Recording Tips -

Before, During and After.

1. Introduction
2. Pre - Production
3. Recording
4. Mixing
5. Mastering

1. Introduction
Talking about the recording process is a little bit like jumping into a fire.
There are so many differing opinions on the subject, that you are sure to have someone who wants to pick holes in everything you say.
My tips are here to genuinely help you save as much money as possible in the production costs of recording.
My 'Hands On' experience comes from over 10,000 hours in main stream recording studios and probably double that in my home computer based studio.

I've met guys who have very little and cheap equipment, who get fantastic results and others with a gazillion dollars worth of the latest gear, who quite frankly have no idea how to use it. It sounds wonderful, but terrible at the same time.
You can hear the quality of the equipment just oozing out of the speakers, but the mix interpretation is awful.
To my mind, it all boils down to the 'Quality Of The Performance', more so than the quality of the sound.
It doesn't work the other way round.
Great sound, but a terrible or lack lustre performance amounts to zip in the final product.

I guess to a degree I am giving you a musicians perspective as well which is often overlooked by Recording Engineers who just won't let you contribute, cause they know best.
My best advice here is to always try to keep an open mind about sound.
You will see what I mean when you revisit a mix after not hearing it for a few days.
 
If you can get the sound quality good as well, then it's a bonus, but there is no reason why you can't get a high quality product with vastly cheaper equipment was ever possible in the past.
I remember sitting in a studio in Sydney (then with about $2 million dollars worth of equipment) and dreaming about an ultimate studio.
Well I can tell you that the computer based equipment you can buy today is far superior to anything I could have dreamed of and you can set up a very spiffy studio, for about $10-15 grand. (depending on your needs)
The muso seems to be wearing more and more hats these days.
I try to see things from all perspectives, as I have also worn many hats in the process.

My starting point is usually to try and be as transparent as possible.
In other words I'm trying to capture the exact sound of the artist, rather than an electronic interpretation of the same.
Sometimes I have to admit that there seem to be an awful lot of engineers (especially live) who have no idea what an acoustic guitar actually sounds like up close. I can only say it must be some time since they listened to what an acoustic guitars actually sound like in a room unplugged, without the electronics in between.
Most acoustic guitars I've ever played have a nice well rounded sound and certainly not some mid range high end electronic mess bleeding out the speakers.
Try to be transparent and faithfully reproduce the sound of the artist/self.
You can always enhance it further in the mix.
A good recording engineer to me, is one that gives me the music without the electronics. Keep it simple. You don't have to use it, just because you have one.
Similarly I could say, that I have heard mixes that are technically correct, but still don't sound musical. This is where I think musicians do have an edge when it comes to being the recording engineer as well, because they generally have a more musical mix ear.
This can be a problem too because if you get drummers with their own studios the drums are always a bit loud, and so it goes for bass players, guitarists, etc.
We deal with this is the mixing section.

The principles of sound are the same no matter where you are, so it is simply a matter of applying the same principles everywhere you go and you should at least be in the ball park as a starting point.
My ball park is Zero, because everything in digital is based around zero.

There are literally millions of sound variables at one location, let alone the millions of equipment variables in the process and so I'm not going to get into that rave.

My aim is to pass on some of the things I've learned along the way, (after numerous cattle prods from my friends) so lets get stuck in shall we.

2. Pre - Production

In the lead up to the big day, there are a whole bunch of things that you can do to make the actual recording day a triumph, whether it be at home, in a main stream studio, or live.

Step 1.
Rehearse the songs and arrangements till you can play them backwards in your sleep, BEFORE you walk into the studio or on stage.

