Upgrading MP3 Encoder?

It is pretty expensive compared to the cost of MC (nb. it depends on your version of MC)
http://www.cakewalk.com/Support/newfaq.asp#5

There are quite a few freeware mp3 encoders. It really is not that much work to create wav files and then encode the mp3s. I am a commandline type so LAME is my choice http://lame.sourceforge.net/index.php . I am not familiar with MC but other CW products will integrate freeware encoders into the GUI to seamlessly create mp3s from inside the app skipping the wav step.

ORIGINAL: benney

Hello scook... Any chance of details as to how to install it within CMC3 so it can be used directly via CMC3 please. My encoder time is near the end of it's demo period as well.

From my previous post

I am not familiar with MC

In other CW products a menu option in the Tools menu provides the ability to add an external encoder. The install disk also has information on how to integrate tools like LAME. This may not be the case with MC, I just do not know. You could try contacting tech support.

Integration while handy is not really necessary, just export wavs and encode with an external tool.

ORIGINAL: benney

several other applications that i use for creating music have the encoder built in and fully operational with no update required and all for around the same price as CMC3.

That is actually one of the benefits of the CakeWalk product line. They do not make you buy the mp3 license everytime you buy one of their products. With CW you have the option of buying the license one time and the use it in all of their products. The MC3 mp3 license can be used to unlock mp3 encoding in SONAR Home Studio or SONAR should one ever decide to upgrade to one of those products. Other products that bundle mp3 encoding force you to pay for the license with every product.

This issue has been discussed to death, a quick search of the forums will bubble up some lengthy threads on the issue. CW does not hide the fact that the licensing fee is extra and there are numerous alternatives. For an entry level product, there is a lot of value packed into MC, a free mc3 encoding license is not one of them.

No apology necessary. I was just trying to explain the rationale behind the licensing issue.

There are several ways to look at the mp3 licensing issue. Just search the forum and you will find some very long threads on the subject. Some people get really upset that even the $$$ flagship product SONAR only comes with a 30 day mp3 license and adding the cost of the license to SONAR would not materially affect the price of the product.

The point is, CW made a business decision not to force everyone to pay for the mp3 license, it is optional. If they bundled the license in each product, then everytime you bought one of their products or upgrades you would also be forced into paying another mp3 license fee. What CW has elected to do, is sell a perpetual license separately to those that want to buy it. Years ago, CW did bundle the license with their products. If you bought one of those products, because of the current licensing scheme, that license still unlocks the mp3 encoder in the current product line. I know because I overpaid for my copy of Pro Audio 9 (a long story) and still use the mp3 license in SONAR and PROJECT 5.

I understand budgets. It is incredible what can be had for very little money today. There are many very good free and low cost recording solutions available. Sometimes it is cheaper to burn a little time, say getting proficient with a command line tool than spend the cash for convenience. The good thing is that we have choices.

I've found and downloaded a FREE wav to mp3 encoder and it works beautifully. It's really not a big deal to export the wav file using MC3 and then go outside the program to covert the wav to mp3 format. So, I'll pass on the CW encoder upgrade for now........at least until it becomes necessary. I'll just invest this savings in to other studio gear........

Thanks for all the help given........it is appreciated!