A number of new mixing and mastering plug-ins have also been added, including the coreFX 2-point compressor, limiter, expander, compressor, and gate, as well as the coreFX delay, chorus, and flanger.

Sound Forge Pro 13 includes a redesigned level meter named Peak Meter V2, which MAGIX claims provides precise control over audio levels. Sound Forge Pro 13 also adds ARA2 support, to further improve the exchanging of data between the software and compatible plug-ins. MAGIX claims that it improves the communication between the host and the plug-ins, for better stability and higher speed when using plug-ins. One of the main improvements in the latest version is a new VST2/3 engine. Like its predecessor Sound Forge Pro 12, the new version is capable of simultaneously recording 32 channels of audio at up to 64 bit / 384 kHz. MAGIX has also revised the window structure, offering presets for various applications such as recording and mastering. If you spend many hours in front of the computer screen editing audio, anything that makes the process more ergonomic and comfortable is a welcome improvement. This may seem insignificant, but I think it’s actually a great idea. The icons are new, and you can now choose from four different color schemes.

Sound Forge Pro 13 comes with a redesigned GUI, which MAGIX says should improve the workflow. Yet, after moving through several hands from Sonic Foundry to Sony to MAGIX, Sound Forge is still here, and the newest release is proof that MAGIX has no plans to drop it anytime soon. And it still focuses exclusively on audio recording and editing, which puts it in a bit of a niche now that most DAWs offer comprehensive editing capabilities for both MIDI and audio. Quite unbelievably, it’s been around for over a quarter of a century. You could call Sound Forge the granddaddy of PC-based audio editing software.

Sound forge pro 12 slice