hi
how do i change the default recording file from mp3 128 kbps to .wav or 320kbps for better quality?
thx
Audacity does not record as MP3. Audacity records as very high quality uncompressed PCM audio.
To get an MP3 out of Audacity you must Export the audio from the Audacity project to create an MP3 file.
If you are using the current version of Audacity (2.1.2), then when you select MP3 as the export format, the MP3 options appear. See: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/file_export_dialog.html
If you are using an older version of Audacity, you need to select MP3 as the export format (as you do now), and then click on the “Options” button to open the MP3 options.
The default MP3 options in Audacity is “Preset Standard”. This is a “variable bit rate” setting and is better quality than 128 kbps.
Excellent quality for stereo music can be achieved with the “Extreme” preset.
Note that if the original audio in the project started as a lower quality MP3, changing it to a higher quality MP3 will NOT improve the quality. MP3 encoding damage is permanent and irreversible.
For “archiving” or “high quality backup” purposes, it is highly recommended that you use a “lossless” format such as WAV or FLAC.
Dealing with different file formats can be quite confusing, so if you have further questions, feel free to ask.
excellent answer !