User guide

Chapter 39 Project Settings and Preferences 985
MP3 Preferences
 Bit Rate (Mono/Stereo): The bit rates are selectable between 32 kbps and 320 kbps,
but default to 80 kbps mono, and 160 kbps stereo. These rates offer acceptable
quality and good file compression. If you can afford the extra file size, you should
select 96 kbps for mono, and 192 kbps for stereo streams. These will deliver better
audio quality. You can, of course, choose even higher rates, but the quality
improvement in bit rates above 96/192 kbps is minimal.
 Use Variable Bit Rate Encoding (VBR): Variable Bit Rate encoding compresses simpler
passages more heavily than harmonically rich passages, generally resulting in better
quality MP3s. Unfortunately, not all MP3 players can accurately decode VBR-encoded
MP3s, which is why this option is off by default. If you know that the audience for
your MP3 can decode VBR-encoded MP3s, you can switch this option on.
 Quality: Keep this set to Highest whenever possible. Reducing the quality will
accelerate the conversion process, but at the expense of audio quality. This option is
only accessible when the VBR checkbox is turned on.
 Use Best Encoding: Again, like the Quality parameter, if you uncheck this option, you
will gain encoding speed at the price of audio quality. This should always be left on,
unless conversion time is an issue.
 Filter Frequencies Below 10 Hz: When this option is checked, frequencies below 10 Hz
(which are usually not reproduced by speakers, and are not audible to human ears at
any rate) are removed, leaving slightly more data bandwidth for the frequencies
which humans can hear, resulting in an improvement in perceived quality. Only
uncheck this option if you’re experimenting with subsonic test tones, or exporting
MP3s for whales.