Customer Reviews

Sound Forge Power!

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As with everything that Scott R. Garrigus (Cakewalk Power) writes this book is very intricate but easy to read and understand. Soundforge is in my opinion, the most powerful wave file editor on the market; and Scott, through this book, shows that with the right knowledge, anyone can edit audio like a professional.

In this book you will learn many shortcuts (not listed in the program's users manual) that will save you alot of valuable time. Soundforge can be a very powerful audio editing tool, but you have to know the secrets and shortcuts to unlock it's true potential. If you own Soundforge, you have made an expensive investment; this is a very small price to pay to maximize your investment, this book is a must!

Having just purchased this great software, I then proceeded to spend several hours printing out the supplied PDF manual - so that I would have a useful reference guide handy. But while the PDF manual is very useful when you need to know the nitty gritty technical details, the need for a concise yet advanced Quick Reference guide remains.

Well, I am glad to report that that need has been admirably met by Sound Forge POWER. While this book has been rated for the Beginner to Intermediate reader, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this didn't mean that I would have to wade through several chapters of rehashed audio & digital fundamentals. Oh yes - these topics are covered ... however the author (Scott Garrigus) touches on these subjects just enough to provide a clear overview, and then points the reader in the right direction should you wish to dig deeper. Then it's on to the good stuff - which means plenty of HOW TO examples, and real useful tips on all of the programs features, plug-ins, and capabilities. He even includes lots of 'gotchas' - things that are good to know so that you don't make bad choices and learn things the hard way - by losing your data! At times it seems that the author himself is as impatient as most readers probably are, to proceed to the 'meat on the bone'. While it is certainly possible to learn to use this software solely by experimenting with it and using the supplied PDF manual, it is a much more pleasant and productive experience when accompanied by this book. In fact, if I had to pick something to change about it, the only thing which comes to mind would be to double it's size. I say this not because it is a thin book, or lacking in any coverage, but more in the sense that 'you can't get enough of a good thing'. Highly recommended and a good value for your hard earned bucks!

The book is comprehensive in its overview of the features, but lacking in feature applications. There could have been more and better examples of how to apply Sound Forge in daily use, lists of settings for different applications, and explanations for why some settings might work better than others. I definitely felt like I needed more after completing the book.

Sound Forge Power is unquestionable the best companion to the Sound Forge software. Every aspect of the program is covered in detail throughout the book. My only gripe, which kept me from a 5 star rating, is that Mr. Garrigus uses "you'll have to experiment" far too often, and without some examples of his own experimentation. While it is understood that experimentation with certain facets must happen for a desired effect, something like "I do *this* to have *this* happen in *these* situations" would have been a little nicer.

Scott Garrigus, an extremely helpful power user of Cakewalk, has now empowered others to use Sonic Foundry's powerful sound editor program Sound Forge. In concise, clear and friendly language, Garrigus helps the user from ground zero to more sophisticated uses of this program. As he writes, this is the first book on the market to deal "exclusively" with the Sonic Foundry Sound Forge software, it may well be the only one - and as the first book for users, it will easily help the novice create some wonderfully edited sound files, learn how to share those sound files with others (through web distribution or burning CD's of their own) and integrate their newly produced sound files with Sonic Foundry's "ACID" program. This book will be a valuable asset to may people interested in the power of digital sound synthesis!

Having just purchased this great software, I then proceeded to spend several hours printing out the supplied PDF manual - so that I would have a useful reference guide handy. But while the PDF manual is very useful when you need to know the nitty gritty technical details, the need for a concise yet advanced Quick Reference guide remains.

Well, I am glad to report that that need has been admirably met by Sound Forge POWER. While this book has been rated for the Beginner to Intermediate reader, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this didn't mean that I would have to wade through several chapters of rehashed audio & digital fundamentals. Oh yes - these topics are covered ... however the author (Scott Garrigus) touches on these subjects just enough to provide a clear overview, and then points the reader in the right direction should you wish to dig deeper. Then it's on to the good stuff - which means plenty of HOW TO examples, and real useful tips on all of the programs features, plug-ins, and capabilities. He even includes lots of 'gotchas' - things that are good to know so that you don't make bad choices and learn things the hard way - by losing your data! At times it seems that the author himself is as impatient as most readers probably are, to proceed to the 'meat on the bone'. While it is certainly possible to learn to use this software solely by experimenting with it and using the supplied PDF manual, it is a much more pleasant and productive experience when accompanied by this book. In fact, if I had to pick something to change about it, the only thing which comes to mind would be to double it's size. I say this not because it is a thin book, or lacking in any coverage, but more in the sense that 'you can't get enough of a good thing'. Highly recommended and a good value for your hard earned bucks!

Well done Scott.
After reading a rather scathing review a few weeks ago (mainly centred around the book focussing solely on midi - which was totally wrong) I bought the book anyway.
It is very simple and straight to the point, and covers many areas not mentioned in the manual.
Write one on Acid Pro 4 and I'll order it straight away.
Michael

this book gives more power to a powerful software program. much more useful than the manual. a true bargain.