You might think that this is obvious, but you have no idea how many times I"ve been at a recording session where the er.. musos, just simply haven't practiced the songs they are going to record.
This is fine if you have your own studio, but if you are paying $20-200 p/hr for studio time, it gets kinda expensive, just to rehearse.
Of course the nice relaxed recording engineer is hoping you'll soak up all your time messin' around, before he has to do anything.
After all, he doesn't mind watching you rehearse, he still gets paid and he also knows that the longer you take, the more likely you are to run over budget.
More money for the studio.
I know this sounds hard, but you really are wasting a lot of peoples time and money (including your own) walking into a studio unrehearsed and ill prepared.
What to do? Step 2.
I guess I could also talk about getting enough sleep the night before, eating the right foods etc., because all of these things, can have a big baring on the final outcome.
I have heard lots of 'Performances' that are spot on musically, but still sound tired and lifeless.
If a track isn't sounding right it is nearly always because of 'the performance'.
This can be especially evident in vocals.
So forget the big night out before studio day.
Save it for the big 'listen to the final master' party at the end of it all.



The difference between Demos and Finals!!

I have often said, the only difference between a Demo take and a Final take are ....
the DETAILS.

With this in mind, you have to ask yourself what you hope to achieve from your session.
If the recordings are for 'Your Own Preview of Songs', checking arrangements, harmonies, instrumentation of parts, to see how they work together ...... that's a Demo, generally NOT for public consumption.
 
Most of the time vocals and an accompanying instrument, are enough to work out these sorts of things.
Sometimes I just put up one mic, for vocals and guitar, to quickly work out arrangements etc.
In fact, this is pretty much all I need or want, if someone wants me to produce a song for them.
In some cases I want to make my own interpretation of a song without being influenced by someone else's big production number.
I like to hear a song in its rawest form, straight from the heart of the composer and then I figure out how best to use the rest of the instruments in the band (if it's a band) or what instruments to use on the song, if it is a Solo Artist.
That in itself is the Producers job.
He/She should have a fair idea of the way the whole song should sound, before you record it. If the Producer is you 'Start thinking about it'.

Every time someone hands you a CD and says 'it's only a Demo', I can guarantee that straight after that, you will hear a string of excuses about the recording they want you to listen to.

A Final take, is just a few extra hours work more than a Demo (if you are fully prepared).
You could also say it is a recording of the Demo with all the excuses fixed.

This brings me to tuning.
You have no idea how much of a difference it can make to a track, when all of the instruments are perfectly tuned, individually and collectively.
I would rather spend extra time tuning up, no matter how frustrating it may be for others waiting.
Take your time and get it spot on, before you lay down each track.
Don't rush or crowd your fellow musician into hurrying with the tuning process.
When you are all done individually, 'Check to make sure you are collectively in tune'.
If you think I'm harping on tuning ... you are right, because I really want this message to sink in.

Make the effort.
Take a few extra minutes.
Get it right before they push the record button.
Something else I can guarantee you about tuning.
Your performance will be better as well as your sounds, making for a much higher level of inspiration to play.
The sounds you are making with your instrument inspire you when you are in tune and are just hard work when you are not.
There is nothing worse than having a MAGIC take, except for the dude who was out of tune.
Yes I know you can fix these things in post production these days with pitch shifting and all, but if you are anything like me I would prefer to know that it was me playing those sounds, not the machine fixin' them for me.

Get as much of the shoulda, woulda, coulda, sorted before you get into the studio.

Each musician should know the exact arrangement of the song.
Each musician should know their part inside out, including harmonies and solos.
Each musician should be perfectly tuned, individually and collectively.
If not, it's just a Demo.... Remember  ... Details

Even in my home studio I follow these rules almost instinctively now, because I know that ultimately, it saves me more time than it does when I'm not prepared.
Most of the time it is so much easier and faster to do another take, than it is to try and fix it in the mix with cut, paste and re-pitch etc.
Why spend half an hour trying to fix something, that you can do again in 5 minutes?
Performance once again!

To Jam or Not to Jam in the studio!

This is another hot potato topic, but experience tells me that Jams are a hit or miss affair. Mostly miss.
You might strike gold with a Jam, but in the majority of cases it is good, but no cigar.
The best Jam results I've ever heard, are where the musicians already know the song backwards and they Jam it out from there.
This eliminates the likelihood of a giant stuff up by someone and expanding on what you already know, can produce mighty fine results.

So in my humble opinion, by all means Jam, but do it with songs you already know if you want to end up with the best result in one take.

