Sound Quality.

all the pieces in recording add up to make the final sound.
of course the quality of the sound card is important and monitors if you use them.

I have asked this question before in terms of how I mix and what every one has to listen to it.
I make several CDs of varying mixes and sound levels and play them in my truck, home stereo, the work computer.
each CD sounds different. I am still wondering what I should mix to.

but then an interesting topic came up on another site.

most music listened to these days is downloaded mp3. an mp3 is a very limited copy of your song compressed heavily.
in compression some things are just left off. so what you recorded will not be heard.

so now what do we do?

I try and use the best equipment I can afford o want to invest in at the levelI am recording.
the more I record the more I hear and then can determione if my 200 dollar mike is ok or should I get the 600 dollar mike.

but that mp3 thing has me in a tissey.

Hi Saber
It is not Audacity or other recording SW that has sound quality limitations.
They normally work "internally" with wave file format and the best bitrate and resolution your soundcard can give. When you export the mix to .mp3 you will reduce the quality.
The mic input on most standard PC soundcards are bad and should not be used, the line inputs are normally rather good and can be used.
A separate mic preamplifier or a mixer with balanced mic inputs is therefore a good investment and not that expensive. And you can get a semipro dynamic or condenser mic for good price.
/Kalle