This page is read from MIDI Instrument Definitions, a Python library used in the author's other projects, in which every number is traced to a document its maker published. Its source is on GitHub.

Elektron Machinedrum MIDI implementation

The MIDI implementation of the Elektron Machinedrum: what it answers to, and the 71 controls it offers, on firmware 1.63.

At a glance

Firmware: This page describes firmware 1.63.
MIDI channel: Not recorded.
Parts: Track 1 BD: on the base MIDI channel, taking notes and controls.
Track 2 SD: on the base MIDI channel, taking notes and controls.
Track 3 HT: on the base MIDI channel, taking notes and controls.
Track 4 MT: on the base MIDI channel, taking notes and controls.
Track 5 LT: on the MIDI channel one above the base, taking notes and controls.
Track 6 CP: on the MIDI channel one above the base, taking notes and controls.
Track 7 RS: on the MIDI channel one above the base, taking notes and controls.
Track 8 CB: on the MIDI channel one above the base, taking notes and controls.
Track 9 CH: on the MIDI channel two above the base, taking notes and controls.
Track 10 OH: on the MIDI channel two above the base, taking notes and controls.
Track 11 RC: on the MIDI channel two above the base, taking notes and controls.
Track 12 CC: on the MIDI channel two above the base, taking notes and controls.
Track 13 M1: on the MIDI channel three above the base, taking notes and controls.
Track 14 M2: on the MIDI channel three above the base, taking notes and controls.
Track 15 M3: on the MIDI channel three above the base, taking notes and controls.
Track 16 M4: on the MIDI channel three above the base, taking notes and controls.
Voices: Not recorded.
Notes: Each note plays a drum of its own, assigned by the player; the factory notes are listed below.
Note range: Not recorded.
Velocity: Sent. Whether it is received is not recorded.
Aftertouch: Not recorded.
Pitch bend: Not recorded.
Program change: Received and sent, with 128 presets.
MIDI clock: Sent and received.
Start and stop: Sent and received.
Control change: 71 controls, in the tables below.
NRPN: None.
System exclusive: Supported.

Drum notes

Each drum's note is assigned by the player, and these are the notes it has from the factory.

Drum	Note
`bd`	36, C2
`sd`	38, D2
`ht`	40, E2
`mt`	41, F2
`lt`	43, G2
`cp`	45, A2
`rs`	47, B2
`cb`	48, C3
`ch`	50, D3
`oh`	52, E3
`rc`	53, F3
`cc`	55, G3
`m1`	57, A3
`m2`	59, B3
`m3`	60, C4
`m4`	62, D4

Controls

In the order the definition gives them, by part and group. Under each control is the name a program calls it by, once pymidiinstrumentdefs.load("elektron/machinedrum") has loaded them.

Track 1 BD

Synthesis

Control	CC	Values
Machine parameter 1 `track_1_machine_parameter_1`	16	0-127
Machine parameter 2 `track_1_machine_parameter_2`	17	0-127
Machine parameter 3 `track_1_machine_parameter_3`	18	0-127
Machine parameter 4 `track_1_machine_parameter_4`	19	0-127
Machine parameter 5 `track_1_machine_parameter_5`	20	0-127
Machine parameter 6 `track_1_machine_parameter_6`	21	0-127
Machine parameter 7 `track_1_machine_parameter_7`	22	0-127
Machine parameter 8 `track_1_machine_parameter_8`	23	0-127

Track effects

Control	CC	Values
AM Depth `track_1_am_depth`	24	0-127
AM Rate `track_1_am_rate`	25	0-127
EQ Freq `track_1_eq_freq`	26	0-127
EQ Gain `track_1_eq_gain`	27	0-127
Filter base frequency `track_1_filter_base_frequency`	28	0-127
Filter width `track_1_filter_width`	29	0-127
Filter Q `track_1_filter_q`	30	0-127
Sample rate reduction `track_1_sample_rate_reduction`	31	0-127
Distortion `track_1_distortion`	32	0-127