This is a little bit subjective of course, because what sounds good to me, might sound terrible to you and visa versa, so lets call it a general observation over a few decades.
It's the sort of thing you could try AFTER you have all the essential stuff down for your recording, so it won't matter so much if it doesn't have quite the Magic you were hoping for.
If you have plenty of time and money, Jam away till your hearts content.

My tips are about trying to save you money in the studio or at least utilize the time you do have, so you get the biggest bang for your buck so to speak, in productivity.

If you want to carve a path towards being a recording session musician, all of these tips are expected of you and unless you are an exceptionally good player, you might be waiting a while for the phone to ring again for your next session.
When the studio is paying you a session fee, the last thing they want is an unprofessional time waster.
Funny how their attitude is different when it's your money, not theirs.
Treat all recording the same way and you will see a big jump in productivity.
If you want to mess around with stuff, allocate 'Messing Round Time' and leave it till then.

3. Recording - Tips for the Home Studio/Live Mixer.

Testing, Testing, Wahrn twoo.
Oddly enough it's not a bad way to test your line levels.
The 'Wahrn' gives you the general line level and the 'two' always tends to give us the peaks. A bit like a sneeze. Ahhh Chooo.  The Choo is always louder than the Ahh.
At the risk of assuming a whole bunch of things here, lets go straight to line levels.
(this does not account for multi-band EQ, compressors, etc that you can put in a channel or on the output.)

On a mixer. (Same goes for Live mixing)
Set up all of the Input level faders to zero.
Set the Output Master level faders to zero.
Set all EQ's to 12 O'clock or half way.
Now adjust the Trim/Gain pot on each channel (generally found right up the top of the channel), until the peak levels on the output meters are reading approx -12db.
Adjust your EQ to suit and then do one last check of the output levels adjusting the Trim/gain pot again to -12db.

Why -12db?

The main reason, is because there are a whole bunch of transient harmonics (or nuances) included in the main signal that are whizzing by, faster than the meter can read.
These are often higher peaks than that of the main signal going into each channel.
By leaving from -12db to zero free, you are giving the equipment sufficient headroom to deal with the transients and not distorting them unnecessarily, by pushing the unseen transients through zero.
This also leaves us with the widest possible Dynamic Range.
The Dynamic Range is from absolute silence up to 0db on the meters.
In a band or multitrack situation with all channels firing, the collective channels will be most likely be nudging zero on the output meters anyway, even if you've adjusted each individual channel correctly.
If you have a good mix, but are still punching through zero, then reduce EVERY channel fader by 5 db, until you are achieving ideally -12db on the whole mix output meters. Don't touch those Master Faders. Leave them at zero

That's the accepted standard anyway, but I quite often set the master output meters around -8db without any real noticeable difference in sound quality.
We don't want the peak outputs going through zero especially, in a digital environment, arguably not so important in an analogue environment, but I would suggest that you still have to be losing some of your dynamic range.
Suffice to say that this should give you a cleanest sound possible out of your equipment, with the largest possible dynamic range.

In a 'Live' situation (assuming your power amps are near flat out), if the vocals can't get over the band amplifiers and drums, there is only one instant solution.
The band has to turn down the volume, because the P.A. can't go any louder without seriously affecting the output quality. If the band doesn't want to turn down, then the only solution is to buy a PA at least twice, maybe three times bigger than the one they have.
Most of the time you just have to make do with what you have and try to make a happy compromise, by turning down 'a little bit' and pushing the PA 'a little bit'.

In a home studio we are only concerned with nice healthy line levels on our recording at this stage, not the mix, that's later.
With most computer Audio interfaces these days you can see the levels of each track being transferred, as you record.
If you are multi-tracking, it doesn't matter if one instrument sounds loud compared to any other, we do that when we mix.
Single tracking is a bit easier, cause you don't have so many tracks to keep an eye on.
We are only concerned with None of the signal on each channel going through zero, 'On the visual track of the Audio on your computer based system'.
If you don't have a computer based system then stick to the -12~ -8db principal and you can't go too far wrong.

