Look at all the functions under the "process" menu in Sound Forge and those are the most things that I could ever need SF for. The one I use most is "Reverse" for doing some special FX stuff, in creating sounds. Or sometimes I might want to convert from stereo to mono in sound forge. Other than those few things, I can do all my editing in Vegas along with my large collection of DX plugins.

I stay in Vegas completely until I render a stereo mix. Then I open it in my stereo editor for mastering. I haven't found any reason to leave Vegas until the final mix. I don't trim events; I just adjust their lengths and use envelopes and DX pluggins.

Good luck!

I work as a sound effects creator for a computer game developer called Starbreeze Studios. A huge portion of my work is about molding bits and pieces of sampled stuff around, trying to achieve a certain effect.

I often start out in Sound Forge to do the "modelling", making different portions of the finished sound. For example, if I'm working on a gunfire sound, I make the "pac", the "bang" and the "boom" parts separately in Soundforge. As soon as I start feeling unsecure about whether I want that filter or that EQ on my sound, I save the file down and move over to Vegas.

I then bunch the samples up in Vegas, often making a multiple instances with variations in pitch and volume, and start polishing the sounds from there. When I'm finished, I create and name regions, export one long .wav-file and use Soundforge's "Extract regions" to render the final files. (This would be a nice addition to Vegas 3, BTW. "Export Regions". Gotta love that function.)

To break it down for you: Sound Forge is about modelling the sounds, Vegas for polishing and mixing them.

Thanks, everyone. I just started to record and assemble radio infomercials, and for the longest time I’ve been “tricking” Sound Forge into being a two-track editor – not very efficient. Now that I have Vegas, I’m trying to get away from all that, but it’s difficult -- (being introduced to digital audio for the first time via Sound Forge 4.0 way back when). I’m sure Vegas has many functions I’m just not aware of, and that’s why I find myself opening copies in Sound Forge to make adjustments, only to be left with a massive graveyard of SFK. Files. (Vegas doesn’t seem to delete them like SF 5.0, eh?).

Do you suppose a dialogue editor (instead of music or sound effects) would have more of a need for the “Open in Sound Forge” function, or am I just being stubborn and won’t let go of my Sound Forge roots?

- pup the pondering

I use Sound Forge all the time - I click on the file, open it in sound forge, do some editing then save and go back into Vegas. The only problem I have found with this is when opening it in 3rd party software such as WAVELAB, it decides to just open wavelab and does not transfer the audio directly there. I have to open the file and search for it manually. Then when I am done editing I have to RE-Import the edited wavelab track into Vegas as a new track. THis is annoying. I would like to be able to dump the edited file back into Vegas without having to reopen it. - I use wavelab mostly because I would like to use some of the features of wavelab that Soundforge does not have - Real time Compressors, EQ, Loudness maximizer, denoiser, declicker, etc. Hopefully they will fix these two problems, being the support for 3rd party audio dumps, and 100% support for DirectX and VST plugins, also in realtime. Most other S/W from Steinberg (Such as cubase) have a BAD User Interface.
Clicking on 900 things just to dump 24 tracks of audio?
Not being able to REALLY set up a template? Vegas is so much faster. The only thing it lacks is MIDI scoring, and editing, which Cubase has, and so does cakewalk. Oh well. Maybe the next version will have this, or midi file import / playback would be nice (Create in ACID, Cakewalk, Cubase and play back in VEGAS, keeping it locked to audio. Right now I use Cubase on one computer Just to play MIDI, and Slave Vegas VIA Midi MTC to record these tracks in sync.
It's a pain to do but it works. :-)

I used to use SF a lot. I use it now usually only to reverse stuff, add reverb or compress a mixed-down part. I've only got a P233 so I tend to max it out pretty quickly but I listen to the mix through the broken-up audio until I'm ready, then mix down. Then I get rid of the FX that I needed for the mixdown part.

Hmmmmm. Okay, then I need to ask one more question -- Do you people open the original file in Sound Forge, or just a copy to be saved as a "take?" I assume a copy would be safer, just in case you don't like your alterations when you hear it back in Vegas, no?

So! To recap - for super manipulation of audio that Vegas can't handle you open (copy?) in Sound Forge and then put it back in your Vegas project. For quick edits, the Trimmer in Vegas is fine. Correct? Is there ever an instance where the Trimmer falls short and you need Sound Forge for editing purposes?

- pup

Yo GraphicBug,

What you describe used to happen to me also. Upgrade both versions; Vegas to 2.0g and Wavelab to at least 3.03a (or whatever it is now). This should do the trick.

If not, the workaround is to open Wavelab, then go back to Vegas and click the track to open in editor. It should work now.

I'm using Vegas LE right now and am more used to SF so I use that for all my editing. I imagine that opening a copy to be used as a take in vegas would be safer than opening the original but I didn't know you could do that till I read this thread. I'll most likely try that the next time. Got to love user forums!

G