When ripping a CD+G disc (or converting tracks from a format that do not contain an MP3 file) to a format that includes an MP3 file (like CDG+MP3) CDGFix 3 Super can use one of two MP3 encoders; Blade and Lame. The Blade encoder is quite simple in it's configuration, only allowing for selection of a fixed bitrate in the range 32 to 320 kbit/s.
Lame on the other hand has a more complex set of configuration options (see the Lame configuration page for details). Amongst others you can select between fixed and variable bitrate. While variable bitrate (VBR) normally gives a smaller size MP3 file since the encoder can select the at any point most appropriate bitrate (keeping the overall average bitrate at the selected level), it will introduce other problems.
CDGFix 3 Super uses the Microsoft Windows Multi Media Interface (MMI) for playback of the MP3 sound part of Karaoke tracks. Currently the MP3 media codecs available through MMI lack proper support for VBR MP3s. It is quite possible to play a Karaoke track with a VBR MP3 file with CDGFix 3 Super and MMI, but the total play time reported will be wrong. Typically MMI will report a play time that is far beyound the actual play time for the track. The reason for this is that the MMI MP3 codecs reads the first part of the MP3 file to determine the total play time, and this algorithm is based on an assumption that the MP3 file has a fixed bitrate. Since VBR normally results in a bitrate below average at the beginning of the MP3 file this calculation fails.
As said above VBR MP3s can be played correctly even if the total play time is reported wrong. What cannot be done, is pause and restart or reposition the player. For the same reason the play time calculation fails MMI will not be able to calculate the correct play back position after a restart or reposition in the player.
So if using VBR is a problem, why is the option at all available in the Lame configuration? Hopefully better MP3 codecs will be available to the MMI at a later time, and when so then CDGFix 3 Super will instantly through a quick reconfiguration be able to take advantage of this.