Exporting mastered songs - WAV or mp3 format?

[Super 8]

Hi folks!
I was just wondering ..... what's the best format for exporting mastered songs?  I don't have much knowledge when it comes to PCs and making music (which is one of the reasons I bought a standalone mBR!)  I'd like to know the best way to do this and get it right - mp3 'squashes' stuff right??!  I take it WAV is better?  If this be the case then ... what is WAV exactly?  Do I need anything else to do this apart from an mBR and my bog standard PC (and if so what?)  I'm finding my way around the mBR great, it's just computers that I have issues with when it comes to music making - too much like being at the office!  Any advice as to how you folks go about getting your stuff from the mBR to wherever and the best way to go about it would be mucho appreciated amigos (the less technical the better please!!!)  I have a song I'd like to stick up here but, even after reading loads of stuff, I'm still a little confused as to how you go about it to be honest!  An idiot's guide anyone?  Cheers 

[AlchemyMN]

I can help with the first part...

WAV is uncompressed, as good as it gets - so always save this way first.

MP3 is compressed so it is easier to e-mail, store, etc.  Use this for your iPod, email, and uploading to this site.  Make a second copy in this format or use another software to convert the file from WAV to MP3.

[guitarron]

Hi folks!
I was just wondering ..... what's the best format for exporting mastered songs?  I don't have much knowledge when it comes to PCs and making music (which is one of the reasons I bought a standalone mBR!)  I'd like to know the best way to do this and get it right - mp3 'squashes' stuff right??!  I take it WAV is better?  If this be the case then ... what is WAV exactly?  Do I need anything else to do this apart from an mBR and my bog standard PC (and if so what?)  I'm finding my way around the mBR great, it's just computers that I have issues with when it comes to music making - too much like being at the office!  Any advice as to how you folks go about getting your stuff from the mBR to wherever and the best way to go about it would be mucho appreciated amigos (the less technical the better please!!!)  I have a song I'd like to stick up here but, even after reading loads of stuff, I'm still a little confused as to how you go about it to be honest!  An idiot's guide anyone?  Cheers 

wav file a very much larger than mp3

i couldn't agree with ya more about computers sucking the life out of creativity
use my pc much differently these days-musically speaking

[64Guitars]

I'm finding my way around the mBR great, it's just computers that I have issues with when it comes to music making - too much like being at the office!  Any advice as to how you folks go about getting your stuff from the mBR to wherever and the best way to go about it would be mucho appreciated amigos (the less technical the better please!!!)  I have a song I'd like to stick up here but, even after reading loads of stuff, I'm still a little confused as to how you go about it to be honest!  An idiot's guide anyone?  Cheers 

• Mix your tracks down to a 2-track master. You can do this in Bounce Mode (see pages 50 and 51 of the Micro BR manual, 3rd edition) or Mastering Mode (see pages 76 and 77). Take note of the track and v-track pair you use for the bounce or mastering destination. You'll need that info in the next step.
  
  
• Export the 2-track mix to your computer. If you use Mastering Mode to make your 2-track mix, you can export the mix to MP3 or WAV in steps 12 through 17 of that procedure. Choose MP3 format if you want to upload it to this forum. Choose WAV if you want to burn it to a CD or import it into Audacity or some other DAW.
  
  If you used Bounce Mode to make your 2-track mix, then you'll need to use the procedure on pages 112 and 113 to export the track pair. In step 6, set the Type to MP3 if you want to upload it to this forum. Otherwise, use WAV.
  
  
• To upload your song, go to the "Post Your Work" forum. There are two forums with that name. One is for songs created on the Micro BR, while the other is for songs created with other recorders. Be sure to choose the right one.
  
  
• From the forum menu at the top-right, choose "NEW TOPIC" and enter the subject and text of your message. Below the message, click "Additional Options". Then click the "Browse" button to the right of the "Attach:" box and select the MP3 file you created in step 2.
  
  
• Click the "Post" button to post the message and attachment.
  
  
• Now find your newly-posted message and click the "Modify" button to edit it and add the MP3 Player gadget. See this message thread for details.
  
  

[Geir]

One extra bit of advise : when exporting to mp3, be sure to choose 192kbs if you don't need it to be as small as possible! 192 gives a result that's very near CD quality.

G.

[Greeny]

One extra bit of advise : when exporting to mp3, be sure to choose 192kbs if you don't need it to be as small as possible! 192 gives a result that's very near CD quality.

G.

I've just switched to 192kbps for my 'album versions' of songs, and the quality is just amazing. The only negative with that is that the file size for a c.3 minute song will usually be too large to post on here. Therefore, I tend to save two versions now - a 128kbps and a 192kbs version. We're using a combination of WAV and 192 kbps for our Jemima's Kite stuff, and even getting into the habit of mixing separate tracks (e..g guitars, vocals and bass) in DAW for optimum quality.

[guitarron]

getting into the habit of mixing separate tracks (e..g guitars, vocals and bass) in DAW for optimum quality.

Which DAW are ya using-just curious?

[Greeny]

getting into the habit of mixing separate tracks (e..g guitars, vocals and bass) in DAW for optimum quality.

Which DAW are ya using-just curious?

ORH is using Cubase - I believe. I've got a free version of Audacity.

[64Guitars]

I've just switched to 192kbps for my 'album versions' of songs, and the quality is just amazing. The only negative with that is that the file size for a c.3 minute song will usually be too large to post on here.

Once you get used to it, it's actually very easy to link the MP3 player directly to your 192kbps file at SkyDrive rather than attaching a smaller 128kbps file to the message. The only part that's a bit tricky is getting the correct URL of the file.

First, make sure your song is in a SkyDrive folder that has public access. Then hover the mouse pointer over the song and you'll see the URL on the status line at the bottom of your web browser. If that URL starts with something like "https://cid-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.skydrive.live.com/", then that's not the right URL. That URL only points to a web page from which your song can be downloaded. However, if you left-click once on the song, another page will load with the song icon displayed again and "Add a description" just below it. If you hover the mouse over this icon, the URL in the status line should start with something like "https://xxxxxx.blu.livefilestore.com/" and end with "songname.mp3?download". That's the correct URL for the MP3 player. Just right-click on the song icon and select "Copy Link Location" from the context menu (or "Copy Shortcut" if you're using Internet Explorer). Then paste it between the mp3 tags in your message. You can delete the "?download" from the end if you like, or just leave it -- it seems to work either way. The MP3 player should then work just as well as it does when you attach an mp3 file to your message, except the song quality will be much better and the file size won't matter because the file is stored offsite. If you click the Preview button, you can test the MP3 player in your message to make sure that it works before you actually post the message.

The only drawback is that you won't be able to see how many times the file has been downloaded as you can with an attached file. But I think that's a small price to pay for the better sound quality.

Give it a try. After you've done it once or twice, I'm sure you'll find it to be just as easy as linking to an attached file (maybe even easier). One side benefit of linking to an offsite file is that your song will be playable as soon as you post the message. You don't have to modify your message after posting as you do with an attached mp3 file.

[guitarron]

 i have to book mark that post