Routing

Control	CC	Values
Volume `track_1_volume`	33	0-127
Pan `track_1_pan`	34	0-127
Delay send `track_1_delay_send`	35	0-127
Reverb send `track_1_reverb_send`	36	0-127

LFO

Control	CC	Values
LFO Speed `track_1_lfo_speed`	37	0-127
LFO Amount `track_1_lfo_amount`	38	0-127
LFO Shape `track_1_lfo_shape`	39	0-127

Without a group

Control	CC	Values
Level `track_1_level`	8	0-127
Mute (>0 mutes trk) `track_1_mute`	12	0-127 Received, never sent

Track 2 SD

Synthesis

Control	CC	Values
Machine parameter 1 `track_2_machine_parameter_1`	40	0-127

Without a group

Control	CC	Values
Level `track_2_level`	9	0-127
Mute (>0 mutes trk) `track_2_mute`	13	0-127 Received, never sent

Track 3 HT

Synthesis

Control	CC	Values
Machine parameter 1 `track_3_machine_parameter_1`	72	0-127

Without a group

Control	CC	Values
Level `track_3_level`	10	0-127
Mute (>0 mutes trk) `track_3_mute`	14	0-127 Received, never sent

Track 4 MT

Synthesis

Control	CC	Values
Machine parameter 1 `track_4_machine_parameter_1`	96	0-127

Without a group

Control	CC	Values
Level `track_4_level`	11	0-127
Mute (>0 mutes trk) `track_4_mute`	15	0-127 Received, never sent

Track 5 LT

Synthesis

Control	CC	Values
Machine parameter 1 `track_5_machine_parameter_1`	16	0-127

Without a group

Control	CC	Values
Level `track_5_level`	8	0-127
Mute (>0 mutes trk) `track_5_mute`	12	0-127 Received, never sent

Track 6 CP

Synthesis

Control	CC	Values
Machine parameter 1 `track_6_machine_parameter_1`	40	0-127

Without a group

Control	CC	Values
Level `track_6_level`	9	0-127
Mute (>0 mutes trk) `track_6_mute`	13	0-127 Received, never sent

Track 7 RS

Synthesis

Control	CC	Values
Machine parameter 1 `track_7_machine_parameter_1`	72	0-127

Without a group

Control	CC	Values
Level `track_7_level`	10	0-127
Mute (>0 mutes trk) `track_7_mute`	14	0-127 Received, never sent

Track 8 CB

Synthesis

Control	CC	Values
Machine parameter 1 `track_8_machine_parameter_1`	96	0-127

Without a group

Control	CC	Values
Level `track_8_level`	11	0-127
Mute (>0 mutes trk) `track_8_mute`	15	0-127 Received, never sent

Track 9 CH

Synthesis

Control	CC	Values
Machine parameter 1 `track_9_machine_parameter_1`	16	0-127

Without a group

Control	CC	Values
Level `track_9_level`	8	0-127
Mute (>0 mutes trk) `track_9_mute`	12	0-127 Received, never sent

Track 10 OH

Synthesis

Control	CC	Values
Machine parameter 1 `track_10_machine_parameter_1`	40	0-127

Without a group

Control	CC	Values
Level `track_10_level`	9	0-127
Mute (>0 mutes trk) `track_10_mute`	13	0-127 Received, never sent

Track 11 RC

Synthesis

Control	CC	Values
Machine parameter 1 `track_11_machine_parameter_1`	72	0-127

Without a group

Control	CC	Values
Level `track_11_level`	10	0-127
Mute (>0 mutes trk) `track_11_mute`	14	0-127 Received, never sent

Track 12 CC

Synthesis

Control	CC	Values
Machine parameter 1 `track_12_machine_parameter_1`	96	0-127

Without a group

Control	CC	Values
Level `track_12_level`	11	0-127
Mute (>0 mutes trk) `track_12_mute`	15	0-127 Received, never sent

