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MMD > Archives > July 1998 > 1998.07.13 > 09Prev  Next


MIDI-file Standards for Controlling Orchestrions
By George Bogatko

Here's the MIDI layout I use for the Coinola and Cremona emulations.
Lay it out like this and it could be cut by Custom Music Rolls.  Tube
it like this and it could play an O-roll transcription.

The MIDI numbers are those used by CAKEWALK.

 [ MIDI note 60 is Middle C, as defined in the MIDI Specification,
 [ thus it will be the same number in every MIDI file.  Not so for
 [ the note names! -- Robbie

 19. Forward to play
 20. Unused on 90-hole tracker bar.
 21. Timpani low
 22. Bass drum
 23. Timpani hi
 24. Wood Block
 25. Snare Tap
 26. Snare Roll
 27. Triangle
 28. Piano sustain
 29. Off Piano Soft
 30. On Piano Soft
 31. Off mandolin
 32. On mandolin
 33. Pipes on
 34. On Xylophone
 35. Soft drum expression
 36. Loud drum expression
 37. Xylophone off
 38. Shut off
 39. Pipes off
 40-81. Chromatic scale E to A
 82-105. Solo Section A# to A
 106. Tambourine
 107. Crescendo
 108. Crash Cymbal
 109. Unused on 90 hole tracker bar.
 110. Rewind

The Coinola chromatic sections (accomp. and solo) play at pitch, with
no transposition.  Cremona (below) involves a transposition.

Here's Cremona:

 17. Counter for selector
 18. (BLANK)
 19. play
 20. Selector Play
 21. shutoff
 22. (blank)
 23. Hammer rail up
 24. Hammer rail down
 25. Triangle
 26. Low vacuum
 27. Normal vacuum
 28. Snare drum
 29. Xylophone on
 30. Xylophone off
 31. Left Timpani
 32. Bass Drum
 33. Timpani
 34. Violin on
 35. Violin off
 36. Flute On
 37. Flute Off
 38. Off Hi Piano*
 39. On Hi Piano*
 40. Mandolin on
 41. Mandolin off
 42. Sustain pedal
 43. Tambourine
 44. Castanets
 45-108. Chromatic A to A (transposed one octave lower)**
 109. Fast Forward
 110. rewind
 111. (blank)
 112. shutoff

* The solo instruments double the piano from the high A down 32 notes.
The same range of the piano can be shut off to allow the solo
instruments to really play "solo".

** In other words, you'd tube the trackerbar ("midibar") to sound
an octave lower.

George Bogatko - gbogatko@intac.com
http://www.intac.com/~gbogatko


(Message sent Mon 13 Jul 1998, 04:21:06 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  Controlling, MIDI-file, Orchestrions, Standards

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