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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.

Roland TR-8 MIDI implementation

The MIDI implementation of the Roland TR-8: what it answers to, and the 50 controls it offers, on firmware 1.61.

At a glance

Firmware
This page describes firmware 1.61.
MIDI channel
Any one of 1 to 16.
MIDI mode
4: omni off, mono.
Voices
Not recorded.
Notes
Each note plays a drum of its own, listed below.
Note range
35 to 51: B1 to D#3, counting middle C as C4.
Velocity
Sent and received. Release velocity is received.
Aftertouch
None, sent or answered.
Pitch bend
Not recorded.
Program change
Received, with 15 presets.
MIDI clock
Sent and received.
Start and stop
Sent and received.
Control change
50 controls, in the tables below.
NRPN
None.
System exclusive
None.

Drum notes

Each drum plays from the note beside it.

Drum Note
bass_drum 36, C2
rim_shot 37, C#2
snare_drum 38, D2
hand_clap 39, D#2
closed_hi_hat 42, F#2
low_tom 43, G2
open_hi_hat 46, A#2
mid_tom 47, B2
crash_cymbal 49, C#3
high_tom 50, D3
ride_cymbal 51, D#3

Controls

In the order the definition gives them, by group. Under each control is the name a program calls it by, once pymidiinstrumentdefs.load("roland/tr_8") has loaded them.

Performance

Control CC Values
SHUFFLE
shuffle		 9 0-127
ACCENT
accent		 71 0-127

External input

Control CC Values
EXTERNAL IN LEVEL
external_in_level		 12 0-127
EXTERNAL IN SIDE CHAIN
external_in_side_chain		 13 0-127

Delay and reverb

Control CC Values
DELAY LEVEL
delay_level		 16 0-127
DELAY TIME
delay_time		 17 0-127
DELAY FEEDBACK
delay_feedback		 18 0-127
REVERB TIME
reverb_time		 89 0-127
REVERB GATE
reverb_gate		 90 0-127
REVERB LEVEL
reverb_level		 91 0-127

Instrument parameters

Control CC Values
BD TUNE
bd_tune		 20 0-127
BD ATTACK
bd_attack		 21 0-127
BD COMP
bd_comp		 22 0-127
BD DECAY
bd_decay		 23 0-127
BD LEVEL
bd_level		 24 0-127
SD TUNE
sd_tune		 25 0-127
SD SNAPPY
sd_snappy		 26 0-127
SD COMP
sd_comp		 27 0-127
SD DECAY
sd_decay		 28 0-127
SD LEVEL
sd_level		 29 0-127
LT TUNE
lt_tune		 46 0-127
LT DECAY
lt_decay		 47 0-127
LT LEVEL
lt_level		 48 0-127
MT TUNE
mt_tune		 49 0-127
MT DECAY
mt_decay		 50 0-127
MT LEVEL
mt_level		 51 0-127
HT TUNE
ht_tune		 52 0-127
HT DECAY
ht_decay		 53 0-127
HT LEVEL
ht_level		 54 0-127
RS TUNE
rs_tune		 55 0-127
RS DECAY
rs_decay		 56 0-127
RS LEVEL
rs_level		 57 0-127
HC TUNE
hc_tune		 58 0-127
HC DECAY
hc_decay		 59 0-127
HC LEVEL
hc_level		 60 0-127
CH TUNE
ch_tune		 61 0-127
CH DECAY
ch_decay		 62 0-127
CH LEVEL
ch_level		 63 0-127
OH TUNE
oh_tune		 80 0-127
OH DECAY
oh_decay		 81 0-127
OH LEVEL
oh_level		 82 0-127
CC TUNE
cc_tune		 83 0-127
CC DECAY
cc_decay		 84 0-127
CC LEVEL
cc_level		 85 0-127
RC TUNE
rc_tune		 86 0-127
RC DECAY
rc_decay		 87 0-127
RC LEVEL
rc_level		 88 0-127

Scatter

Control CC Values
SCATTER TYPE
scatter_type		 68 0-127
Received, never sent
SCATTER DEPTH
scatter_depth		 69 0-127
Received, never sent
SCATTER SW
scatter_sw		 70 0-127
Received, never sent

Where these facts come from

Source documents

How they were read

FOUR DOCUMENTS, AND THE MIDI IS IN TWO OF THEM. The MIDI Implementation Chart is one A4 sheet and gives every field below but three. The TR-8 Update is five sheets of release notes whose last sheet is a MIDI section - the eight effect notes, the three scatter controllers and a setting that decides whether transport messages are obeyed at all, all on update p. 5.

Roland's Updates & Drivers page and the 1.61 system program's own page are cited for the firmware alone.

TWO OF THE FOUR HAVE NO PAGE TO TURN TO, which is why most of what is cited below is cited by name: the chart is a single sheet and the manual is a single A3 sheet of 17,395 characters. Only the update and the Serato guide are paginated, so update p. 5 is the one locator in this account and the rest name their document.

THE OTHER TWO ARE CITED AND HOLD NO CONTROLLER NUMBER. The owner's manual is one A3 sheet carrying 17,395 characters, which is this maker's fold-out poster format; it gives the channel setting, the clock source and the kit count and no controller number. The Roland TR / Serato DJ Pro Connection Guide is three sheets about a DJ application, and the one MIDI message it names is the clock: "the MIDI OUT port on the TR-8S, TR-8, TR-08, and TR-09 allows synchronization of other external sequencer-based instruments" (serato_guide p. 1), and its section for this machine says the delay "can then be manually adjusted with the MIDI clock timing in milliseconds" (serato_guide p. 2). It names no controller number, note or system exclusive.

WHAT THE CHART SETTLES THAT NOTHING ELSE DOES. That Mode 4 is the default both ways - OMNI OFF, MONO, which is an odd thing for an eleven-voice drum machine and is what the row says. That after touch and pitch bend are crossed in all four boxes. That system exclusive is crossed both ways. That program change is received and never sent, over 1-15. And that three of the fifty controllers are received and never transmitted.

AND THE INSTRUMENT ANSWERS ON ONE CHANNEL OR ALL OF THEM. The chart gives 10 as the default and 1-16, OFF as the range, marked Memorized; the manual adds the state between them: "ONn (OMNI) MIDI messages of all channels are received. The MIDI transmit channel will be 10." (manual). So an omni TR-8 still transmits on 10, which no field here holds.

NOT RECORDED: the polyphony. The manual says its eleven instruments are collectively called a kit and that "The TR-8 has 16 kits." (manual), and nothing says how many sound at once - though eleven instruments each with one voice is the likeliest reading, it is a reading.