General Preferences

Options Menu:
Preferences

Use the General tab in the Preferences dialog to set miscellaneous Sound Forge options. To display this tab, choose Preferences from the Options menu and click the General tab.


Option

Description

Show logo splash-screen on startup

When this check box is selected, the Sound Forge splash screen will be displayed briefly upon startup.

Open default Workspace on startup

If this check box is selected, files that were open when you last exited the program will be opened automatically.

Default to slow scroll when drag selecting

In some very fast computers, automatic scrolling while selecting is too fast to use accurately. When this option is turned on, drag-selecting will cause a slow scroll.

Sound Forge Pro idea General PreferencesClick the right mouse button while selecting to toggle slow scrolling.

Warn when Paste or Mix formats do not match

Select this check box if you want to be warned before pasting or mixing data that has different sample rates or bit depths.

Pasting or mixing data of different formats may produce unintended results.

Confirm on close

Select this check box if you want the application to present a confirmation message box before exiting.

Compatible draw mode (for broken video drivers)

Because the application’s drawing routines are highly optimized, they increase the chance of causing little-known video card problems to arise. Some video cards have bugs in their drivers that can make your system lock up when the application tries to draw a waveform.

Compatible draw mode uses a different method of drawing the waveform that, although not as smooth, puts less stress on the video card. With some video cards, this mode actually increases the draw speed. However, more flashing can occur.

Compatible scroll mode (for other broken video drivers)

When this check box is selected, a less optimized method of scrolling the data window will be used. In some instances, this can reduce interference problems between your audio and video card when Smooth Scrolling playback is selected.

Show a textured background on the Workspace

When this check box is selected, a stucco texture will be used for the application background.

Allow Wave renders up to 4 GB

Select this check box to enable support for WAV files up to 4 GB. Clear the check box for compatibility with other software applications.

Ignore fact chunk when opening compressed Wave files

When this check box is selected, the software will ignore fact chunks in compressed WAV files.

Compressed WAV files use fact chunks to specify how many actual samples are represented in the file. If a compressed file is improperly authored, this may cause some of the compressed data to not be loaded. If you suspect that not all sound data is being loaded from a compressed file, try checking this option and reopening the file.

Sound Forge Pro tip General PreferencesIf you change the setting of this check box, please delete any proxy (.sfap0) files associated with compressed WAV files.

Show free storage space on Status Bar

When this check box is selected, the total amount of free disk space available on your specified temporary drive is displayed on the status bar.

Use the Temporary files and record folder box at the bottom of the General tab to set the folder that will be used for temporary files and recorded data.

Show shuttle controls on Data Window transport

When this check box is selected, Rewind and Forward buttons will appear on each data window’s transport controls.

Auto-power MIDI keyboard window

Select this check box if you want to open the MIDI device assigned to the MIDI keyboard (if it is not already open) when you click a key on the MIDI keyboard. You may want to turn off this option if you are using the same MIDI output device for MIDI synchronization or for your sequencer.

If this option is turned off, you need to click the On button on the keyboard prior to using it to send notes.

Use Net Notify to stay informed about Sony product updates

When this check box is selected, information from Sony will be displayed periodically at startup. Clear the check box to bypass the Net Notify dialog.

Allow floating windows to dock

When this check box is selected, windows will automatically be docked when you drag them to the edges of the Sound Forge workspace. You can hold the Ctrl key while dragging a window to prevent it from docking.

When this check box is cleared, windows will not dock unless you hold the Ctrl key.

Spacebar and F12 Play/Pause instead of Play/Stop

Select this check box if you want the F12 and spacebar keyboard shortcuts to toggle between Play and Pause mode. In this mode, the cursor will maintain its position.

Warn when metadata cannot be saved in the file

 

Select this check box if you want to be prompted to save metadata to a separate file if it cannot be saved within the media file.

When the check box is cleared, metadata will automatically be saved to a separate file if necessary.

Show the position of the playback cursor

When this check box is selected, the Position field in the status bar will show the cursor position during playback. Turn off this option if you have a very slow computer or video card.

Sound Forge Pro playbarcrsrposition General Preferences

Show the record counter while recording

Select this check box if you want the record time displayed in the Record dialog. Clear the check box if you have a very slow computer or video card.

