MIDI Patch descriptions
General notation
- w
- “Wide”; these (generally keyboard) patches simulate a
stereo-miced instrument, with lower pitches panned to the left,
and higher pitches panned to the right.
- o
- “Off patch”; these (generally plucked string) patches include
a separate patch played on note release, simulating the
percussive damping of the string.
Piano
- 1.0 Piano 1
- A grand piano.
- 1.8 Piano 1w
- Wide version of 1.0.
- 1.16 Piano 1d
- A grand piano with the damper pedal engaged. 1.0
produces the same sound with the damper controller on.
- 2.0 Piano 2
- A bright grand piano.
- 2.8 Piano 2w
- Wide version of 2.0.
- 3.0 Piano 3
- An electric grand piano,
e.g. Yamaha CP-70 or CP-80.
- 3.1 EG+Rhodes 1
- A mix of 3.0 and 6.16.
- 3.2 EG+Rhodes 2
- A mix of 3.0 and 6.24.
- 3.8 Piano 3w
- Wide version of 3.0.
- 4.0 Honky-tonk
- A tack piano,
as is used in ragtime revival
music to simulate the sound of an unmaintained upright (see 4.8).
- 4.8 Old Upright
- An unmaintained upright piano,
as would be found in a honky-tonk.
Historical American.
- 5.0 E.Piano 1
- An S/A‐synthesized Rhodes electric piano,
e.g. Rhodes (Roland) MK-80 (the “Special” patch?).
- 5.8 St.Soft EP
- ???
- 5.16 FM+SA EP
- A mix of 5.0 and 6.0.
- 5.24 60's E.Piano
- A Wurlitzer electric piano.
Ex.: Queen, “You’re My Best Friend” (1976); Supertramp, “The Logical Song” (1979).
- 5.25 Hard Rhodes
- A Rhodes. (Which model??)
- 5.26 MellowRhodes
- A Rhodes. (Which model??)
- 6.0 E.Piano 2
- An FM‐synthesized
Rhodes. ???
- 6.8 Detuned EP 2
- ???
- 6.16 St.FM EP
- The Yamaha DX7
“E. Piano 1” patch.
- 6.24 Hard FM EP
- The Yamaha DX7 II
“FullTines” patch.
- 7.0 Harpsichord
- A harpsichord.
Historical European.
- 7.8 Coupled Hps.
- A harpsichord with coupled octaves.
Historical European.
- 7.16 Harpsi.w
- Wide version of 7.0.
- 7.24 Harpsi.o
- Off patch version of 7.0; incorporates the
sound of the plectrum striking the string on release before the string is dampened.
- 8.0 Clav.
- A clavinet.
Ex.: Stevie Wonder, “Superstition” (1972).
Chromatic percussion
- 9.0 Celesta
- A celesta.
Ex.: Tchaikovsky, “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”, The Nutcracker (1892).
- 10.0 Glockenspiel
- A glockenspiel.
- 11.0 Music Box
- A music box.
- 12.0 Vibraphone
- A vibraphone.
Common in jazz music.
Fans (tremolo) active.
- 12.1 Hard Vibe
- Same as 12.0, but at high velocities, sounds as if struck with a
hard mallet.
- 12.8 Vib.w
- Wide version of 12.0, with faster
tremolo (likely due to being carried over from SC-55).
- 13.0 Marimba
- A marimba.
- 13.8 Marimba w
- Wide version of 13.0.
- 13.16 Barafon
- A balafon.
African.
- 13.17 Barafon 2
- A bright balafon.
- 13.24 Log drum
- A slit drum.
African and Oceanian.
- 14.0 Xylophone
- A xylophone.
- 15.0 Tubular-bell
- Tubular bells.
Ex. Oldfield, Tubular Bells (1973).
- 15.8 Church Bell
- A church bell.
- 15.9 Carillon
- A carillon.
Same as 15.8 but with fewer echoes.
- 16.0 Santur
- A santur
(hammered dulcimer). Persian.
- 16.1 Santur 2
- A bright santur.
- 16.8 Cimbalom
- A cimbalom
(hammered dulcimer). Eastern European.
Organs (??)
- 17.0 Organ 1
- A Hammond organ.
(which preset???)
- 17.1 Organ 101
- Same as 17.0 without tremolo.
- 17.8 Detuned Or.1
- Same as 17.0 with chorus.
- 17.9 Organ 109
- 17.1 raised an octave with suboctave bass.
- TODO
- xxx
- 18.0 Organ 2
- A Hammond with “Soft” second‐harmonic percussion (attack) enabled.
(which preset???)
- 18.1 Organ 201
- Same as 18.0 but with “normal” (louder) percussion.
- 18.8 Detuned Or.2
- Same as 18.0 with chorus???? TODO
- 18.32 Organ 5
- Same as 18.0 but with third‐harmonic percussion.
- 19.0 Organ 3
- TODO
- 19.8 Rotary Org.
- Same as 19.16 when velocity < 120;
same as 19.32 when velocity ≥ 120.
- 19.16 Rotary Org.S
- TODO
- 19.32 Rotary Org.F
- TODO
- 20.0 Church Org.1
- TODO
- 21.0 Reed Organ
- A reed (pump) organ.
- 22.0 Accordion Fr
- An accordion
tuned very wet, as common in French folk music.
- 22.8 Accordion It
- An accordion tuned moderately wet, as common in Italian folk music.
- 23.0 Harmonica
- A harmonica.
- 23.1 Harmonica 2
- A harmonica draw (or bend?).
- 24.0 Bandoneon
- A bandoneon.
Argentinian and Lithuanian.
- ...
- 81.6 LM Square
- The Moog square wave patch from the solo in Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s
Lucky Man (1970).
- 89.0 Fantasia
- The Roland D‐50
“Fantasia” patch.
- 98.0 Soundtrack
- The Roland D‐50 “Soundtrack” patch.
- 100.0 Atmosphere
- The Roland D‐50 “Atmosphere” patch.
SysEx tricks
SysEx to configure CC#16 to control “growl” (i.e. LFO1 TVF depth):
raw SysEx;
SMF
Tuning SysEx Tool
Bugs
The various LFO controls (e.g. LFO1 TVF/TVA/TVP) seem to be ignored
at start‐up until they are readjusted.