There are two main output formats that Songtrix can produce with the Export Song process.

Midi Format

This is the format produced when you export to the MID File type.

Midi files are similar to song files, being composed of events which control a sound generator.

The limitations of this format (compared to the ChordWizard Song) means that some information, such as chords, scales and advanced events will be lost, but the sound of the performance itself will be identical.

Songtrix can be used to great advantage together with audio production software, using the export process to connect them.

You can use the Songtrix workspace as your main creative musical environment, to sketch out the structure, harmony and basic tracks of your composition.

Then you can export your song to Midi files, which can be accessed by audio production software, and supplemented with vocals, other audio tracks and effects to create a polished final mix.

Any time your original song changes, you simply export it again, so the changes flow through to your audio production project as well.

Wave Format

This is the format produced when you export to the WAV File or MP3 File type.  WAV files are used for burning CDs, while MP3 files are compressed for download or storage on portable players.

However both contain audio waveforms, and are the result of capturing the output of the current Midi device playing the content of the song.

The capture process requires that the audio output of the Midi device is available to the system.  This is usually the case for an internal sound card or software synthesizer, but not necessarily for an externally connected synthesizer or tone generator, unless its audio output is fed back into a Line In port on the computer.

The exact sound of Midi files (and songs) may vary depending on the Midi device used for playback, but when you create a wave file, you are capturing an exact waveform which will sound the same wherever it is played.  So make sure you use the best sounding Midi device you have available.

Waveform audio is much more data-intensive than the Midi events that produce it.  As a result, file sizes can become very large, particularly with the uncompressed WAV file format.

While it is easy to make changes to your song within Songtrix, it is almost impossible to change many aspects - such as chords, notes, tempo, voices and track levels - of a waveform file.

For this reason, exporting to a WAV or MP3 file is usually the final step in the production of a completed song, to create an audio master for distribution.