MIDI terminology

MIDI terminology
MIDI terms Control Change number Explanation
MSB = Most Significant Byte
Bank select 0  
Modulation 1  
Breath control 2  
Foot pedal 4 This foot pedal changes the pitch of notes. It is used to get a sitar type of effect.
Portamento 5  
Data entry 6  
Main volume 7  
Balance 8  
Pan 10  
Expression 11  
Effect-type selector #1 12  
Effect-type selector #2 13  
General purpose 1 16  
General purpose 2 17  
General purpose 3 18  
General purpose 4 19  
Bank select 32  
Modulation 33  
LSB - high resolution
lSB = Least Significant Byte    
Breath control 34  
Foot control 36  
Portamento 37  
Data entry 38  
Main volume 39  
Balance 40  
Pan 42  
Expression 43  
General purpose 1 48  
General purpose 2 49  
General purpose 3 50  
General purpose 4 51  
Pedals
Sustain pedal 64  
Portamento pedal 65  
Sostenuto pedal 66 When this pedal is pressed down notes played will continue to be sustained, while following notes will not.
Soft pedal 67 When this pedal is pressed down, the volume of notes is softer, and their texture is different
Legato pedal 68 When this pedal is pressed down, the current note's pitch is changed when a new note is played without affecting the attack
Hold 2 69 When this pedal is pressed down, the sustain of a sound is affected. This works only for sounds with two sustain phases.
Sound controllers
Sound controller #1
Sound variation
70  
Sound controller #2
Harmonic content
71  
Sound controller #3
Release time
72  
Sound controller #4
Attack time
73  
Sound controller #5
Brightness
74  
Sound controller #6 75  
Sound controller #7 76  
Sound controller #8 77  
Sound controller #9 78  
Sound controller #10 79  
General purpose
General purpose 5 80  
General purpose 6 81  
General purpose 7 82  
General purpose 8 83  
 
Portamento control 84  
Depth
Reverb 91  
Tremelo 92  
Chorus 93  
Detune (celeste) 94  
Phaser 95  
Data
Data increment 96  
Data decrement 97  
Parameter Numbers
NRPN LSB
(Non-Registered Parameter Number)
98  
NRPN MSB 99  
RPN LSB
(Registered Parameter Number)
100  
RPN MSB 101  
Overall control
All sounds off 120  
Reset all controllers 121  
Local control on/off 122  
All notes off 123  
Modes
Omni Mode off 124  
Omni mode on 125  
Mono Mode on 126  
Poky Mode on 127  

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© 1999, 2000 Author: Jacques Steyn