dburns
How do you activate the new encoder?
 

It just is.
Export your audio, select mp3 as your export format.
 

Thanks

Cactus Music
Will it just now work in the latest update or do we have to do something? 
 
I've always just been cheap and use the batch converter in Gold Wave. I wonder if Wave Lab will also activate the encoder? And Flac does not work on many players like my car stereo and USB flash drive systems etc. 

It's built into 04.2017. You won't need to do anything.
 
Users on older versions will still need to run the activator.

I've never paid for mp3 encoding outright as Creative products include it. They also include basic audio editing and format conversion utilities, some of which are free downloads.
 
Is there a trick to Sonar's "new" converter? Just tried it but it doesn't work. File was created but won't play.

you can always rip a CD using windows media player and convert WAV to MP3 if your in a bind. (Those who don't have the converter).

LAME can be configured in SONAR ...
 

My money was indeed refunded for the purchase.  Thanks Cakewalk Support for noticing us, Senpai!
 

The Grim

Zargg

Soundwise
Great news! Although it's long overdue to switch to OGG and/or FLAC.

I've used FLAC for a year or so, and Am much happier with it, compared to MP3.

Cactus Music
 
And Flac does not work on many players like my car stereo and USB flash drive systems etc. 

 
 
 
and isn't flac lossless, and therefor more comparable to a .wav than an mp3 which is 'lossy'

I believe it is.
Even I can hear a difference between MP3 and FLAC in my room..
(or at least I think I can)

Apologies if this has been covered (skimmed some posts, read the MP3 entry in the Knowledge Based link).
 
So if I update to the latest version it will include (and automagically unlock with no extra user input) an MP3 encoder?
 
Would this be the Cakewalk MP3 encoder (or preinstalled LAME or something different, etc)?
 
Will we be able to download for free the Cakewalk MP3 encoder now independent of whatever version we are using
 
eg: If I'm using Manchester or X1 or 8.5 or whatever can I now just download the Cake MP3 encoder and use it in those earlier incarnations?
 
But yeah... that's cool.

Zargg

The Grim

Zargg

Soundwise
Great news! Although it's long overdue to switch to OGG and/or FLAC.

I've used FLAC for a year or so, and Am much happier with it, compared to MP3.

Cactus Music
 
And Flac does not work on many players like my car stereo and USB flash drive systems etc. 

 
 
 
and isn't flac lossless, and therefor more comparable to a .wav than an mp3 which is 'lossy'

I believe it is.
Even I can hear a difference between MP3 and FLAC in my room..
(or at least I think I can)

Its unfortunate that MP3 is a more widely supported format than FLAC.  Most stock cellular devices will do OGG and MP3 by default, but you need a visit to an app store to download VLC media player to enjoy FLAC's beneifts.  MP3 also, in the same application, MP3 fits along a packet stream a lot nicer than an FLAC.  But production wise, FLAC is rock-solid.  If I need a space-saver, my downloaded sample library gets batch transcoded through sox, to FLAC.  A 20 GB WAV sample library will compress nicely to just under 5 GB using FLAC with no lossy encoding.