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Music Tech || MT CA2 - The Digital Audio Workstation
What are MP3 files?
A compressed lossy format.
This means that exporting audio this file type will reduce the quality of the file.
However, this also means that it will reduce the file size.
What parts of an audio will an MP3 file remove?
There will be certain frequencies that our ear will not hear, and so MP3s will remove this data from the file.
Loud sounds will mask quieter ones – MP3s remove these hidden sounds.
The ear will hear some frequencies better than others, so MP3s remove these hidden frequencies.
How do MP3 files work?
Once the data has been removed, traditional data compression techniques are used to reduce the file size even further.
To gets the file size of an MP3 down to around 1/10th of a WAV file.
But this will be at the expense of some audio quality.
What are the benefits of using an MP3 file?
Small file format - easily distributed over the internet or small hand held devices, thus have become the consumer standard for purchasing music.
Little perceivable difference to overall sound quality.
Easy to convert a WAV or a CD to an MP3 - and a lot of available software to do this.
What are the negatives of using an MP3 file?
Audio quality is sacrificed.
Can result in audio artifacts being added to the export (particularly from higher frequencies).
Not suitable for pro audio work.
What are Kbps (kilobits per second)?
This relates to the bits rate range.
The possible bit rates for MP3 range from 32kbps to 320kbps.
Higher bit rate = more data = higher quality.
A 32kbps MP3 will sound far worse than a 320kbps MP3.
iTunes has a bitrate of 256kbps and Spotify allows for 320kbps MP3s.
