NAB: Sonicfire Pro gets online search-buy capability

The latest version (3.0) of SmartSound Software Inc.’s soundtrack creation software, Sonicfire, is being showcased at this week’s NAB2003.

Sonicfire Pro — which is compatible with Mac OS X (10.1 or higher) and Mac OS 9.1-9.2.2 — is designed to meet the soundtrack creation needs of professional video editors and visual content creators. It can import DV, AVI, MPEG and QuickTime video formats. You can score multiple scenes and events in one session and edit your own music.

New Internet-based, real-time technology in version 3.0 lets you preview, buy and download any selection in the SmartSound library — even while you’re scoring a visual sequence. This process will suggest additional selections, over and above those that shipped with the software, according to Kevin Klingler, president and CEO of SmartSound. You can choose to enter your information and credit card, download the piece right into Sonicfire and complete your score.

Sonicfire Pro 3.0 also adds the ability to customize search criteria and improves the automatic editing of any sound file. It also boasts a new design that offers more ways to interact with the application. There’s the Assistant mode for new users and Maestro for those well versed in Sonicfire Pro.

To go along with the upgrade, SmartSound Software has announced new pricing for the Sonicfire Pro line. The standard version, which includes the software plus two disks of SmartSound royalty-free music, is now US$299 (previously, it cost $349). The Sonicfire Pro Bundle Edition remains at $499, but adds an additional CD of SmartSound music. The Sonicfire Pro Bundle Edition includes the same Sonicfire Pro software as in the standard version but comes with five CDs of SmartSound music (previously it was four for the same price).

Upgrades to version 3.0 from Sonicfire Pro 2.x are US$79. All music shipped with Sonicfire Pro products are at broadcast quality (44.1 kHz).