We've been following the story of Sony's work to bring its Sound Forge audio recording and editing software to OS X for some time now, beginning with the initial teaser site that our investigation suggested was indeed a Sony project and continuing through to Sony's confirmation late last month.
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Sony has now officially announced Sound Forge Pro Mac, noting that it will launch this month at a price of $299.
"People who work on audio editing platforms recognize the need for a fresh option in the marketplace, one that's built for OS X as opposed to something that's simply been ported over. In addition, it's no secret that cross-platform professionals have been demanding Sound Forge for the Mac for years," said Dave Chaimson, vice president of global marketing for Sony Creative Software. "Our response is Sound Forge Pro Mac, a truly contemporary OS X design. Producers will appreciate its simple elegance, uncluttered look and amazing flexibility. The included suite of mastering and repair plug-ins makes this 1.0 edition a value-packed editing powerhouse right out of the box. Sound Forge Pro Mac is our second major OS X application release this year, and we're pleased to now be very actively engaged in application development for the Mac platform."
Sony's press release addresses a number of features of the new software, including focused editing with viewing panels and toggles for customizing tool sets and a number of mastering, processing, and repair/restore plug-ins to enhance the functionality of the software.
Sony Creative Software has yet to update its site with information on Sound Forge Pro Mac, but new pages should be going live shortly to share screenshots and other promotional materials.
Top Rated Comments
Upgrade options for existing Windows users??
Disappointing they haven't announced that. But it probably wouldn't be that big a discount, their current upgrade from previous windows versions runs $239.
I'm honestly shocked this isn't something like $49, $89 or even $99.
That's actually a drop from their previous PC version at $375. And they charge that because they can - cheaper apps don't have all the features pros need, and people doing audio for a living are more than happy to shell out that much. It pays for itself in time saved very quickly.
If a $49 app covers your needs, buy that $49 app instead. I'm ecstatic to finally get it on mac.
I've done some incredible work on Sound Forge over the years. My next big hope is going to be that all my favorite parts have carried over. I'm going to be mighty upset ($299 upset) if they have dumbed it way down, or taken away some of the best features.
I think I read on another site that the downloads are already live... but I haven't gone to see for myself yet.
It's 2012. WTF is with the $299 price point?
It's 2012, why does a PreSonus StudioLive cost $2K?
It's 2012, why does a Hofner 500/2 Club bass cost almost $3K?
It's 2012, why does an Audi S5 cost $63K?
Funny. No, I just don't think in 2012 that an audio sample editor should cost $300. It's ridiculous. Sony amortized the development costs of 90% of the features of Sound Forge years ago. What's left is just profit. Yes, porting a Mac version took some money, but the cost is shared across both platforms. I just think pricing Sound Forge at $300 is arrogant.
I don't disagree in your premise. It would be great if pricing was set as you suggest; but a seller will almost always try to find a way to earn the most profit, and the price is set thereafter. Also, for most professionals, if this tool gets the job done then it's worth it's price tenfold. Say for example, if it replicates some of the editing features from Pyramix, then it's a steal, as no other editor I've found at that price range does that. And Pyramix costs $1000.
For example, iZotope's basic audio repair app costs more than SSF for the Mac. Quadruple that for the advanced version. Pro level apps are intended for pro users, or the serious hobbyist. Those who know how to take full advantage of such apps can make the cost of the app back in less than a couple hours of billable work.
Well, ultimately "makes sense" will come down to whether it sells well at that price or not. For me personally, it doesn't make sense, even though it's a fantastic editor. This is a problem as programs get large -- individual users only use a subset of features, but the developers expect to be paid for the entire feature set and charge appropriately.
Maybe you'd want Premium, Professional, Ultimate and Business options? :D