Why is there a specific fascination with version 4.5 and not 5.0 or 6.0? The answer lies in the demoscene and early internet culture.

But the "secret weapon" was (or Stereo Mix). Before Windows Vista killed direct loopback, Sound Forge could record anything playing out of your sound card. This is how people:

Boost the "air" (15kHz+) and the "sub" (60Hz) to modernize the vintage output.