down version of Sony's flagship editor, Sound Forge, but still packs plenty of powerful features. It can open and save a vast range of audio files, including WAV, MP3, Real Audio and AAC, with complete control over sample resolutions and compression levels. A key improvement in this version is support for 24-bit audio at rates up to 96kHz, matching other current low-cost music software. It can also open video files to work on their soundtracks. Format support is similarly comprehensive, and the software also comes in useful for converting from one video format to another.

The core editing tools are simple but very effective: you can copy and paste, truncate, reverse, fade and pitch-shift audio with absolute precision. A basic set of effects is included, covering all the usual reverb, delay, compression and distortion categories plus a new noise-reduction module. Support for VST plug-ins means you can add more sophisticated effects from other developers too.

Sound Forge's main competition comes from Audacity, free from http://audacity.sourceforge.net. Audacity supports high sample rates and can even handle basic multitrack editing tasks, such as putting together a podcast. However, its VST support is extremely clumsy compared to Audio Studio's, and its interface isn't as polished. At £36, Sony's editor is well worth investing in.