M-Audio PROKEYS 88SX [10/20] Pitch bend wheel

2.10 Pitch Bend Wheel

The Pitch Bend wheel allows you to bend the pitch of your instrument. The range of frequencies that the pitch bend wheel will achieve depends on

the default Pitch Bend Range setting of your sound module, or virtual instrument. However, in many cases, by default the pitch bend will increase

or decrease the pitch by two semi-tones. For example, if you play a C and push the Pitch Bend wheel right to the top, the note you hear will be D.

If you pull it all the way back towards you, you will hear Bb.

It is possible to alter the range of the Pitch Bend wheel to allow even larger pitch shifts. This is explained in detail on page 16.

2.11 MIDI Controller Messages

There are 128 MIDI controller messages that are used for controlling the MIDI-adjustable parameters on your MIDI device. Examples of these

controllable parameters include volume, pan, expression, reverb, chorus and portamento.

There are three controls (Slider, Modulation Wheel, Expression Pedal) on your ProKeys 88sx that can send any of the 128 MIDI controller messages

to control such parameters. Please note that in order for these effects to work, the MIDI device you are sending them to must be able to receive

these messages!

The controls that are able to send MIDI controller messages are the volume slider, the modulation wheel and the expression pedal. By default, these

controls are assigned to send master volume, modulation, and expression messages, respectively. However, you can assign them to send different

MIDI controller messages, by changing the number that is assigned to the control. These numbers are deﬁned in Appendix C.

For example, you may want to set the Modulation wheel to control a reverb amount. This would be achieved by changing the control number of

the Modulation wheel assignment to 91.

Examples of other popular effects are listed in the table below. Please consult Appendix C for the full list.

Effect Control Number

Modulation 1

Volume

Pan 10

Expression 11

Reverb depth 91

Chorus depth 93

2.11.1 Extra Controller Messages

You may have noticed that although we have said there are 128 MIDI controller messages, Appendix C shows 132. This is because messages 128

– 131 are not “standard” MIDI controller messages, but are useful messages that we have added to the controller list. They are more complicated

messages, but you can assign them to your controls in exactly the same way as any other MIDI controller message.

The extra messages are supported by GS, XG and GM2 devices. The use of each message is given in the table below:

Controller Number MIDI Message Use

128 Pitch Bend Sensitivity Alters the range of a pitch bend message

129 Master Tune (coarse) Adjusts the tuning of your sound module or synthesizer

in large steps

130 Master Tune (ﬁne) Adjusts the tuning of your sound module or synthesizer

in small steps

131 Channel Aftertouch Adds a vibrato effect

Part 2: The ProKeys 88sx as a MIDI Controller