MIDI

MIDI: in the owner's manuals

• Axe-Fx II: 9.3 MIDI Parameters.
• Axe-Fx II: 9.4 Control Parameters.
• Axe-Fx II: 16.19 Axe-Fx II Bank & Preset Numbers Table.
• Axe-Fx II: 16.20 Factory Default Settings.
• Axe-Fx II: 17.1 MIDI Implementation Chart.
• Axe-Fx II: MIDI Routing and Parameters diagram.
• FX8: 6 Preset configuration.
• FX8: 9 Blocks guide.
• FX8: 14 Setup menus.
• FX8: 16 Specifications & defaults.
• AX8: ...
• MIDI THRU Guide.

FX8 and MIDI

• The FX8 can send a single MIDI Progam Change when loading a preset scene. The PC (and the MIDI channel) can be different for each scene.
• The FX8 can also send MIDI data using a MIDI block (FX8-only feature). It enables you to use the FX8's footswitches to send MIDI data to the MIDI Out Port. It can send a PC and a CC, when turning the switch ON or OFF. The MIDI block supports X/Y switching.

AX8 and MIDI

• ...

Send Realtime SysEx on the Axe-Fx II

• MIDI data can be sent continuously from the Axe-Fx II. This allows the controller to display tuner data on a floor controller's display and make a tempo LED on the floor controller blink in time with the device's tempo. Transferring this data requires a 5-pin MIDI cable to the floor controller, or a CAT5/Ethercon/XLR/FASLINK connection between Axe-Fx II and MFC-101.
• Realtime SysEx is always disabled when entering the Utility > Preset menu.
• Cliff: "Sysex data doesn't have a channel. It is not a voice message. All equipment should ignore any sysex data that does not contain its manufacturer's ID. If you gear is responding to Fractal Audio sysex messages then it is violating the spec." source

Display Offset on the Axe-Fx II

• The Axe-Fx II starts numbering presets at 0. This parameter lets you change the displayed number. This is particularly useful to improve compatibility with MIDI devices that start numbering at 1, or when configuring a floor controller such as the MFC-101.
• When adjusting this parameter, don't forget to configure the Display Offset parameter in the MIDI controller such as the MFC-101 accordingly.

Ignore Redundant PCs on the Axe-Fx II

• If set to ON (default), this parameter tells the Axe-Fx II to ignore an incoming PC (MIDI Program Change mesage) if the corresponding preset is already active. This prevents unnecessary reloading of the preset and the audio gap that comes with that.
• When using Scenes, you'll want to set it to ON.

Scene Revert

• See Scenes.

MIDI Thru and MIDI Out

• Cliff's comments (regarding the Axe-Fx II Mark I/II models):
  • "The Axe-Fx II is not designed to be a general-purpose MIDI I/O. It can handle most things but not large sysex dumps." source
  • "The Axe-Fx simply passes the data. It doesn't parse messages. If a message is arriving altered then the fault is in the monitoring software or the OS." source
  • "MIDI Thru is a "soft" thru. It the delay is problematic for you then you need to change the order of things or use a MIDI splitter." Source
• The comments above do not apply to the Axe-Fx II XL and XL+. The XL and XL+ have dedicated MIDI IN, OUT, and THRU jacks, versus shared OUT/THRU connections.
  • FASLINK and Ethernet/Ethercon: with the MFC­‐101 at the FASLINK port, do not use the MIDI THRU port. Instead, connect downstream devices to the MIDI OUT port and set MFC ECHO TO MIDI OUT to “ON” in the I/O > MIDI menu of the Axe­‐Fx. This turns MIDI OUT into a “soft thru".
  • 5-pin or 7-pin MIDI: "When your MFC-101 or other controller is connected to the Axe­‐Fx II's MIDI IN port — whether using 5-­ or 7‐pin — use the standard 5‐pin MIDI THRU port. No special settings are required.
• The "MFC ECHO TO MIDI OUT” option in I/O > MIDI (Axe-Fx II XL and XL+ only) echoes all MIDI data from the MFC to MIDI Out. This can be used to send MIDI PC and CC messages to other equipment connected to MIDI Out.
• More information about the MIDI THRU functionality of the XL can be found in the MIDI THRU Guide.

MIDI Clock on the Axe-Fx II

• The Axe-Fx II, FX8 and AX8 can't be used as a MIDI Clock source to other devices. source

MIDI phantom power on the Axe-Fx II

• The Axe-Fx II can provide power to a floor controller through a MIDI cable, also known as "MIDI phantom power". This requires a 7-pin MIDI cable (pin definitions) and the power supply for the floor controller (to be plugged in at the rear of the Axe-Fx II).
• Looking for the right cable? Read this: Cables and adapters for Fractal Audio devices.
• If you have a MFC-101, it's easier to use a CAT, Ethercon or FASLINK XLR cable instead of MIDI.
• Warning: do not connect a power supply to the phantom power input on the Axe-Fx II that has a load of more than 1A! Such as power supplies that come with a Liquid-Foot 12+ or RJM foot controller. More information
• Cliff: "2.1mm is the standard for DC. 2.5mm is the standard for AC. The phantom power jack is designed for AC, hence the 2.5mm jack." source

List of supported MIDI CCs

• All CCs are listed in the I/O > Ctrl menu.
• There's also a list in the owner's manuals.

MIDI basics

• The explanation below is written by forum member Clarky. Original thread.