Ideally, your session  should go something like this.
You walk in set up your gear, tune up and the recording engineer, goes around setting up mics that are suitable for each instrument sound as well as line inputs where required.
You can buy a couple of dozen mics that will cover the entire frequency spectrum, with specific characteristics to deal with bass drum, bass, vocals, horns, guitars etc., but you might be surprised with the results you can get from a couple of shure SM57~58's and a Rode or AKG mic for vocals or acoustics.
Next.
You all play through the track once or twice while you (the 'Recording Engineer') checks that all the levels are about where they should be.
You are then ready to record the track.
Do 2 or 3 takes and if you've all rehearsed your bits properly before recording, they should all be good, except that one take, will stand out from the others, by having that certain 'magic' about it, that the other takes don't quite have.
Now record any additional instrumentation and solos for the track.
Do a guide vocal at the same time as the band track.
Put on the harmonies and then go back and do the final vocals.
I usually do it this way, because I've found that vocalists tend to sing better when everything else is cookin' and as vocals should always sit on top of the mix, take the time to get them spot on.
OK.
So now we have our Recording, lets talk about the mix. (In Part 2)

Recording Tips Part 2

4. Mixing

This another mine field.
We all have different tastes when mixing.
In a general sense, we are trying to make each instrument clear in the mix and not sounding like one instrument is competing to be heard, without another instrument masking it.

Normalize all the tracks first.

Before Normalizing

The same signal ... After Normalizing

In a digital world, or computer based recording system, the next step is to process each track one at a time, before we start the mix.
Most of the audio interfaces for computer like Pro Tools, Cubase, Logic, Cake Walk etc., have a feature called 'Normalize'.
Select a track, find Normalize and a new window will pop up.
Set the Output to 0 db and then process the track.
The result should be that the highest recorded peak should now be at zero.
If the highest recorded peak was at say -5db before, it will now be at zero, but the rest of the signal strength should have also increased by 5 db.
If your record level peak was less than -5 db, then next time better pay more attention to that Trim/Gain Pot on the channel, before hitting the record button.
Here is an example of a stereo signal that was way down on signal strength on one side (top signal) and still not strong enough on the other (bottom signal).


Sometimes this can be very tricky, especially with microphones and vocalists attacking the mic from different distances and angles.
Try to get them to stand in one position behind the mic.
In fact, get the sweet spot for their voice and glue their shoes to the floor, or mark an x with gaffa tape. (what else ha ha.)

Sometimes the only solution is to introduce a compressor limiter on the channel while recording, to iron out major peaks, but even then I would suggest mild compression. If you don't have a compressor for this, the only other solution is to ride the channel fader while recording. If all your tracks are peaking out then it's time to go back and adjust those trim/gain pots on your mixer.

Signal to noise ratios
In effect what we are trying to achieve is the best signal to noise ratio.
It's not so much of a problem these days, but it still exists in various forms and to get pristine sound, we need the noise levels down as much as possible.
By noise I mean, electronic noise, buzzing guitar leads etc.
The noises made by the equipment when no instrument signal is coming through.
It's the noise you can hear when you turn up your system as loud as it can go.
If it is still dead silent then you are lucky to have good equipment, although you can still get it on good gear too.
It could be anything from a poor quality guitar lead with hum to a faint hiss.
If its a bad lead replace it. If you have hum, try to eliminate it by moving power sources away from guitar leads etc.
Yes, even power cords next to a guitar lead can cause induction from the power lead into the other leads nearby.
Sometimes it's just a case of moving leads around or using different leads and the hum goes.
If you still can't get rid of it, invest in a hum eliminator.
That's extra noise that you are recording.
This noise is often masked by a much louder signal, so you don't hear it as easily, but it is still there.
This is what noise gates are about, but once again, we should be trying to get as little noise from the equipment as possible, so that the signal is pure and we don't have to use a noise gate at all.
It is more electronics and would you believe, I have heard some very noisy, noise gates.
If we have a very low signal and we normalize the track, then as we are increasing the overall level, so the noise level (background noise) will be increasing as well.
(See figures above)

