This is the Sound Forge Pro 2026 default keyboard map for the commands that matter in day-to-day editing: playback, recording, cursor movement, sample-accurate selection, zoom, markers, snapping, windows and the Plug-In Chain. Every combination below was checked against the current Boris FX Keyboard Shortcuts reference, last modified February 23, 2026.
Your installation can differ if you imported or edited a keyboard map. Open Help → Keyboard Shortcuts inside Sound Forge to see the active defaults, or Options → Customize Keyboard to inspect assignments before blaming a command.
The 20 shortcuts worth learning first
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Space or F12 | Play or stop in the default mode |
| Enter or Ctrl+F12 | Play/pause |
| Ctrl+R | Start/stop recording |
| M | Place a marker at the cursor |
| R | Place a region at the cursor |
| Ctrl+A | Select all data |
| Ctrl+C / Ctrl+X / Ctrl+V | Copy / cut / paste |
| Delete | Clear selected data without copying it |
| Ctrl+T | Trim/crop to the current selection |
| Ctrl+M | Mix clipboard data with the active window |
| Ctrl+E | Paste clipboard data into a new window |
| Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Shift+Z | Undo / redo |
| Ctrl+Home / Ctrl+End | Beginning / end of file |
| Ctrl+Alt+←/→ | Move one sample |
| ↑/↓ | Zoom in / out horizontally |
| Ctrl+↑ | Zoom to selection; Zoom In Full if none |
| Ctrl+↓ | Return to the normal zoom ratio |
| Z / Shift+Z | Snap selection / active edge to the next zero crossing |
| Ctrl+B | Toggle auto snap to zero crossings |
| Ctrl+Alt+0 | Open/focus the Plug-In Chain |
Playback, transport and recording
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Space or F12 | Play or stop in the default mode |
| Shift+Space or Shift+F12 | Play All |
| Enter or Ctrl+F12 | Play/pause |
| Esc | Stop playback or cancel the current action |
| Ctrl+Shift+A | Arm for recording |
| Ctrl+R | Start/stop recording |
| Q | Toggle looped playback |
| X | Cycle Normal, Play as Sample and Play as Cutlist modes |
| J, K, L | Scrub playback |
| F | Seek the cursor during playback |
| Ctrl+K | Preview cut with pre-roll |
| Ctrl+Shift+K | Play to cursor with pre-roll |
| F6 / Shift+F6 | Toggle playback scrolling / smooth scrolling |
The current help calls J/K/L “scrub playback”; it does not assign the old slow/normal/fast wording to the three keys. Likewise, X cycles three documented play modes—it does not add a Plug-In Chainer mode.
Editing and clipboard commands
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+A | Select all sound data |
| Ctrl+C | Copy selection |
| Ctrl+X | Cut selection |
| Ctrl+V | Paste into the active window |
| Ctrl+E | Paste into a new data window |
| Ctrl+M | Mix clipboard data with the active window |
| Delete | Clear selection without placing it on the clipboard |
| Ctrl+T | Trim/crop to selection |
| Ctrl+Y | Repeat the last process, effect or tool |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo |
| Ctrl+Shift+Z | Redo |
| Ctrl+D | Select the normal edit tool |
| D / Shift+D | Select next / previous editing tool |
| S | Split event at cursor when Event tool is selected |
| Ctrl+Alt+T | Split selected events at region boundaries |
Ctrl+T is destructive in the main data window: everything outside the selection is removed. In the focused Plug-In Chain, the same keys change tail-data handling. Always confirm which window has focus.
Cursor movement and sample accuracy
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ←/→ | Move one screen pixel |
| Ctrl+←/→ | Beginning/end of file or previous/next marker, region or loop boundary |
| Ctrl+Alt+←/→ | Move one sample |
| Alt+←/→ | Move one video frame when video is present |
| Home / End | First/last visible sample or selection boundary |
| Ctrl+Home / Ctrl+End | First/last sample in the file |
| Page Up / Page Down | Move 10% of the current view |
| Ctrl+Page Up / Ctrl+Page Down | Move 100% of the current view |
| \ or . | Center the cursor in the waveform |
| Num + / Num − | Next / previous sample |
| Ctrl+Num + / Ctrl+Num − | Move 10 samples forward / backward |
| Ctrl+G | Open Go To |
Selection and zero crossings
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+Shift+D | Open Set Selection |
| Shift+←/→ | Extend by one pixel |
| Ctrl+Alt+Shift+←/→ | Extend by one sample |
| Ctrl+Shift+Home / Ctrl+Shift+End | Extend to file start / end |
| Shift+Num + / Shift+Num − | Extend to next / previous sample |
| Ctrl+Shift+Num + / Ctrl+Shift+Num − | Extend 10 samples forward / backward |
| Z | Snap selection to the next zero crossing |
| Shift+Z | Snap the active selection edge to the next zero crossing |
| Tab / Shift+Tab | Move selection through channels in a multichannel file |
| < / > | Shift selection left / right by its length |
| ; / ' | Halve / double selection length |
| Backspace | Restore one of the previous five time selections |
Zoom and saved views
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ↑/↓ or mouse wheel | Increase / decrease time magnification |
| Shift+↑/↓ | Increase / decrease level magnification |
| Ctrl+↑ | Zoom to selection; Zoom In Full when none exists |
| Ctrl+↓ | Return to normal zoom |
| Num 1 / Num 2 | Display custom zoom ratio 1 / 2 |
| Ctrl+Shift+1–8 | Save current view in a numbered cell |
