Sound Forge XP 4.0 Announced

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Sonic Foundry, Inc. announces the addition of Sound Forge XP 4.0 to its line of audio software. The program (MSRP $149) is specifically tailored for multimedia and Internet users, and is a streamlined version of the company's award-winning pro audio editor, Sound Forge.

Applications for Sound Forge XP are virtually limitless: use it to liven up a sales presentation, add audio to a Web site or computer game, or synchronize audio to AVI video. Home users will also find a variety of applications such as adding professional quality audio to old home movies and sending voice e-mail messages.

Sonic Foundry anticipates a large market for Sound Forge XP, given computer users' commitment to high quality audio, and the proliferation of multimedia computers. A report by the Consumer's Electronic Manufacturers' Association found that more than two-thirds of all households with computers have purchased after-market speakers for their computer systems. The report also found that nearly 21 million U.S. households - half of the U.S. home computer market - own computers with multimedia capabilities.

Says Sonic Foundry's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Roy Elkins, "We believe that there is huge potential for Sound Forge XP. The level of supplementary speaker purchases show that users want to incorporate quality audio into their computer systems. And the growth in multimedia computers means that computers are being used for a broad range of applications, many of which can benefit from the addition of audio. With Sound Forge XP, users can record, produce and edit audio at a professional level. A segment of our market may have perceived digital audio to be too costly or too difficult to use - these concerns are overcome by Sound Forge XP which is both inexpensive and extremely user-friendly."

Sound Forge XP runs natively on the Windows platform, and turns the average PC into a virtual sound studio with just a Windows-compatible sound card. The program is designed in an easy-to-use format that gets users up and running quickly, and employs common Windows shortcuts such as drag and drop, copy, cut and paste.

Sound Forge XP can be used to record, edit and process mono or stereo audio files, and delivers over 25 digital audio effects and processes including reverb, ten-band EQ, distortion and fade in/out.

Sound Forge XP supports an extensive set of file formats including Microsoft WAV, NeXT/Sun Java AU, Video for Windows AVI, RealAudio RA, RealVideo RM and Macintosh AIFF.

Sonic Foundry Inc. develops and markets award-winning audio software for the Windows platform Sonic Foundry's product line is sold internationally and has a broad range of uses including music production and post-production, multimedia and Web applications, broadcast production, computer telephony and forensic analysis.