It looks like Audio & Music Lab Premium, but is now 64bit and can handle VST3 plugins (which are problematic according to Samplitude users). Also, there are now 8 tracks vs 4. I have never used more than 2. iZotope Ozone 8 Elements comes with it; I have 7. I presume that Spectral Cleaning has not been changed and is not even as powerful as the one that was in a long ago version (similar to that in Samplitude C&R Suite).

The information on the Magix site mentions a "New" parametric 6-band EQ module. Nope, not new, it's in AML.

Media exchange:  Transfer your audio or video projects with just a few clicks from SOUND FORGE Audio Cleaning Lab to any other video editing software. This already works using Share, but there is currently a problem going from Movie Edit Pro or Video Pro X to AML, ACL and VSCL as the external editor; the return does not work (bug reported to Magix). Does it work with this new SFACL?

The web site indicates that one can Upgrade. From what? Is this an upgrade from AML? ACL?

John CB

@browj2

-The web site indicates that one can Upgrade. From what? Is this an upgrade from AML? ACL?

I can not speak for MAGIX obviously, but just by trying to buy SF ACL by selecting UPGRADE, I was eligible to purchase the upgrade. I do not have ACL nor AML, but a valid "Sound Forge Audio Studio 10.0" license that came bundled with a upgrade/purchase of another MAGIX product (Do not remember which - although it looks like by comparing dates of purchases that it was "Music Maker Premium Edition (2018)" ).

I do find it difficult to understand all the differences and similarities between all the products, as they do dot compare to each other.

The SF ACL does not list in the SF product comparison. Is the functionality (or some of it) of SF ACL included in the SF AS13 or in SF PRO12(/SUITE)?

And how does the functionality of SF compare to MM, ACID and SMS?

@shgrude

It was good of Magix to give you the upgrade price.

SF ACL appears to be an upgrade to what was previously AML. It is exactly the same interface. Sound Forge Pro and Audio Studio do about the same thing as SF ACL, so having SFP and SF ACL would be redundant, in my opinion. I have SFP11 and SFAS12, which came along with some other products. I tried them, but that is all. I know AML best. Take a look at all of the features for each product to get an idea as to the interface and what they each do.

One thing that I noticed from my limited experience with SFP11 was that it was destructive editing; there was no project file. Whatever you did affected the file that you were working on. AML and now SF ACL are basically non-destructive editors. You make all of the modifications that you want - effects, editing, volume control, etc., and then you export the final result. But, you are working in a project, just like a video project, that you can save, exit and reopen later to make changes to whatever you were doing. Do I have this right?

MusicMaker and ACID are what I would call light DAWs and they appear to do about the same thing.

Samplitude Music Studio is a DAW, but with less features than Samplitude Pro X.

John CB

@browj2

Just for clarification, I did not actually purchase SF ACL, merely put the product in the shopping cart and verified that I was eligible for an upgrade purchase, which I am. There are also the option of buying Samplitude Music Studio 2019 as an upgrade, including SF AS13 for €49.99, hence the question of product comparison. Looks like a good deal? (the SF ACL upgrade is €59.99)

MAGIX has too many competing products, and not enough information to help users choose an appropriate solution.

SF Audio Studio, Audio Cleaning Lab, Video Sound Cleaning Lab

Music Maker, Samplitude Music Studio, ACID Music Studio

"Pro" DAWs

Video Pro X, Vegas Pro...

A ton of consumer video products.

Overlapping SKUs of Xara products...

There is way too little information available .There should be comparison tables to help users decide.

@Former user

They have a bewildering number of competing and similar products!

I spent an hour going through some of the audio programs, and although I have many of them, I am still lost on what does what exactly, what is in one that is not in another, and why I would purchase or use one over the other.  There are good comparison tables only for products that are very close, like SF AS with Pro and the combinations - non-Suite, Suite, 365, but they don't have SF ACL added in yet.

Magix needs a high-level comparison table just to get to the product line having the user requirements, with a drill-down to be able to compare across products like Movie Edit Pro/VPX with the Vegas products. On the web site, there is a menu item at the bottom of each main product page, like "View Video Products" and "View Music Products." There is an attempt to guide users towards products that suite their needs, but it is far from satisfactory. The Video page is quite detailed but is still bewildering. The Music page is not detailed. It shows all of the products but the description is very limited. There is even a non-existant product mentioned, "Samplitude Producer."

I presume that with SF ACL, ACL is being retired and SF ACL is just a slightly upgraded AML. ACL was split into AML and ACL a few years ago, with the new ACL becoming a stripped down version of its prior self. Even VSCL, which is basically the same as ACL, had features removed from one version to the next. VSCL is supposed to be an upgrade from Music Editor 3, which comes with most of the audio and video programs, and most users probably don't even know it's there. You can't add VST plugins to VSCL, but you can with ME3, so VSCL is totally useless as an "upgrade." Magix should issue a patch for VSCL allowing it to use VST's or be very upfront about this limitation, or pull it.

Magix should also have an explanation of what users may want to purchase to complement the main products, like getting SF ACL or SF Pro with Movie Edit Pro Plus/Premium/Video Pro X or Vegas, getting Xara P&GD or Xara Designer Pro X with Movie Edit Pro/Video Pro X.