On a one track basis this might not seem very important, but on multiple stereo tracks adding their individual noise to the mix, it can make the overall sound a bit muddy, but you can't quite put your finger on where it's coming from.
I even go through each track to cut and mute the track where it is supposed to be silent.
Just eliminate anything right up to and after the que point of signal for the track and instantly your mix will sound a lot cleaner. No noise gate required.
So away we go with the mix.
The plan fact is, that for a good recording, every instrument should be able to be heard in its own space, none more so, than the vocals.
If a line or two here and there don't quite stand up in accapella mode, you really should consider dropping in on those lines or recording a few takes of vocals, because when you get to the offending line on one track, you can swap to a more pleasing version, on one of the other vocal takes.
The vocals are generally sitting on top of the mix.
They should be clear and legible no matter what else is going on underneath with other instrumentation or harmonies.
If you have harmony parts I usually mix them first and then slot the main vocal over the top.
Next is drums or percussion.
I do drums because quite often the drums can over power the vocals, so I line them up under the vocals and then mute the vocal tracks and start adding the other instruments.
As bass and drums are very much part of the rhythm section, I go in and set up the bass. Then we add the guitar/s and keyboards if any etc., until all the elements are in and they all blend nicely together as a band.
Then I un-mute the vocal tracks and we should be in the ball park.
I often find myself tweaking the whole band instrumentation back 2-3 db and there she sits.
This is where it all becomes arbitrary because some people like more bass or more guitar or whatever in the mix.
The reality is, that sometimes you are trying to satisfy everyones tastes in just one mix.
Hence remixes.
One day I heard someone get so frustrated they said ' turn everything up louder than everything else'.
It gets like that some times.
A general stereo mix that gives reasonable separation is this.
Let's say we have vocals, harmonies, 2 guitars, bass and drums.
Bass is generally in the middle as are the main vocals.
Drums are left and right or fairly close to the set that the drummer hears when playing. Snare and bass drum, in the middle, hi hat off slightly to one side, toms slightly to the other side. One guitar left, the other right, hard left and right .... up to you really.
Harmonies slightly left and right of centre, and if you want really big vocals, you can try multi tracking the harmonies a few times singing exactly the same thing.
That way you can put all the vocal harmonies spread over left and right.
Sounds huge on the recording. A little difficult to reproduce on stage.
Experiment is the key here.
If at all possible, you should try to mix on a completely different day to the recording day.
A fresh set of ears (so to speak) can make a world of difference to the mix.
Sometimes I will deliberately leave the mixing for a couple of days, because you can easily get listener fatigue.
After hearing the same track so many times, you can't hear anything anymore.
Another little trick I use, is to walk outside the mixing room, so that you can only just hear the playback. You will be surprised how easy it is to pick up on something that is just too loud in the mix.
Mix at a low volume, because if it sounds good at a low volume, it will sound wonderful at a higher volume.
It doesn't always carry the opposite way round.
The mixing levels routine (Live) is similar to the recording one.
We don't want any of the master 2 track output going thru zero.
As before, if you like the mix but are zapping zero, you have simply reduce EVERY channel by the same amount each. This time we are aiming for just under zero as our highest output peaks rather than -12db.
Last but not least, I put the mix through a pair of crappy little $5 speakers to see how it sounds. You should also listen to a MONO mix of the track. If you can hear all the instruments clearly and balanced properly in mono, you have a good mix. Then flip to STEREO and it should be magic. Dolby Stereo 5.1 is another animal, so I'll leave that for another time, but the principles are the same. Did you know that the majority of songs are played through small speakers in cars, mobiles, cheap stereos and small computer speakers.
Once again the principle stays.
Sounds good through these type of speakers and it will sound incredible through a good system.
Small speakers are another great way to check for instruments that are just a whisker too loud or soft.
Happy with the mix on all levels and tests.
Great ... now we are ready for mastering the final product.

But Wait..... Where's the EQ (Frequency EQualization)
Well folks... It's all debatable isn't it.
I call it the Frequently, Frequented, Frequency Debate!

