Exporting an mp3 file creates distortion on playback

[Donald D]

When I export a file from audacity as an mp3 it gets some distortion and sounds fuzzy whether I play it on windows media player or import the mp3 back into an audacity and play it there it has distortion as well. If I export the same file as a wav file it plays just fine on media player and audacity. The problem occurs using Audacity 1.2.6 and lame-encdll .I downlaoaded Audacity 1.3.7 and lame 3.98 and the same thing happens.

[kozikowski]

MP3 compression has adjustments. You can make really small sound file sizes, but the music will sound terrible. Audacity 1.2 makes you change compression numbers in Preferences. I believe Audacity 1.3 lets you change it at the export step.

Fuzzy numbers:
256 is good quality for a stereo show.
125 is good quality for a mono show.
Lower than 64 and everybody can hear distortion and bubbling on a stereo show.
Lower than 32 on a mono show sounds bad to everybody.

MP3 is really old. You can do roughly double the quality at the same numbers by using Windows WMA or Apple AAC. Of course, if you do that, then only Windows or Apple can open the files.

Koz

[kozikowski]

One more. Audacity likes to default to 32-bit floating in Preferences. Some sound programs don't like that. Change to 16-bit and do production in that -- or convert to 16 before you Export.

Koz

[Donald D]

Koz:
Thanks for the information. It was right on. It was all in the numbers. It's working fine now. Thanks again!!

[ladele]

Thank you for providing this information. I was having a similar problem and the solution worked for me too! (v1.2.6)