SOUND FORGE Audio Studio 14 issue: FEEDBACK using VST Reverb

DEA wrote on 5/26/2020, 9:49 AM

I've been using Sound forge in its many forms for decades, starting with Sonic foundry, Sony and now MAGIX. I do appreciate Magix trying to make these products become active again. I'm on the latest Windows 10 Version, 64Bit, brand new AMD 3950X, 64GB RAM, Asrock X570 Creator motherboard based system.

SOUND FORGE Audio Studio Version 14.0 (Build 56) 64-bit TRIAL Version

Just a day ago I started a trial of SOUND FORGE Audio Studio 14, found many things to like (notably VST3 support) and was about to buy, when I found a *showstopper issue: every time I load a third-party VST 2 or 3 REVERB plugin and try to preview the sound, it works ok at first. Then as I adjust settings and change presets to audition the sound a "feedback" starts to form in the plugin; Strangely enough you can start or stop the issue if you press preview repeatedly - and once or twice the program crashed outright. The bars of the output meters even remain frozen in their red distorted indication.

Since I have a brand new system, I wanted to ensure that the trouble wasn't on my end; so I tested the various reverb plugins in other editors such as Wavelab 9.5, RX7, Ableton Live 10, etc. and had no such problem.

I really want to like the new Soundforge. But I cannot buy it with such an obvious flaw. I'm hoping someone knows of a straightforward solution to this issue!

Cheers:)

Comments

rraud wrote on 5/26/2020, 11:08 AM

I have not heard of this issue mentioned before, and I'm sure many folks use third-party VST reverbs. I have not used AS-14 personally, but other versions work fine.. Maybe contact the Magix Customer Service Sales Team if you are apprehensive about purchasing.
 

DEA wrote on 5/26/2020, 5:19 PM

So in the meantime I managed to isolate the problem to when *stereo versions of VST Reverb plugins are used on mono files* in SOUND FORGE Audio Studio 14.

We are talking "rip your headphones off" levels of feedback.

I have used Sound Forge Pro 11 for years and never had that issue before. So I tried those same parameter in SF Pro 11 on my new system and found that it simply summed the resulting file to mono.

I tried contacting Magix Customer Service Sales Team and found (after having to create an account) that they would not accept a query from me as I have no "recently purchased products". This seems bad policy on a number of levels, especialy given that I just purchased Vegas Pro 17 today and their system was not updated to this fact . . I will try again tomorow.

I'd love to seriously consider updating to the latest version of SF Pro, but it is worrisome if a bug of this magnitude slips by the development team of SF audio studio.

rraud wrote on 5/27/2020, 11:56 AM

"recently purchased products". Did you use the same log-in info when you purchased or activated the product?

Specifically which reverbs and what file types?

As I stated, I have never encounter this behavior with any version of SF Pro.

DEA wrote on 5/27/2020, 1:17 PM

Hi rraud,

Yes, I've used the same login information since Magix acquired these product lines.

"I have never encounter this behavior with any version of SF Pro." Yes, I concur - neither have I . . which is why I posted this in the forum.

However today I did hear back from a support person at the Magix Pro Support Center (?) which was a different portal from the Magix Customer Service Sales Team you mentioned. He said he was unable to duplicate the bug, so I supplied some of the additional information re: Mono Audio File to Stereo Reverb plugin mentioned above.

My test is with a Mono 44.1, 16bit Voiceover treated with a Stereo Reverb plugin > Some plugin examples:

1. SOUND FORGE Audio Studio 14 Built-in Reverb: *Unable to produce this bug since the result is a Mono File. The key issue seems to correlate with summing the output of a stereo reverb to a mono file.

2. UVI Plate64: When you open the plugin and try to preview the sound, a howling feedback starts. If you render the file, you get a gradually increasing feedback until it goes flat and red-lines (see pic)

3. Soundtoys Little Plate VST2 64bit: Maximum Feedback, same as UVI Plate

4. PSP 2445 VST3 64bit: Maximum Feedback, same as UVI Plate

5. Eventide 2016 Stereo Room VST2 64bit; This one is interesting - Feedback developing very slowly but remains in a steady state without getting ear-splittingly loud

6. Waves Rverb (an old standard): Now this one might get to the heart of the issue - The MONO Version works fine, but the STEREO Version produces Feedback.

I could go on, but you get the idea . . different Reverb VST's, from various established Plugin companies, resulting in feedback. So, you might answer . . only use mono versions of your Reverb plugins! But that is not professional when we all have buckets of plugins these days and it's easy to grab a stereo version by mistake and get an earfull.

I will however, do a bit more sleuthing on my end as I have another 2018 Build DAW computer that is an Win 10 64bit, Intel i7, MSI Motherboard based system. I will try a trial version of SOUND FORGE Audio Studio 14 on that system to eliminate the possibility that the fault is somewhere in my new AMD build.

Last changed by emmrecs on 5/27/2020, 2:37 PM, changed a total of 2 times.

Reason: To remove name of Magix personnel, publication of which is forbidden under Community rules

DEA wrote on 5/27/2020, 10:08 PM

So I did the following test -

MONO File 48Khz, 24Bit into a third-part (FabFilter Pro-R) VST STEREO Reverb plugin, Previewed and then Rendered -

on another one of my Computers, this one an Intel i7 7820X with 32GB RAM and unfortunately had the same

result: Feedback that maxes out.

My second computer specs:

My new AMD computer has very good specs as well:

So I don't really have a dog in this race, except for wanting to give Magix some money for a program that works.

The ball is in their court.

I'm all out of metaphors.

What's a hammer for?

DEA wrote on 5/28/2020, 9:42 AM

Just a quick update to point out that *I have heard back from Magix customer service* and they are looking into this issue. Obviously with the Pandemic some things are further down in the list of priorities, but it does seem to be in the pipeline.

Normaly I would be reaching for Sound forge Pro, not "Audio Studio" as it aimed at more of a "beginner" market. So discovering this bug was a bit of an accident - many of the plugins I use cost way more than the SFAS14 program itself. But it does seem like something obvious and hopefully not hard to fix?

I will post with further developments, if any.