MIDITERM user manual

Handling and display of multiple MIDI messages which are received in packets of immediate sequence has been improved in this software version October 2011.

Download "MIDITERM.ZIP". MIDITERM is provided 'as is' -- without any warranty.

When you start MIDITERM, first a list of available MIDI OUT device is displayed. Select one by number from the list.
Next a list of available MIDI IN devices is displayed. Select one by number from the list.
At any time you can make a new selection with <CTRL-D>.

The default mode of typing/display is "MIDI messages". Alternatively you can select typing style and/or display style as pure hex data. You can change your mode of typing/display at any time with <CTRL-Q,W,E or R>.

To avoid this work of selection any time you restart MIDITERM, you can save your selections as a preset with <CTRL-P>. Then the file MIDITERM.SET is created (or overwritten, if already existing) in the same directory where MIDITERM is installed.
Please note: If you have changed your installed MIDI devices, values loaded by preset may cause a wrong access to MIDI devices then. In this case you should temporarily update your selection with <CTRL-D>. You can save a new preset or keep the old one for the next program start. If you ever will install a new version of MIDITERM, the file MIDITERM.SET should be deleted before.

Exit MIDITERM: type the <ESC> key. You will be asked if you really want to exit. Confirm with <ENTER>, cancel with any other button.
Don't exit by simply closing the window! It seems that Windows sometimes does not close everything correctly in this case. When restarted then, MIDI communication may be blocked.

How to send MIDI messages: (see short manual by typing '?')

If you have selected command input as MIDI messages (default=<CTRL-Q> or <CTRL-W>) then a MIDI message has to be entered as follows:
All command and parameter input is case insensitive and entered as a one or two digit hex number. Any number input has to terminated by <SPACE> or <ENTER>. The message is not sent before all data bytes are entered.
  • First select the MIDI channel by typing M and a subsequent hex number (value 1-9 or hex A,B,C,D,E,F,10 - default=1). This setting remains valid until another selection is made. The selected MIDI channel will be stored in the preset and reloaded at next program start. (Note: as usual in MIDI syntax, the selected channel number minus 1 will be inserted into status bytes !)

  • NOTE OFF message: type X, then the MIDI note value (0-hex7F) as hex number, finally the velocity (0-hex7F) as hex number.

  • NOTE ON message: type N, then the MIDI note value (0-hex7F) as hex number, finally the velocity (0-hex7F) as hex number.
    Example: send a NOTE ON message with chamber pitch 'a' and standard velocity (dec64 = hex40): type N 45 40 <ENTER>

  • POLY KEY PRESSURE (= POLYPHONIC AFTERTOUCH) message: type Y, then the MIDI note value (0-hex7F) as hex number, finally the velocity (0-hex7F) as hex number.

  • CONTROL CHANGE message: type K, then the Controller number (0-hex7F) as hex number, finally the controller value (0-hex7F) as hex number.

  • PROGRAM CHANGE message: type P, then the program number (0-hex7F) as hex number. Note that this is the data byte of the transmitted message. In many manuals the program numbers are listed as (data byte +1), i.e. in the range 1 - 128!.

  • CHANNEL PRESSURE message: type Z, then the pressure value (0-hex7F) as hex number.

  • PITCH BEND (PITCH WHEEL CHANGE) message: type W, then the LSB value (0-hex7F) as hex number, finally the MSB value (0-hex7F) as hex number. For low accuracy send W 0 <value>.

  • SYSTEM EXCLUSIVE message: type S. First the preselected MIDI manufacturer ID is inserted into the message. By default this is the Cinetix manufacturer ID (hex 0 20 5D). You can change it with command I (see below).
    Next enter the content of the message as ASCII text. "Not printable" characters, like bytes with set bit7 are entered as follows: type a backslash '\', then type the byte value as a TWO digit hex number. A leading zero MUST be entered. The message is terminated and transmitted immediately when you type a quotation mark ". This will not be part of the message. The EOX character is inserted automatically.
    As a consequence: if you want to transmit a backslash '\' or quotation mark as part of the SysEx message, it MUST be entered as a hex number !

  • MIDI manufacturer ID: type I. Next enter the three byte manufacturer ID as a sequence of 3 hex numbers (0-hex7F), each separated by SPACE. If you need to enter a one byte manufacturer ID, enter bytes 2 and 3 as hexFF. The actually entered MIDI manufacturer ID will be stored in a preset.

How to receive MIDI messages:

If you have selected message display as MIDI messages (<CTRL-Q> or <CTRL-E>) then every MIDI message is displayed on the PC monitor as follows: first the type of the message is displayed as readable text, next all bytes of the messages are displayed as hex numbers.
The content of SysEx messages is displayed as text if "printable", else as a sequence of hex bytes, each with a preceeding backslash '\'.
Only one message is displayed per line.

How to send raw bytes through the MIDI interface:

If you have selected command input as raw hex bytes (<CTRL-W> or <CTRL-R>) then a single MIDI byte is entered as follows and immediately transmitted:
first the high nibble as a hex digit 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F. Letter input is case insensitive. Next enter the low nibble the same style. Wrong input can be deleted with 'backspace'. Terminate input with a <SPACE> or <ENTER>. If the high nibble is = 0, then only the low nibble has to be entered and terminated as described before. Every byte is transmitted immediately after termination.
Example: send a NOTE ON message on MIDI channel #3 with chamber pitch 'a' and standard velocity (dec64 = hex40): type 92<SPACE>45<SPACE>40<SPACE>.

How to receive and display raw MIDI bytes:

If you have selected display as raw hex bytes (<CTRL-E> or <CTRL-R>) then received MIDI bytes is are displayed as an unstructured stream of hex bytes.
Data will not be displayed before a complete MIDI conformant message was received.

* State of information October 2011. Right of modifications reserved.
* This description is for information only, without any warranty. No product specifications are assured in juridical sense.
* Trademarks and product names cited in this text are property of their respective owners.