Changes Script Direct MIDI Command

Changes: M=n

(Advanced users only.)

MIDI synthesizers have many more commands and options than are currently supported by Pitch-to-MIDI controls or specific Changes script commands.

In addition to standard MIDI commands, there are also special "System Exclusive" commands that may differ on each synthesizer.

If you are familar with the MIDI command structure, this Direct MIDI command allows you to take control.

The MIDI Changes script command format is M=n, where n is the MIDI command sequence expressed as a number. This is most easily dealt with in hexadecimal notation.

MIDI commands are typically 3 bytes long, and most MIDI references list these bytes in the order they are sent to the MIDI controller. For example, the Reverb Level command might be shown as "Bn, 5B, xx".

The n value represents the MIDI channel number, equivalent to the Pitch-to-MIDI Voice number. MIDI supports 16 channels, but values are 0-based so n ranges from 0 to F hex. The first byte of the command thus may range from B0 to BF hex.

The xx value is the value to be set, which must be limited to 0-127 decimal (0-7F hex).

So to set Voice 1 Reverb Level to 15 (0F hex), the hex command bytes would be B0, 5B, 0F.

However, when these bytes are combined into a single value the low byte is the one that is sent first, so the proper hex value to send would be 0F5BB0. To tell the Changes script that this is a hex value, you must precede it with 'h', so the full script command would be:

M=h0F5BB0

Note: You should be careful when including Direct MIDI commands in Changes scripts that will be Saved and shared with others as a MIDI Setup File. Their synthesizers might not support the same commands that yours does. You may want to test on the default Microsoft GS Wavetable synthesizer as the likely "lowest common denominator". (Note that the above Reverb Level command does not work on that synth.)

See also Changes Script Overview, Changes Script Editor, MIDI Voice Setup Dialogs, Pitch-to-MIDI dialog, Pitch Track Toolbox - Overview