midi-protocol-lookup

naporin0624's avatarfrom naporin0624

Look up APC Mini MK2 MIDI protocol details including note numbers, MIDI channels, velocity values, and SysEx format. Use when user asks about "MIDI note", "channel", "velocity", "status byte", "SysEx", "protocol", or needs to understand how MIDI messages control the APC Mini MK2.

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[Developer Tools]

When & Why to Use This Skill

This Claude skill serves as a comprehensive technical reference for the Akai APC Mini MK2 MIDI protocol. It enables developers and music technologists to instantly retrieve precise MIDI note numbers, Control Change (CC) values, SysEx message formats, and channel configurations. By providing quick access to hardware specifications for the 8x8 pad grid, faders, and LED states, it streamlines the process of custom MIDI mapping and software integration.

Use Cases

  • Custom MIDI Mapping: Quickly look up note numbers and CC assignments to create bespoke controller templates for DAWs like Ableton Live, Bitwig Studio, or FL Studio.
  • Software Development: Reference the SysEx structure and RGB encoding logic to write drivers or applications that programmatically control the APC Mini MK2's lighting and feedback.
  • Lighting & Animation Design: Use the MIDI channel effect table to implement complex visual behaviors such as pulsing, blinking, and varying brightness levels on the pad grid.
  • Hardware Troubleshooting: Verify status bytes and message structures to debug communication issues between the MIDI controller and external hardware or software.
namemidi-protocol-lookup
descriptionLook up APC Mini MK2 MIDI protocol details including note numbers, MIDI channels, velocity values, and SysEx format. Use when user asks about "MIDI note", "channel", "velocity", "status byte", "SysEx", "protocol", or needs to understand how MIDI messages control the APC Mini MK2.

APC Mini MK2 MIDI Protocol Reference

Quick reference for MIDI protocol details when developing APC Mini MK2 applications.

MIDI Message Structure

APC Mini MK2 uses standard MIDI messages:

  • Note On: [status, note, velocity] where status = 0x9n (n = channel)
  • Note Off: [status, note, velocity] where status = 0x8n
  • Control Change: [status, cc, value] where status = 0xBn

Note Number Quick Reference

Pad Grid (8x8 RGB Pads)

Notes 0-63, bottom-left to top-right:

Row Notes Hex Range
8 (top) 56-63 0x38-0x3F
7 48-55 0x30-0x37
6 40-47 0x28-0x2F
5 32-39 0x20-0x27
4 24-31 0x18-0x1F
3 16-23 0x10-0x17
2 8-15 0x08-0x0F
1 (bottom) 0-7 0x00-0x07

Formula: note = row * 8 + column (0-indexed)

Peripheral Buttons

Button Notes Hex LED Color
Track 1-8 100-107 0x64-0x6B Red
Scene Launch 1-8 112-119 0x70-0x77 Green
Shift 122 0x7A None

Faders (Control Change)

Fader CC Number Hex
Fader 1-8 48-55 0x30-0x37
Master 56 0x38

MIDI Channel Effects

Channel selection determines LED brightness and animation:

Channel Hex Effect
0 0x90 10% brightness
1 0x91 25% brightness
2 0x92 40% brightness
3 0x93 55% brightness
4 0x94 70% brightness
5 0x95 85% brightness
6 0x96 100% brightness (recommended)
7 0x97 Pulse 1/16
8 0x98 Pulse 1/8
9 0x99 Pulse 1/4
10 0x9A Pulse 1/2
11 0x9B Blink 1/24
12 0x9C Blink 1/16
13 0x9D Blink 1/8
14 0x9E Blink 1/4
15 0x9F Blink 1/2

Status Byte Construction

Status byte = 0x90 + channel

Examples:

  • Full brightness: 0x96 (channel 6)
  • Pulse 1/4: 0x99 (channel 9)
  • Blink 1/8: 0x9D (channel 13)

SysEx Format for Custom RGB

For colors beyond the 128-color palette:

F0 47 7F 4F 24 [len-MSB] [len-LSB] [start] [end] [R-MSB] [R-LSB] [G-MSB] [G-LSB] [B-MSB] [B-LSB] F7

Header breakdown:

  • 0xF0: SysEx start
  • 0x47: Akai manufacturer ID
  • 0x7F: Device broadcast
  • 0x4F: APC Mini MK2 product ID
  • 0x24: RGB LED command
  • 0xF7: SysEx end

RGB encoding (8-bit value to MSB/LSB):

const msb = (value >> 7) & 0x01;
const lsb = value & 0x7F;

Quick Examples

Set pad to red at full brightness

[0x96, 0x00, 0x05]  // Channel 6, Note 0, Red

Turn off pad

[0x90, 0x00, 0x00]  // Any channel, Note 0, Off

Set Track button 1 on

[0x90, 0x64, 0x01]  // Channel 0, Note 100, On

Set Scene button 1 blinking

[0x90, 0x70, 0x02]  // Channel 0, Note 112, Blink

Official Documentation

Protocol PDF: cdn.inmusicbrands.com/akai/attachments/APC mini mk2 - Communication Protocol - v1.0.pdf