Hi Robbie, a couple of comments on the recent 050107 MMDigest:


>>[ JPEG compression is intended primarily for continuous tone images,
>>[ whereas GIF encoding is best for line drawings.  GIF means "Graphic
>>[ Interchange Format".  If dimension information must be preserved
>>[ then a newer non-proprietary encoder called PNG (for "Portable
>>[ Network Graphics") gives equal performance.


GIF encoding works well for line drawings because it can only store
information on 256 colors.  Each individual color is stored as a 24-bit
value (8 bits red, 8 bits blue, 8 bits green).  It can also render gray
scale images quite well as well as simple color images.


>>[ You're correct, the MIDI data file contains time information,
>>[ actually stored as measures and beats along with metronome
>>[ information.  The program that plays the MIDI file reads the
>>[ metronome setting and the meter (3/4 or 4/4, etc.) to determine
>>[ how fast to play the music.


In a Standard MIDI File (SMF) the timing information for a given event
is stored as the number of 'ticks' since the last event.  It is up to
the program that reads the file to convert that information to measures
and beats based on parameters in the file header as well as the tempo
map (if it exists).


>>[ The native Cakewalk "WRK" file stores the on-time and the duration
>>[ of the event, whereas standard MIDI files (SMF) store the on-time
>>[ and off-time (or equivalent) as separate events.  The Cakewalk WRK
>>[ file is much larger than a MID file but editing the data is quicker.


Are you sure about this?  I would image that when Cakewalk loads an SMF
it converts it into its internal representation ( on-time + duration)
and then when writing the file converts either to .WRK or .MID as
directed by the user.  .WRK files are larger because they contain much
more 'state' information about the Cakewalk editing session.

Regards,
John Haskey

 [ Maybe I confused Cakewalk with Master Tracks or Performer.  One of
 [ those venerable MIDI file editing programs stores on-time + duration
 [ in its native format.  -- Robbie