Running Status; Appendix; Midi Implementation - Behringer FCB1010 User Manual

4.2.4 Running Status

Since the MIDI standard uses a serial transmission format, i.e. transmits data successively, it was soon found
that the transmission rate is too low if the system is exploited to its full capacity. To make up for an audibly
delayed transmission of MIDI data, the so-called Running Status was introduced, which suppresses the status
byte in two or more identical MIDI messages that follow each other. For example, if the data bytes of a
controller (e.g. volume) are changed continuously, the corresponding status byte is sent only once. Only the
data byte changes are transmitted, as long as another status byte is sent, i.e. in each message transmitted
you can eliminate 8 bits. This is also the reason why NOTE OFF messages are no longer used. When a
keyboard player plays a scale on a keyboard and sends these data via MIDI to a computer, each NOTE ON
message would be followed by a NOTE OFF message, each time a key is released. The Running Status would
identify the NOTE OFF message as a new status byte and hence send it, which results in a data amount of 8
notes times 8 bits, i.e. 192 bits. Since NOTE ON messages belong to those MIDI messages that are used
most often, it was decided to send NOTE ON messages with zero velocity instead. The audible effect is the
same, but in the Running Status the data amount can be reduced by 7 times 8 bits, i.e. 56 bits. As a
consequence, the overall data amount produced by the scale mentioned above is only 136 bits. With the
FCB1010 you are free to switch the Running Status feature on or off.

5. APPENDIX

5.1 MIDI Implementation

Function
Basic
Channel
Mode
Note Number
Velocity
After Touch
Control
Progr.
Change
System Exclusive
System
Common
System
Real Time
Aux
Messages
Notes
O = YES, X = NO
Mode 1:
Mode 2:
18
MIDI FOOT CONTROLLER FCB1010
MIDI Implementation Chart
Transmitted Recognized
Default
Changed
Default
Messages
0-127
Note ON
Note OFF
Keys
Channels
0-127
True #
Song Pos.
Song Sel.
Tune
Clock
Commands
Local ON/OFF
All notes OFF
Active Sense
Reset
Soft Thru / Merge Function
OMNI ON
OMNI OFF
Tab. 5.1: MIDI Implementation
5. APPENDIX
1-16
1-16
x x
x x
x
0,64
x
x
x
x x
x x
x
o x
o o
x x
x x
x x
x x
x x
x x
x x
x x
x x
Remarks
Programmable
1-128
Programmable
1-128