| Ctrl+1–8 | Restore a saved view |
| Num 5 | Move cursor to the opposite end of a selection |
Markers, regions, loops and snapping
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| M | Place a marker at the cursor |
| R | Place a region at the cursor |
| Ctrl+Alt+R | Place a region when Event tool is selected |
| 0–9 number row | Jump to corresponding marker or select corresponding region |
| Alt+L | Create a loop without opening Sampler Loops |
| Alt+Shift+L | Create a loop and open the loop workflow |
| F8 | Enable/disable snapping |
| Ctrl+F8 | Toggle auto snap to grid |
| Shift+F8 | Toggle auto snap to markers |
| Ctrl+Shift+F8 | Toggle auto snap to event edges |
| Ctrl+B | Toggle auto snap to zero crossings |
Window and panel shortcuts
| Shortcut | Window |
|---|---|
| Alt+0 | Waveform display |
| Alt+1 | Explorer |
| Alt+2 | File Properties window |
| Alt+3 | Video Preview |
| Alt+4 | Time Display |
| Alt+5 | Channel Meters |
| Alt+6 | Loudness Meters |
| Alt+8 | Undo/Redo History |
| Alt+9 | Spectrum Analysis |
| Ctrl+Alt+0 | Plug-In Chain |
| Ctrl+Alt+1 | Plug-In Manager |
| Ctrl+Alt+3 | Script Editor |
| Ctrl+Alt+5 | Record Options |
| Ctrl+Alt+6 | Instant Actions |
| Ctrl+F6 / Ctrl+Shift+F6 | Next / previous data window |
| F11 / Shift+F11 / Ctrl+F11 | Toggle bottom / side / all docked windows |
Alt+Enter displays File Properties; Alt+2 shows or focuses its window. They are related commands, not duplicates with identical context.
Plug-In Chain shortcuts
These work when the Plug-In Chain has focus. Current Sound Forge applies the real-time chain when the file is saved; the 2026 shortcut table does not list the old Ctrl+P Preview or Ctrl+Shift+P Process commands.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+B | Bypass selected plug-in |
| Ctrl+Shift+B | Bypass entire chain |
| Ctrl+S | Save chain preset |
| Ctrl+T | Cycle Ignore/Mix/Insert Tail Data options |
| Ctrl+E | Add plug-ins |
| Ctrl+Delete | Remove selected plug-ins |
| ↓/↑ | Select next / previous plug-in |
| Ctrl+D | Show plug-in window |
| Ctrl+H | Show/hide effect automation parameters |
| Shift+D | Show/hide envelope in the data window |
| Shift+E | Enable/disable envelope |
| Ctrl+A | Select all plug-ins or automation parameters |
The current Plug-In Chain help explains the save-time application model and the difference between the real-time window and FX Plug-Ins → Apply Plug-In Chain for a selection.
Project and file commands
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+N | Create a new data window |
| Ctrl+Shift+N | Create a new window without showing New Window |
| Ctrl+O | Open a sound file or project |
| Ctrl+S | Save modified sound data |
| Alt+Enter | Display File Properties |
| Ctrl+W | Close active data window |
| Alt+F4 | Exit Sound Forge Pro |
Ctrl+Shift+S and Ctrl+P are familiar Windows conventions, but they are not listed as default project-file shortcuts in the current Sound Forge 2026 reference. Check your active map rather than assuming them.
Customize and back up a keyboard map
- Choose Options → Customize Keyboard.
- Select the command category and command.
- Click the Shortcut keys box and press the new combination.
- Click Add to assign it.
- Choose Save as and name the map.
Sound Forge 2026 stores custom map .ini files under C:\Users\[user]\AppData\Roaming\BorisFX\Sound Forge Pro\2026.0\. Copy a map into that folder and restart Sound Forge to import it. To restore defaults, choose [Default] in Keyboard map and click OK. These current paths and button names come from the Customize Keyboard documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I see the active shortcuts in Sound Forge Pro?
Choose Help → Keyboard Shortcuts. That reference reflects the default 2026 map; Options → Customize Keyboard shows assignments in your current map.
What is the Sound Forge recording shortcut?
Ctrl+R starts or stops recording. Ctrl+Shift+A arms for recording, and Esc stops or cancels the current action.
What does M do in Sound Forge Pro?
M places a marker at the current cursor position. During a playback or recording pass, it is the fastest way to mark an edit point without stopping.
How do I move exactly one sample?
Use Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow or Ctrl+Alt+Right Arrow. Numeric keypad minus and plus also move to the previous or next sample.
How do I snap an edit to a zero crossing?
Press Z to snap the selection to the next zero crossing or Shift+Z to snap its active edge. Ctrl+B toggles automatic zero-crossing snapping.
What opens the Plug-In Chain?
Ctrl+Alt+0 opens or focuses the Plug-In Chain. Once it has focus, Ctrl+B bypasses the selected plug-in and Ctrl+Shift+B bypasses the full chain.
Can I export and share custom shortcuts?
Yes. Save a map from Options → Customize Keyboard. It is stored as an INI file in the current version’s BorisFX Sound Forge Pro AppData folder and can be copied to the same folder on another installation.
Put the map to work in the two workflows where focus mistakes matter most: the Cut/Trim guide explains destructive data-window shortcuts, while the Plug-In Chain guide covers the same key combinations when the effects window has focus.
Last fact-checked: August 2, 2026 against the Boris FX Sound Forge Pro 2026 Keyboard Shortcuts, Customize Keyboard and Plug-In Chain documentation.