Modal Electronics CARBON8M MIDI implementation - MIDI Instrument Definitions

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.

The MIDI implementation of the Modal Electronics CARBON8M: what it answers to, and the 106 controls it offers.

At a glance

Firmware: Not recorded.
MIDI channel: 1 to 16.
MPE: Received: its voices are spread across its MIDI channels, a note to each.
Voices: 1, 2, 4, or 8, as set on the instrument.
Note range: Not recorded.
Velocity: Not recorded.
Aftertouch: Channel pressure, which over MPE is a value for each note.
Pitch bend: Not recorded.
Program change: Received, with 500 presets.
MIDI clock: Sent and received.
Start and stop: Not recorded.
Control change: 106 controls, in the tables below.
NRPN: Not recorded.
System exclusive: Not recorded.

Controls

In the order the definition gives them, by group. Under each control is the name a program calls it by, once pymidiinstrumentdefs.load("modal/carbon8m") has loaded them.

Program

Control	CC	Values
Bank Change `bank_change`	0	0-4

Performance

Control	CC	Values
Mod Wheel `mod_wheel`	1	0-127
Expression Pedal `expression_pedal`	11	0-127
Sustain Pedal `sustain_pedal`	64	0-127

Voice

Control	CC	Values
Glide `glide`	5	0-127
Voice Mode `voice_mode`	9	0-127
Octave `octave`	40	0-127
Transpose `transpose`	75	0-127
Chord Mode `chord_mode`	96	0-127

Oscillators

Control	CC	Values
Osc1 Tune `osc_1_tune`	14	0-127
Osc1 Fine `osc_1_fine`	15	0-127
Osc1 Contour `osc_1_contour`	16	0-127
Osc1 Level `osc_1_level`	19	0-127
Osc1 Core `osc_1_core`	62	0-127
Osc2 Tune `osc_2_tune`	30	0-127
Osc2 Fine `osc_2_fine`	31	0-127
Osc2 Contour `osc_2_contour`	17	0-127
Osc2 Level `osc_2_level`	20	0-127
Osc2 Core `osc_2_core`	63	0-127
Osc XMod `osc_xmod`	18	0-127
OscMod Mode `osc_mod_mode`	21	0-127

Filter

Control	CC	Values
Filter Cutoff `filter_cutoff`	34	0-127, setting a frequency in Hz
Filter Resonance `filter_resonance`	35	0-127
Filter Warp `filter_warp`	33	0-127
Filter Type `filter_type`	42	0-127

Filter envelope

Control	CC	Values
FEG Amount `feg_amount`	32	0-127
FEG Decay `feg_decay`	23	0-127
FEG Sustain `feg_sustain`	24	0-127
FEG Release `feg_release`	25	0-127
FEG Type `feg_type`	81	0-127

Amp envelope

Control	CC	Values
AEG Depth `aeg_depth`	51	0-127
AEG Attack `aeg_attack`	26	0-127
AEG Decay `aeg_decay`	27	0-127
AEG Sustain `aeg_sustain`	28	0-127
AEG Release `aeg_release`	29	0-127
AEG Type `aeg_type`	80	0-127

Mod envelope

Control	CC	Values
MEG Depth `meg_depth`	49	0-127
MEG Attack `meg_attack`	43	0-127
MEG Decay `meg_decay`	44	0-127
MEG Sustain `meg_sustain`	45	0-127
MEG Release `meg_release`	46	0-127
MEG Type `meg_type`	82	0-127

All envelopes

Control	CC	Values
All EG Attack `all_eg_attack`	84	0-127
All EG Decay `all_eg_decay`	85	0-127
All EG Sustain `all_eg_sustain`	86	0-127
All EG Release `all_eg_release`	87	0-127

LFOs

Control	CC	Values
LFO1 Rate `lfo_1_rate`	36	0-127
LFO1 Depth `lfo_1_depth`	37	0-127
LFO1 Shape `lfo_1_shape`	39	0-127
LFO1 Transform `lfo_1_transform`	56	0-127
LFO2 Rate `lfo_2_rate`	47	0-127
LFO2 Depth `lfo_2_depth`	48	0-127
LFO2 Shape `lfo_2_shape`	50	0-127
LFO2 Transform `lfo_2_transform`	57	0-127
LFO3 Rate `lfo_3_rate`	3	0-127
LFO3 Depth `lfo_3_depth`	13	0-127
LFO3 Shape `lfo_3_shape`	22	0-127
LFO3 Transform `lfo_3_transform`	12	0-127
LFO MIDI Sync `lfo_midi_sync`	52	0-127
LFO Modes `lfo_modes`	54	0-127

