APPENDIX D. CONTROLLER COMBINATIONS FOR THE ROLAND GS-BASED SYNTHESIZERS

The Roland Company has pioneered the use of MIDI GS for many of its synths. Due to their popularity, the controller messages for altering their patch parameters are presented here.

These messages require a pair of controllers to designate a parameter and a second pair to apply the data that affects it. The parameter-assignment pairs are controllers 98-99 and 100-101. The first pair is termed "nonregistered parameter number" (NRPN), and the second pair, "registered parameter number" (RPN). The RPN controllers are part of the MIDI protocol designations and the NRPN controllers are undefined so an instrument designer can use them as desired.

The data entry pair is 6-38; the second of these is not needed for these commands which are low-resolution entries. For most parameters the range for the "data entry" value is 14 to 114.

Note: On some synths the Data Entry value of a parameter can also be changed with the increment and decrement controllers, 96 and 97. These controllers shift the data in relation to whatever value was in effect up to that point. In other words, controller 6, data entry, is used for setting absolute values, and controllers 96 and 97 change the value relative to that absolute value. This operation is not supported by the Roland synths listed here.

All of the commands presented here will work on the following Roland products: SC models SC-33, SC-55, SC-55mkII, and SC-155; the Boss DS-330 Dr. Synth sound module; the JV-30 and JW-50 synths; the SCC-1 GS sound-card; and the VE-GS1-01 GS expansion board for the JV-1000 music workstation. Various arrangements of these commands appear on other MIDI GS-based synths and sound cards.

In each case the effect of the parameter is changed with either controller 6, data entry, or controllers 96 and 97, increment and decrement. 

Bender Range: 
CC 100 0 
CC 101 0 
CC 6   (1-24)   2 being the default  

Vibrato Rate: 
CC 99 1 
CC 98 8 
CC 6 (14-114) 64 being 0 - no vibrato rate  

Vibrato Depth: 
CC 99 1 
CC 98 9 
CC 6 (14-114) 64 being 0 - no vibrato depth  

Vibrato Delay: 
CC 99 1 1 
CC 98 10 
CC 6 (14-114) 64 being 0 - no vibrato delay  

Cutoff Frequency: 
CC 99 1 
CC 98 32 
CC 6 (14-114)  64 being 0 - no cutoff  

Resonance: 
CC 99 1 
CC 98 33 
CC 6 (14-114)  64 being 0 - no resonance  

Attack Time for filter and amplitude envelopes: 
CC 99 1 
CC 98 100 
CC 6 (14-114)  64 being 0  

Release Time: 
CC 99 1 
CC 98 102 
CC 6 (14-114)  64 being no change  

DRUM INSTRUMENTS

Coarse pitch of the drums: 
CC 101 0 
CC 100 2 
CC 6 (1-127)  64 being no change  

To change the pitch of an individual drum:  
CC 99 24  
CC 98 drum # (see the drum number list in the manual)  
CC 6 (0-127) 64 being no change  

To change the volume of an individual drum: 
CC 99 26 
CC 98 drum # 
CC 6 (0-127)  

To change the reverb level of an individual drum:  
CC 99 29  
CC 98 drum # 
CC 6 (0-127)  

To change the amount of drum chorus: 
CC99 30, 
CC98 drum number 
CC6 Note number 0-127  

Example, change the pitch of the snare drum assigned to E2 with  these messages:  
CC99            Value 24 
CC98            Value 40 
CC6             Value 70 

To change the panning of an individual drum:  
CC 99 28  
CC 98 drum # 
CC 6 (0-127) 0 = random pan, 1 = panned hard left
Remember to reset these controllers after a session or at the end of a sequence unless you want the changes to remain in effect.

TUNING

100-2 101-0 coarse tuning, values for controller 6 can range from 40 to 88. The numbers change the pitch by half steps, and 64 yields the standard pitch.

100-1 101-0 fine tuning, when controller 6 is set to 64, the A above middle C will be at 440Hz. Each increment above or below changes the pitch by approximately 1.5 cents. (A semitone shift is 100 cents.)

Go on to Appendix E.

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