Recording - WAV or MP3?

[dlivezey]

Is there any downside to recording to MP3, if my ultimate goal is to create MP3 files and not WAV CDs? I'm just wondering if it's possible that recording to MP3 could, for example, put the click-removal algorithm at a disadvantage, compared to working with a non-lossy format for input.

Thanks!

[Paul Sanders (AlpineSoft)]

Hi,

Sorry for the delayed reply to this - it slipped through the net, so to speak.

There's no major disadvantage recording to MP3 format in my experience, although the declicker does perform marginally less well.  Also, if you save your tracks using different MP3 encoding parameters (e.g. CBR) to those you used when recording (we recommend VBR 0) then the music will have to be 'transcoded' (i.e. decoded and then re-encoded) which might cost you a little quality.  Transcoding is also necessary if you use the hiss, hum or rumble filters or the graphic equaliser, so if you plan on using these I would record to WAV format.

We do plan to support FLAC as a compressed, lossless recording format (it compresses by about 40%, which is nothing like as mucxh as MP3), but it has got pushed down the list a bit by other things.