John CB

if I upgrade from the magix audio and music lab premium to the new sound forge version, can I also get it on a CD back-up?

@michaeljennings42

Why would you need a CD backup? You can always go to your account on Magix and download it again.

You may want to try the new version before purchasing it to see if you like whatever is new.

John CB

call me old-fashioned , but I like to have a physical copy on a CD just in case I can't connect internetwise. Nice idea that I am able to trial the new version but I've always been satisfied with each new version down the years of the sound lab, and the four extra tracks are the icing on the cake for me as i use the programme to master my recordings from an eight-track recorder.

@michaeljennings42

Hi Michael,

When you download the program, at some point there is a screen with a box to check to keep the installation file(s). Make sure that you do this. The installation file(s) will then be saved under:

C:\Documents\MAGIX Downloads

You can make your own backup from there. I put these on another HD and I have many of them. If I ever have to reinstall, it's easy.

Please let us know how you like the new version.

John CB

Thanks John, yes will feedback as and when

I will NOT be upgrading to the new SOUND FORGE Audio Cleaning lab and here is why...

I got as part of Magix Movie Studio SUITE 15, Magix Audio Cleaning Lab and it worked then one day I go into the program and BAM it gets this error with ZERO care from Magix to fix this problem.

Problem is extensively posted here with NO resolution and the alleged fix does NOT work (still waiting...):
https://www.magix.info/us/forum/can-t-find-the-intel-graphics-error--1220175/

Now they release a new version and it does not do ANYTHING that is new or wonderful and it costs $60 ($100 after the time is over) for something I already have but can not get to work.

My take is that Magix DELIBERATELY times the program to starts failing as the fix error returns with the fact that the executable time is over. It blatantly says so! They do this in order to force people to buy MORE and do not even provide support for things they release earlier!



How about FIXING the problems already we have Magix? What will happen in 4 months if we buy this product and stops working too? NO THANK YOU!

Magix makes great software but then it fails and they have absurbly terrible support to support problems that will creep up. This is a FACT I know all too well.

@passionfly1 Sorry, I appreciate your frustration about the issue you've been having with ACL, but what you're saying is not factually true on multiple counts, and calls for some comments.

First of all, there is, of course, no mechanism in the software that stops it from working under the pretense of having a technical problem after a certain amount of time. The problem you've been having with the graphics engine in ACL not working properly on your system has been around for quite a while, way before SOUND FORGE Audio Cleaning Lab was released. You're correct that this problem, which mostly affects systems with insufficient graphics hardware or outdated drivers, has been posted here quite frequently, but the same is true for the multiple solutions that exist. If you read the comments on those threads, you will notice that there's also plenty of positive feedback from people for whom the fix has worked.

As far as the expiration of the specific fix you're referring to above is concerned, please also see my comments under your other thread:

https://www.magix.info/uk/forum/can-t-find-the-intel-graphics-error--1220175/#ca1444892

You never ended up contacting MAGIX support directly about this Cleaning Lab problem, as I recommended in the other thread. We would have been happy to help with this, and it could have been resolved rather easily. There are issues that are a nightmare to troubleshoot, or require extensive and long work on the part of development to resolve. This isn't one of them.

I have Sound Forge Audio Cleaning Lab. I have owned MAGIX audio cleaning labs for the past thirteen years--three editions, I believe--and have had trouble with none of them. This program simply does not function. To save a project, I have to "Save Project as..." which is absurd. And, 3/4 of the time, when I choose "Apply all realtime functions," my files disappear. Vanish. I've never had anything remotely like this occur on any piece of software, including anything by MAGIX. What on earth is happening? I sent a question to the techs and have not received my promised answer within two days. My PC is a new HP desktop. No reason it shouldn't be running $80 software. The pointless changes to the layout are most annoying, especially the bit of having to pull down a menu to pick the wave-drawing tool, the ridiculous designs of the equalizers (what's wrong with the normal way?), and moving-the-circle-across-the-lines nonsense with the "Stereo Enhancer." There was something wrong with having a "stereo-to-mono" line to click on? But right now all I want is to be able to SAVE MY FILES. Can that be worked out?

And I am a user, not a tech. I know how to edit files, but I do not understand the innards of either this software or my PC. I am what is commonly known as a customer.

Hi Lee,

Sorry to hear about the problems you've been having with Audio Cleaning Lab. I found your ticket in our system, and, from what I can see, it ended up with sales and was already responded to. They cancelled your order and actioned a refund, since you uttered this wish in your initial mail.

I can't really say that this is a general or known issue. If I had to guess, I'd say that this is a conflict with Windows Defender's "controlled folder access" feature. Sounds like similar problems we've been having with that. If you still have the software locally installed, maybe you want to explore that option.

Cheers!

Hi, Ralftaro.

I just brought up the refund email--many thanks. The problem did strike me as a folder-access issue, even with my limited tech savvy. I bought my PC from Best Buy and I have Geek Squad service. Maybe they would have some idea of how to override the feature in question. Even switching to, say, Avast might do it. At any rate, thanks again!