What is MIDI

• MIDI = Musical Instrument Digital Interface. If I turned that little lot into more friendly English, I’d end up with something like this: MIDI is a means of “interfacing” [connecting] “Musical Instruments” together using a “digitally” encoded protocol [essentially a language]. It is a method of connecting together MIDI capable musical instruments / devices so that they can use a ‘language’ to communicate with each other.
• A key thing often misunderstood about MIDI is that it does not actually contain audio or sound, so you can’t actually ‘hear’ MIDI. It’s simply a stream of information or instructions from one device to another. Essentially:
  • “turn this ‘thing’ on in that keyboard”
  • “change the value of this parameter in that effect”
  • “play this note on that keyboard using this patch”

What is MIDI used for

• MIDI is basically all about control - one device being able to control another. Back in the 70’s it’d not be unusual to see a prog rock band with a keys player completely surrounded by all kinds of synthesizers and keyboards. Just take a look at pictures of Keith Emerson or Rick Wakeman from around the 1972 to 1978 era. Sometimes they’d want to play a musical phrase but use more than one sound at the same time and blend them together. In the early days they have to play the part with each hand playing a different synth. It was recognised that some sort of ‘remote control’ was needed. In the early days control was achieved via analogue signals but that had limitations of its own. The thing that really unlocked the door for control was MIDI because:
  • it was standardized, enabling devices made by different manufacturers to communicate
  • it could communicate much more information that simple ‘on / off’ and pitch information
• So think of MIDI as being the language used for a music specific ‘remote control’. With MIDI I can connect several synths together and use one of them to ‘play’ all of the others. I can use a floor controller [like the MFC] to control a keyboard or FX unit [like the Axe] to make it change preset [program] or to take control of some effect’s parameters enabling control in real-time via switches or expression pedals. I can use a Digital Audio Workstation [like Logic or Ableton] to control effects units [like the Axe] or play synths and keys. I can use a MIDI control surface to control a DAW remotely so that I can ‘play’, ‘stop’, ‘record’, use real faders [just like on a mixing desk] to control the software faders in the DAW’s mixer.
• MIDI can also be used to synchronize tape machines to a DAW or sequencer and provide a clock source.

What MIDI basics do I need to know

• IN / OUT / THRU – these are the MIDI sockets [ports] you’ll see on any MIDI device and here is what they do:
  • IN – this contains the MIDI in-coming from the controlling instrument / device.
  • OUT – this contains MIDI that is being created by the instrument / device.
  • THRU – this is a copy of the MIDI that arrives from the MIDI IN and is sent outwards to other instruments/ devices.
  • OUT / THRU – as you’d expect, this contains both OUT and THRU MIDI information.
• Channels – MIDI uses to concept of channels to identify different devices. Example: I could have a Korg synth on channel 1, a Moog synth on channel 2, and could have a Roland to use as the ‘mother board’ [controller keyboard]. I would set the channels in the Korg and Moog myself manually. Roland OUT ----> IN Korg THRU ----> IN Moog. In the Roland I’d setup some presets to also send MIDI on channels 1 and / or 2. Imagine something like this: Roland preset 1 = piano in the Roland and also sends channel 1/pgm 20 [preset 20] which could be strings. I play the Roland preset 1 and hear piano. The MIDI sent from the Roland [MIDI OUT] arrives at the Korg [MIDI IN]. The Korg recognises that channel 1 means “it’s for me” and pgm 20 means “let’s use my strings sound that is stored in preset 20”. The outcome is that you hear piano and strings simultaneously and the Korg also sends a copy of the incoming MIDI IN to the MIDI THRU. The Korg’s MIDI THRU is connected to the Moog’s MIDI IN meaning that the Moog also receives the same MIDI information, but it will only react to anything that arrives on channel 2. So as this MIDI information is on channel 1 the Moog ignores it, and sends a copy of out to it’s MIDI THRU port.
• Some devices can be set to MIDI channel OMNI. This means “react to all in-coming MIDI messages from all channels”.
• Some examples of common MIDI messages that one device would send to another:
  • Note messages – this are used to tell keys / synths to turn on / off notes.
  • Program Change – this is a MIDI message that allows a device to make another device to change preset. This is exactly what the MFC does to the Axe.
  • Control Change – this enables a device to control another device’s parameters remotely.
  • System Exclusive [SysEx] – this allows manufacturers to add extra functions and capabilities to those found in regular MIDI. These ‘extras’ are bespoke / manufacturer specific, so you wouldn’t expect a Moog to be able to react to Korg SysEx. But two Korgs with SysEx would have some extra cool capabilities available.

How does MIDI relate to the Axe-II and MFC

• By default, the Axe, the MFC and Axe-Edit are all set to MIDI channel 1. When you stomp on a switch on the MFC, the MFC sends a ‘program change’ message out to the Axe. This message contains the MIDI channel [channel 1] and the program [preset] number. The Axe receives this message and changes preset corresponding to the received program number.

IA’s, Controllers and Modifiers

• MIDI Control Change [CC] is extremely flexible and enables configurable parameters within the Axe [or any MIDI device] to be controlled remotely. This opens up a vast range of tonal possibilities. These are the key pieces of information that sit within a CC message:
  • MIDI channel [so we know who this message is aimed at]
  • CC#: there are 128 control ‘numbers’ available that number from 0 to 127. Some of these numbers are standardized by the industry, for example CC# 7 = master volume (volume control for the whole box, after all effects etc), CC# 16 = ribbon controller / general purpose slide 1 (keys / synth stuff).
• Some CC values are ‘spare’. For example; values from 22 to 31 aren’t defined to you can assign them to anything you want.
• So now let’s talk about the Axe. The Axe is designed to have a one to one relationship with a controller [such as the MFC]. This being the case, Fractal has created it’s own assignments of MIDI CC numbers and they can be seen via the front panel in I/O > CTRL page. There are two columns in here:
  • Left col = the ‘thing’ in the Axe that can be controlled
  • Right col = the MIDI CC number that will control it

MIDI SysEx details

• See MIDI SysEx.