Automatically reopen file after Save As

Select this check box if you want to automatically reopen files when you save to a different format. Changes in bit depth, channels, or compression format will result in reopening and will allow you to listen to any changes in sound quality.

Clear the check box and select the Prompt to open new file after Save As check box if you want to be prompted to open the saved file in a new data window.

When both check boxes are cleared, Sound Forge software does nothing after saving to a different format. If you’re saving a file to several compressed formats, clearing these check boxes prevents you from having to reopen the file after saving each format.

Prompt to open new file after Save As

When the Automatically reopen files after Save As check box is cleared, select this check box if you want the application to prompt you to open the destination file to a new data window after saving a sound file to a different format.

Opening the file in a new data window will allow you to hear any changes in quality between the original file and the result of the Save As operation.

Keep media files locked

Select this check box if you want to lock media files after you’ve opened them.

Clear the check box if you want to unlock media files when you switch to another application.

Delete temporary files on close

Select this check box if you want to delete the peak (.sfk) and proxy (.sfap0) files associated with a media file when you close a data window.

Hide new temporary files

Select this check box if you want to turn on the Hidden file attribute when creating new peak (.sfk) and proxy (.sfap0) files.

In the Windows Control Panel, double-click Folder Options and select the View tab. Select the Show hidden files and folders radio button if you want to be able to see hidden files.

Always proxy compressed formats

Select this check box if you want to create an uncompressed proxy (.sfap0) file when you open a compressed file format.

Selecting this check box can improve performance on slower computers or for formats that cannot be decompressed quickly for real-time playback.

Remember last-used sample rate for .vox and .ivc files

Select this check box if you want the software to remember the last-used sample rate when you open a .vox file. When the check box is cleared, you will be prompted to choose a sample rate each time you open a .vox file.

Remember last-used settings for .raw files

Select this check box if you want the software to remember the last-used settings when you open .raw files. When the check box is cleared, you will be prompted to choose a settings each time you open a .raw file.

Allow Undo past Save

When this check box is selected, your undo history is maintained until you close the data window (or exit the application) so you can undo edit operations even if you’ve saved your file.

When this check box is selected, quick file saving may not be available.

Sound Forge Pro tip General PreferencesIf you want to be able to undo edit operations even after closing and reopening your file, save a Sound Forge project.

Use floating point temporary files

Select this check box if you want to use higher precision IEEE floating-point temporary files for audio files. This setting results in more accurate processing but requires more disk space and yields slower processing.

When the check box is cleared, the bit depth of the temporary file will match the source file.

Allow Ctrl+drag style cursor scrub in data windows

When this check box is selected, you can hold Ctrl while dragging the cursor to scrub in data windows.

  1. Hover over the cursor and press Ctrl. The mouse pointer is displayed as a Sound Forge Pro scrubcursor General Preferences when you click.

  2. Drag left or right to scrub playback.

Allow Ctrl+drag style zoom in data windows

When this check box is selected, you can hold Ctrl and drag in a data window to zoom to a selection.

Sound Forge Pro tip General PreferencesWhen the check box is selected, you can still use Ctrl+drag to paste a selection; press and hold the Ctrl key after you start dragging the selection.

Automatically name regions and markers if not playing

When this check box is selected, an edit box is displayed so you can name markers and regions as you place them.

Always open dropped files in new window

When this check box is selected, files are opened in new data windows when you drop files (or regions) on the Sound Forge workspace.

When the check box is cleared, you can drag files from the Explorer to an open data window to perform drag-and-drop mixing and pasting.

Show Transport menu

Select this check box if you want to display the Sound Forge transport controls in a menu.

Recently used file list

Select the check box if you want to display a list of recently used files on the File menu. Use the edit box to specify the number of files you want to display.

If you do not want to display recently used files on the File menu, clear this check box.

Temporary files and record folder

Specify a folder for storing temporary files and recorded audio, or click the Browse button to specify a new folder.

Using temporary file space allows you to edit very large files and keeps Sound Forge from using large portions of RAM on your computer. Your temporary directory must have enough space to accommodate the total size of all files you plan to edit along with space for any clipboard data and undo buffers.

If you change the temporary storage folder, you will have to restart Sound Forge for the change to take effect.

General Preferences