This is an encoder (yellow) element. It encodes the audio according to the ISO/IEC 11172-3, ISO/IEC 13818-3 standard (MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III).
| ! | MPEG-1 Audio Layer III |
| MP3 is a lossy audio comrpession format developed largely by Fraunhofer. It was one of the most popular encoding formats and supports a wide range of sampling rates, bit rates, channel configurations, as well as variable bitrate for more efficient encoding. It is used in a wide range of applications, from file recording, to RTP/SIP communication and radio streaming (Icecast). |
| E | Cautious configuration recommended |
| The MP3 element includes many options that require an in-depth understanding of audio encoding to correctly configure to configure properly. This is especially true of the Expert view options. Caution is advised when configuring these options. For most applications it is enough to set the desired bitrate and leave the other options untouched. |
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Nominal bitrate | Information field: Shows the current bitrate when the PIPE is active. |
| Encoding quality |
Dropdown: Selects the desired encoding complexity. The higher the chosen quality, the slower the encoding process is.
|
| Optimization target |
Dropdown: Selects whether the encoding is optimized for bitrate or audio quality.
|
| Constant bitrate (CBR) | Toggles whether constant ("On") or variable ("Off") bitrate is used. |
| Bitrate | Sets the bitrate in kbit/s. Note that you can use the selector to the right (⇒) to select one of the common bitrates. |
| VBR quality | (Only active if Constant bitrate (CBR) is “Off", and Optimization target set to “Quality”) Sets the targeted quality with variable bitrate. The higher the number, the higher the bitrate and quality. |
| Strict ISO compliance (bit buffer size) | Toggles whether ISO compliance for bit buffer size is enforced. |
| Strict ISO compliance (24 kHz scalefactor bands) | Toggles whether ISO compliance for scalefactor bands is enforced. |
| Use bit reservoir | Toggles the use of a bit reservoir. When the bit reservoir is enabled ("On"), the encoding becomes faster and more efficient, but connection issues cause more dropouts and/or audible cracks. |