Arpeggiator

Control	CC	Values
Arp Status `arp_status`	58	0-127
Arp Division `arp_division`	61	0-127
Arp Octave `arp_octave`	59	0-127
Arp Direction `arp_direction`	60	0-127
Arp Gate `arp_gate`	53	0-127
Swing `swing`	78	0-127

Sequencer

Control	CC	Values
Seq Length `seq_length`	67	0-127
Seq Mute `seq_mute`	68	0-127
Seq Clear `seq_clear`	69	0-127
Seq Hold `seq_hold`	70	0-127
Seq Loop `seq_loop`	71	0-127
Seq Record `seq_record`	72	0-127
Seq Quantise `seq_quantise`	79	0-127

FX

Control	CC	Values
FX Amount `fx_amount`	73	0-127
Delay Mode `delay_mode`	41	0-127
Delay MIDI Sync `delay_midi_sync`	55	0-127

Mod slot 1

Control	CC	Values
ModSlot 1 Depth `modslot_1_depth`	88	0-127
ModSlot 1 Source `modslot_1_source`	100	0-127
ModSlot 1 Dest `modslot_1_dest`	108	0-127

Mod slot 2

Control	CC	Values
ModSlot 2 Depth `modslot_2_depth`	89	0-127
ModSlot 2 Source `modslot_2_source`	101	0-127
ModSlot 2 Dest `modslot_2_dest`	109	0-127

Mod slot 3

Control	CC	Values
ModSlot 3 Depth `modslot_3_depth`	90	0-127
ModSlot 3 Source `modslot_3_source`	102	0-127
ModSlot 3 Dest `modslot_3_dest`	110	0-127

Mod slot 4

Control	CC	Values
ModSlot 4 Depth `modslot_4_depth`	91	0-127
ModSlot 4 Source `modslot_4_source`	103	0-127
ModSlot 4 Dest `modslot_4_dest`	111	0-127

Mod slot 5

Control	CC	Values
ModSlot 5 Depth `modslot_5_depth`	92	0-127
ModSlot 5 Source `modslot_5_source`	104	0-127
ModSlot 5 Dest `modslot_5_dest`	112	0-127

Mod slot 6

Control	CC	Values
ModSlot 6 Depth `modslot_6_depth`	93	0-127
ModSlot 6 Source `modslot_6_source`	105	0-127
ModSlot 6 Dest `modslot_6_dest`	113	0-127

Mod slot 7

Control	CC	Values
ModSlot 7 Depth `modslot_7_depth`	94	0-127
ModSlot 7 Source `modslot_7_source`	106	0-127
ModSlot 7 Dest `modslot_7_dest`	114	0-127

Mod slot 8

Control	CC	Values
ModSlot 8 Depth `modslot_8_depth`	95	0-127
ModSlot 8 Source `modslot_8_source`	107	0-127
ModSlot 8 Dest `modslot_8_dest`	115	0-127

Joystick

Control	CC	Values
Joystick X+ `joystick_x_plus`	116	0-127
Joystick X- `joystick_x_minus`	117	0-127
Joystick Y- `joystick_y_minus`	118	0-127

Audio output + gain

Control	CC	Values
Audio In `audio_in`	83	0-127
Patch Gain `patch_gain`	119	0-127
Main Volume `main_volume`	7	0-127

Where these facts come from

Source documents

CARBON8M - Modal Electronics, Firmware v1.1, its release notes, read on 30 September 2026.
CARBON8M User Manual - English - V1, V1, warranty update, its user manual, read on 13 September 2026 (the file read).

How they were read

User manual v1 (warranty update), printed two pages to a sheet: the MIDI CC Implemention Chart (Modal's spelling) at pp. 62-63, MIDI at pp. 58-61, MPE at pp. 64-65, Polychain at p. 66, the specification at pp. 5-7, voice modes at p. 48, and the descriptions of stepped controls at pp. 26-27, 30, 32-33, 40 and 50. The chart prints a row for every number from 0 to 127 and marks 17 of them "-", so the numbers missing below are checked absences. It gives names and numbers only - no values, bands, ranges or defaults - so every control here is continuous by derivation, including those the manual describes as stepped, whose states are named in comments rather than guessed at as bands.

NOT RECORDED: note range, velocity response and pitch-bend range.