Track 13 M1

Synthesis

Control	CC	Values
Machine parameter 1 `track_13_machine_parameter_1`	16	0-127

Without a group

Control	CC	Values
Level `track_13_level`	8	0-127
Mute (>0 mutes trk) `track_13_mute`	12	0-127 Received, never sent

Track 14 M2

Synthesis

Control	CC	Values
Machine parameter 1 `track_14_machine_parameter_1`	40	0-127

Without a group

Control	CC	Values
Level `track_14_level`	9	0-127
Mute (>0 mutes trk) `track_14_mute`	13	0-127 Received, never sent

Track 15 M3

Synthesis

Control	CC	Values
Machine parameter 1 `track_15_machine_parameter_1`	72	0-127

Without a group

Control	CC	Values
Level `track_15_level`	10	0-127
Mute (>0 mutes trk) `track_15_mute`	14	0-127 Received, never sent

Track 16 M4

Synthesis

Control	CC	Values
Machine parameter 1 `track_16_machine_parameter_1`	96	0-127

Without a group

Control	CC	Values
Level `track_16_level`	11	0-127
Mute (>0 mutes trk) `track_16_mute`	15	0-127 Received, never sent

Where these facts come from

Source documents

Machinedrum User's Manual, rev M, dated 3 January 2012, its user manual, read on 4 October 2026 (the file read).
Machinedrum - Elektron, its download page, read on 4 October 2026.
Machinedrum UW - Elektron, its download page, read on 4 October 2026.

How they were read

Machinedrum User's Manual for OS 1.63, 126 sheets. The MIDI material is two sheets: Appendix B, "MIDI CONTROL REFERENCE" (p. 113), on pp. 113-114, which carries the control change map and the default note map. Appendix C, "SYSEX REFERENCE" (p. 115), is pp. 115-120 and is beyond what this format holds. The global settings that govern MIDI response are pp. 65-90, and the sysex transfer pages pp. 72-82. The two support pages are cited for which documents the maker offers and for the OS covering every model.

PAGES ARE CITED AS FILE PAGES, BECAUSE THE DOCUMENT NUMBERS ITSELF FOUR WAYS. The contents pages print "1 of 6" to "6 of 6"; the body runs 1 to 88 at eight behind the sheet; the appendices are lettered, A-1 to A-16, B-1 to B-2 and C-1 to C-6, which is not a number at all; and the index restarts at 1 and runs to 4. So the folios 1, 2, 3 and 4 are each printed on two different sheets, in the body and again in the index. No single offset serves that, and a lettered page cannot be an offset from anything. Four sheets print no folio at all. Both readers took the folio off the page rather than inferring it, and agree on every run.

THE APPENDIX IS DRAWN IN CHARACTERS, not in a grid: a +---------+---...---+-----+-----+ ruler, rows delimited by |, and the two right-hand columns holding an X or a space. That is the shape this corpus had only met in Korg's plain text files, and this is the first time it has appeared inside a PDF. The reading is by delimiter and the ruler is available as a second reading of the same rows.

SIXTY-FOUR NUMBERS ARE USED ON EVERY CHANNEL AND SIXTY-FOUR ARE NOT. Each channel carries four levels at 8-11, four mutes at 12-15, and four blocks of twenty-four at 16-39, 40-63, 72-95 and 96-119. So 0 to 7, 64 to 71 and 120 to 127 are never used on any channel - the last being the channel mode messages, and the middle eight being a gap the maker leaves between its second and third blocks and never explains.

