This month we have put a big effort into producing articles on MP3. The first is the general article on the MP3 format written by Jim Rowe and starting on page 6. The second, written by Greg Swain and starting on page 12, is more into the nitty-gritty of down-loading .WAV files and converting them into MP3 format. Finally, the third article by Peter Smith and starting on page 24, is the first of a series on building an MP3 player based on an old computer – not too old mind you, since it needs to be a 133MHz Pentium or better, with a big hard disk.

In spite of the vast amount of work that we have put into the MP3 articles in this issue, I have mixed feelings about MP3. On the one hand it is growing enormously in popularity as people use it to download and copy all sorts of music in a format which is potentially high quality, very compact and easy to play, although currently available portable MP3 players are an expensive item.

On the other hand, in the form that most people appear to use it, MP3 is the garbage music medium. In effect, it is the digital equivalent of the old tape cassette where ease of use won out over sound quality. In fact, most tape cassettes were recorded without the aid of Dolby noise reduction which was able to greatly improve the sound quality. And so it is today. MP3 is a potentially very good sound recording medium but is mostly used in the more mediocre modes where people get more recording time and less quality. Partly, people are forced into this situation by the limitations of the hard disk in their computer and the lack of speed of the internet.

So while some people will accuse me of being elitist, I hate the idea of a recording medium being used at far less than its optimum. So in spite of there being rough equivalence between the better modes of MP3 and CDs, CDs ARE much better than the more compressed forms of MP3.

We also have the interesting situation where audio manufacturers are pushing the CD medium to new highs with the development of SACD (Super Audio Compact Disc) and the DVD manufacturers are pushing the development of DVD Audio (ie, with six channels of digitally recorded audio). In the meantime, most of the population is supposedly quite happy to live with much more mediocre sound fare on MP3 and so on. I suppose there is a parallel here between high definition TV and the poor quality pictures that most of the population seem quite happy to watch.

I hope that as time goes on, MP3 will continue to be developed and that people gradually raise their listening standards to the full potential of the medium. It can provide a great listening experience – why not use it to the fullest?