vbr

[coonsanders]

hi
can u edit a song saved as vbr?i saved this song file from internet archive but it could use a little tweeking..can i do this?thanks

lenny

[Trebor]

Once you open the MP3 in Audacity it is converted into a format which can be edited.

Note: MP3 employs a lossy form of compression:
So if you repeat this cycle …
Save a track in MP3 format, re-open it in Audacity, edit, save as MP3 again, re-open, etc …
Like a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy, the track will become degraded with each generation, (repeatedly using MP3 accumulates damage).

The moral of the story: only use MP3 format to deliver the final mix.
Otherwise use lossless formats like WAV, FLAC if you may need to edit the track in the future and want to maximize quality, (takes up more memory space than lossy formats though).

There is software which can edit* mp3 directly, without converting it into another format, to maximise sound quality, e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mp3DirectCut , (Audacity doesn't do that).

[* The editing possible is very limited ]

[coonsanders]

hi
well the file itself is from a file thats on the internet archive not from a file thats made from a 78 in my collection..so if i try to edit this vbr filewont it sound kind of strange?

lenny

[steve]

Assuming that you are using Audacity 1.3.12
File menu > Import > Audio
select the MP3 file and import it.
Press the Play button.
Does it play OK?

If it plays OK, then you can edit it and Export it as a new file.

The point that Trebor was making is that encoding as MP3 always causes some loss of sound quality, so if you Export the edited track as an MP3, then there will be a bit more loss of sound quality on top of the loss from the original MP3 encoding. If you Export in a "lossless" format such as WAV, then the Exported file will sound virtually identical to what it sounds like when played in Audacity.

[coonsanders]

o ok

thanks guys...

lenny