THE APPENDIX'S PARAMETER NAMES ARE ONLY TRUE OF A TRACK HOLDING A DRUM MACHINE, which is the sharpest limit on the labels below. A track can hold a MIDI machine instead, and of those the manual says "As there is no internal audio processing fo these machines, their controls extend over the SYNTHESIS, EFFECT and ROUTING menus" (p. 108). The "fo" is the maker's. On such a track the numbers the appendix calls AM Depth through Sample rate reduction address eight channel-and-value pairs, and the eight it calls Distortion through LFO Shape address six named things - so two of the eight are undetermined, and the manual does not say which. One of the six is "PCHG", a controller that makes the instrument send a program change. The same holds for the control machines. A consumer reading controller 32 is Distortion will be wrong on every track holding one of those, and this file cannot say which tracks those are because it is the player's choice.

AND THE STEREO MASTER EFFECTS HAVE NO CONTROL CHANGE NUMBERS, despite the appendix opening "All machine parameters in the Machinedrum are accessible by MIDI control change messages" (p. 113). The Rhythm Echo, the Gate Box reverb, the master EQ and the Dynamix processor appear nowhere in it. They are reached by system exclusive, or by assigning a control machine to a track and using that track's eight machine parameters. The claim is defensible because a master effect is not a machine parameter, and a definition that advertised direct controllers for them would be wrong.

THE MUTES ARE RECEIVED AND NOT SENT, which is the only direction in the appendix that is not both ways: every mute row has an "X" in the Rec column and a blank in Trn, where every other row has both. Sixteen controls carry direction: receives for that reason.

NOT RECORDED: channels. The manual never prints the range the base channel can take. It says what four channels are used when the base is 1, and that turning the base below "1-4" displays "--" and stops the instrument sending or reacting - and it never says what the highest base is. Six Elektron definitions in this corpus were corrected once for attributing a channel range to manuals that do not print one, and this is the seventh manual that does not print one.

NOT RECORDED: polyphony. The manual states no voice count for the sixteen tracks, and a drum machine's is not something to infer from the track count.

THE NOTE MAP IS A DEFAULT AND THE MANUAL SAYS SO TWICE. Appendix B heads it "DEFAULT MIDI MAPPINGS" (p. 113) and closes it "This mapping can be changed in the MIDI map editor" (p. 113), and the global section describes that editor: "The MAP EDITOR is used to setup how the Machinedrum will react to incoming MIDI notes. You can trigger drum sounds, patterns and the start, stop and play functions of the sequencer" (p. 67). So voices below is where the instrument starts, not what it is - the same state as korg/microkorg's controller numbers - and note_map is learned, which until 2026-10-13 only these words said.

THE MANUAL NAMES NOTES THREE INCOMPATIBLE WAYS AND NUMBERS THEM ONE WAY, which is why voices below carries numbers and no names. Appendix B prints "3c 60 | C4", making note 0 a C-1; Appendix C's system exclusive section says "$0=C0"; and Appendix A's MIDI machine gives a note range "C-2 to G8", which would make note 0 a C-2. The numbers agree everywhere - 36, 60, 0 to 127 - and only the octave names disagree, so the numbers are what this file records.

AND THE SAME APPENDIX MAPS SIXTEEN MORE NOTES TO PATTERNS, 64 to 89, "E4" to "F6", against "A01" to "A16". Those are not voices and are not recorded as any: a note that selects a pattern is a transport message wearing a note's clothes, and this format has no field for it. The map editor's third category does the same for the transport proper - "CTRL allows you to let MIDI notes control the transport control of the Machinedrum" (p. 67).

WHAT THE FIVE MACHINES DIFFER BY, AND NONE OF IT IS MIDI. The global settings list marks three entries by model - "Mechanical settings (MKII units only)" (p. 65), "Sample manager (Machinedrum UW models only)" (p. 65) and "+Drive settings (+Drive models only)" (p. 65) - and the first is the encoder resolution, the second moves samples by system exclusive, and the third is storage. None of them is a control change number, and the appendix carries no model qualification at all. So one definition covers the five, which is what the maker's own "OS compatible with all Machinedrum versions" (support_page) says.