Aficionados of music and other sound can appreciate the opportunity to edit and create new MP3 cuts at will. Unfortunately, many programs designed for this purpose have to decompress MP3s to PCM first, wasting time and resulting in quality reduction after editing is finished. With mp3DirectCut, users can edit tracks according to preference without any quality downgrade or waiting.

mp3DirectCut is rich with features and easy to use. Since it works with cue sheets, users can section files into pieces according to cue positions, which also means that recording and encoding to MP3 format is a breeze. In addition to its list of features, mp3DirectCut is fully functional after a simple installation.

Upon first opening mp3DirectCut, users are shown a configuration tab that allows easy language customization, file editing, encoder settings, mouse actions and more. Even input and output devices can be adjusted, and the interface itself can be changed to user preference, which is valuable for users who want to improve the readability of graphs, cursors and cues.

Users can choose between the keyboard and the mouse for editing, and either one can be used independently from the other. All functions display their uses upon mouse-over, which reduces confusion for new users. Loading files to edit brings up a dialog that displays all pertinent data, such as decibels and track length. Cropping of tracks is easily accomplished to eliminate unwanted introductions and endings.

mp3DirectCut features a wide variety of special editing features, including gain, pause detection, normalization and fade. Users can even record vinyl records with the right equipment. While this may produce certain distortions, it's an impressive feature nonetheless.

In conclusion, mp3DirectCut does everything it's supposed to do without any unnecessary bulk. As a free program that includes plenty of welcome features, it has a definite edge over many similar applications.