bit-tech Shopping: Sony Sound Forge Audio Studio 8

Rating: 6

Time with product: 4 Months

Strengths: Easy install, Easy use, good instruction

Weaknesses: don't support vista

Summary: Sound Forge Audio Studio is very easy to use for non-expert users. If you take sometime to go through the tutorials that comes with it, you will have no problem completing your audio recording and editing job. You can easily import files form your computer or cds, edit loop, add special effects, and add in your own stuffs. This version, however, doesn't work with window vista.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 2

Strengths: Price, features, intuitive interface, tutorials for the start.

Weaknesses: Cannot hear what is recording

Summary: This is my first audio recording software. I bought it for recording my son's singing/guitar playing. Never done recording before and had no idea what I need. Soundforge Audio studio had the best price/features ratio. It is simple to start right away and has enough power to keep you busy learning all the features. One minus is that you can't hear what you are recording. I am using monitor to listen to what is playing, but it is not exactly the same what is recording ... everything else is great.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 29

Strengths: Quick and powerful.

Weaknesses: No pass through recording.

Summary: The major drawback with this program is that it does not allow you to hear what it is recording. That is a feature that is free in Audacity but Sony only makes available in $200 upgrade version of the product. Also the last recording I made to mp3 had multiple stutters. Again, never had that problem with Audacity. I bought this program to replace Audacity but I still have to use Audacity to record. I use Sound Forge to edit.