Some people like more bass, others more treble, others more mids.
If you are completely 'Frazzled by EQ', I have made up a quick guide for you to down load showing the instruments and their relevant frequencies, as well as a note frequency guide that may be helpful.
As it is an integral part of mastering as well as mixing, so zip over and grab it before we get on with the mastering process.

EQ tweeker guide.pdf (Right Click and Save)

Instrument Frequencies Guide.pdf (Right Click and Save)

Note Frequencies.pdf (Right Click and Save)

 Recording Tips Part 3

Frequencies and Equalization (EQ)

Mastering.

Mixing and Mastering sort of go hand in hand.
You can make a bad mix sound good with Mastering, but how much better it would have been, if the mix was good in the first place.
Many many moons ago, I hustled and hustled to go to the record company that was doing the mastering for a vynyl record we had just recorded.
The record company said OK, on the basis that I watch and say nothing.
Just let the guy get on with his job.
Me being me, my curiosity could stop me from asking questions about what he was doing. Fortunately for me the guy was more than happy to ramble on, as he went about mastering the tracks.
Fact is, nothing much has changed except for some fancy new gear that we could only dream of in those days.
Then along came the loudness maximizer.

Before I get into Loudness Maximization, let me go back a little.
Before you consider the overall Mastering of the track, first get your Mix sounding as close to perfect as you can. (it will never be perfect, so all I do is ask myself if I can live with it the way it is.)
In Mastering we are no longer considering things like the volume of the guitar, or vocals, or any other instrument.
That's part of the mixing process and if something is not right, go back and fix it best you can, before starting the mastering process.
In Mastering we are no longer listening to the song, we are listening to the overall frequency ranges and how they are responding.
It's not so much that the bass guitar is too loud anymore, it's .. Are the overall bass frequencies too loud/soft, or maybe there are other frequencies that need a push or a shove up or down.
We are aiming for a flat response across all the frequencies.
This gives us the best chance to hear each instrument clearly and also gives us the greatest dynamic range in the overall sound quality.
There are lots of different things you can do with all sorts of enhancement equipment.
They are wonderful gizmos if you know how to use them, but I still somehow prefer to use the least number of gizmos as possible, perhaps more so on an acoustic recording.
Syths require a different mindset and so I tend to just experiment with sounds rather than go for transparency.
Meanwhile, back at our acoustic / electric mix of 2 acoustic guitars, electric bass acoustic drums and vocals, we should now have a mix that is sitting just under 0db and none of the signals are going through zero.
You can achieve amazing results in a home studio with just a few mastering tools.
I use Cubase with a mastering plug in called iOzone.
I have already done my best to get a great dynamic range in my mix, but now I go mess with the EQ compression. You really shouldn't have to compress or expand any of the frequencies by more than shall we say mildly, if you've done a good mix. Once again we don't want to hear the electronics working hard, if at all.
I gave a mix of mine to someone to master for me, cause he had this whizz bang gear. I was curious to see what sort of result he could get.
When I got the mix back, I could plainly hear the quality of his equipment working on all the frequencies at once, but I couldn't listen to it for long.
It was drenched in electronics.
If he'd used it lightly, I can imagine it would have really given the whole track a lift, but because I could hear the electronics working overtime, it totally destroyed my mix. Gently does it, is the order of the day with frequency compression and expansion.
Once we are happy with the overall frequency balance we go for Loudness Maximization.
I set the limiter to -0.1db.
I then turn up the gain by no more than 5db.
This gives you around the best compromise between loudness and loss of dynamic range. You do lose a small amount of dynamic range, but it is negligible.
More than 5db will certainly make it louder, but in my opinion you start to hear those losses the louder you make it.
You can even set it 20 db louder than zero, but it sounds terrible to me.
Quite often I get a CD that has been Mastered properly and see if my mix is around the same volume.
It should be. If not try to match it, so long as you don't have to push it much further than 5db.
You are just polishing up the overall sound of the mix.
Getting the best possible frequency range and volume out of a track, is what Mastering is all about. Simple as that.

