Audacity Forum

Audacity seems OK, works OK, save as Audacity and WAV files OK, but when I go to preferences, and choose the tab "file formats", I am totally unable to select a bit rate for MP3 setup. the arrow for scrolling the bit rate is inactive.

Also, I have tried to export as MP3 and I continually get asked to navigate to the lame_enc.dll file, yet I HAVE downloaded it and it is sitting perfectly in the program file directory under the Lame for Audacity directory. Every time it asks me, AND THEN, when I do navigate to it, I contnually get the error message "Could not open MP3 Encoding library!"

And I have tried uninstalling and downlaoding again 3 times !!!!!!!!!!!!

Any suggestions???

Hi Audacity team - I would REALLY SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY appreciate a reply, sincerly thanks.

Uninstalling won't help you - as Audacity stores your preferences in the Windows registry in 1.2 (in 1.3 a preferences file called audacity.cfg is created - and uninstalling doesn't remove this either).

What you need to do in 1.2 is to go to Edit > Preferences > File Formats you will see in the bottom a section called MP3 Export Setup

Provided that you have loaded and installed the LAME plugin correctly then you should be able to change the Bit Rate in the dropdown

(Note that in the Beta 1.3 vn and the upcoming - the MP3 bitrate is reset on exporting via an options button)

WC

Yes, I tried "Edit > Preferences > File Formats you will see in the bottom a section called MP3 Export Setup", but as I said originally, the drop down arrow in the MP3 section here is inactive.

Ok, you say "Provided that you have loaded and installed the LAME plugin correctly then you should be able to change the Bit Rate in the dropdown" - I tried loading that again several times, still nothing. Even when I choose the button "Find library" and go to the file lame_enc.dll, still it refuses to load and remember it, and NOTHING!!!!!!

HELP ???

Have you seen this article from the Wiki: http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php? ... stallation

WC

Hi waxcy..,

Tried that, but still the downward pointing arrow in the "Bit Rate" dropdown refuses to be active - SIGH.

I carefully did everything correctly! It just doesn't seem to remember the dll file, even though I select it each time.

SIGH..

Thanks for the help anyway.........

WilliamTell,

a workaround for you would be to ignore the LAME plug-in for Audacity and use an external MP3 converter.

You will need to export your projects as WAV files for conversion and you will need to search t'interweb for a suitable converter (you should be able to find a free one). There are advantages in using an external converter in that you get a lot more control over the settings and options.

WC

That sounds like a good idea, will do.

Thanks for the suggestion and help.