Exporting your Final Master

The next stage is exporting the Final Mastered file into various formats, ready for CD manufacture, mp3's for the web and a host of other mediums.
CD Manufactured tracks play back at a rate of 16bit / 44.1kHz. and at Red Book Standard. This is the International Audio Standard for CD's.
It is best to discuss the output requirements with your CD manufacturer, before exporting the files to them.
We can burn all sorts of file standards on our computers, but they need to be the correct type of files for manufacturing, or else the CD won't play properly in a standard consumer CD player.
The track is coded with an industry standard code and the CD player has built in Industry standard file decoders.
Codec is short for COde and DECode. The file code type is built into the file. The decode file is built into the CD player.
This is why some of the older model CD players won't play MP3 files you may burn to disc, off your computer. No built in decoder for MP3.
The MP3 codec wasn't around when they CD player was built although I notice Mp3 CD players seem to be more common in car builds these days.
Same goes for .WAV files although most CD manufacturers these days can convert these and many other types of files for you. You can also have trouble playing CD-RW discs in various CD players for similar reasons.
These days they include many more of the popular file type decoders when they manufacture the players.
Mac users can breath easy most of the time as they already use .aiff files as a standard for audio.
(aiff stands for Audio Interchange Format File) Even so, you can still have an aif file that does not comply with what is needed. CD-RW discs being one of them.
MP3 files are very popular these days, because you can achieve all sorts of standards with it and the file sizes are much smaller than a lot of other file types.
They are typically used for the internet, ipods, mobile phones etc., because of the small file size.
There is another advantage to Mp3's in that you can playback in all sorts of sample rates whereas CD's are only 16 bit / 44.1KHz.
Higher sample rates mean better quality audio and most professional studios use at least 24bit / 96kHz sample rate to record with. (One day this will probably become the standard for consumer gear. )
They then use a dither down program like UV22 or similar, to convert back to CD standard 16/44.1. This does make for a finer recording, but you can still get very acceptable results recording at 16/44.1.
After all that's what we hear all day long on the radio and TV.
Everything is going HD these days, so I don't think it will be long before the audio standard is lifted to go with it. TV stations already use higher standards and Radio can't be far behind as well as higher standard CD's. The only thing in the way is the millions of CD players that are still at 16bit/44.1kHz.
Methinks planned obsolescence .... hmmmm.
Digital sound has come of age in terms of quality.
Many moons ago you could have said that tape had a higher resolution than digital, but I think that they have gone way past tape resolution now, so we can't really make that claim any more.
It is similar to photographic resolution of 2700 dots per inch on film resolution.
Computers can easily exceed 2700 dots per inch these days and the printers are a far cry from the old dot matrix printer I used to own.
What to make of all this?
CD manufacture ........ 16bit / 44.1kHz (talk to the manufacturer)
Mp3's ..... for a CD to play in a Cd player with the Mp3 Codec. 16/24bit (bit rate), 8k mono to 192k stereo (sample rate). It will play them all but I'll stick with 16/44 stereo at the moment.
MP3's for the web are a slightly different story and I still provide small files at the best quality I can get. I do this because even a small file of only 2 Meg can take up to 10 minutes to download for the guy/gal on dial up. Although the situation is changing the majority of people using the net, are still on dial up. (please remember that Mr Webmaster)
This way I try to provide 2 files. A really small file for dial up, or a higher resolution file for those who want better quality.
The absolute smallest I've been able to go in mp3 file size without losing to much audio quality is at 96k/bits/44.1kHz stereo with a sample rate of 32kHz.
But of course, if you want to output a much higher resolution with sound you can do so, without the same file growing to much more than 10 Meg.
Your original stereo master file size, may well have been up around 40 or 50 Meg.
I have had fairly good results with the above rates for ipod and mobiles as well.
Some audio burning software (like Toast or Jam) have built in converters that automatically convert your file appropriately before the burn.
Other programs like WaveLab are propose built for Mastering.

I hope this information has been useful to you.

If you have further questions give me a yell: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Cheers Pete.