🎹 MIDI Velocity Guide

Understand MIDI velocity values (0–127), dynamic markings, and key controller numbers. Essential reference for producers, arrangers, and keyboard players.

MIDI velocity (0–127)

Velocity value

Velocity visualization

Velocity 80 — mf (mezzo-forte)

Velocity to Dynamic Marking

MIDI range	Dynamic	Marking	Meaning	Typical use
1–15	pppp	Pianissississimo	As soft as possible	Ghost notes, barely-there ambient pads
16–31	ppp	Pianississimo	Extremely soft	Very quiet leads, harp harmonics
32–47	pp	Pianissimo	Very soft	Quiet passages, subtle chords
48–63	p	Piano	Soft	Moderate softness, sensitive playing
64–79	mp	Mezzo-piano	Moderately soft	Default "normal" range for most parts
80–95	mf	Mezzo-forte	Moderately loud	Active playing, main melody
96–111	f	Forte	Loud	Emphasis, chorus hits, punchy drums
112–120	ff	Fortissimo	Very loud	Climax passages, heavy accents
121–127	fff	Fortissimo	Maximum intensity	Top accents, crash cymbals, peak hits
0	—	Note Off	Note Off message	Velocity 0 = note off in MIDI spec

Key MIDI CC Numbers

CC 1 — Modulation

Mod wheel. Controls vibrato, tremolo, or expression depending on patch. 0 = off, 127 = max.

CC 2 — Breath Controller

Wind controller input. Maps breath pressure to expression. Less common but expressive.

CC 7 — Channel Volume

Main volume for a MIDI channel. Different from expression (CC 11). Used for mix balance.

CC 10 — Pan

Stereo position. 0 = hard left, 64 = centre, 127 = hard right. Most common panning control.

CC 11 — Expression

Dynamic expression within a phrase. Used for crescendos/decrescendos while CC 7 sets the overall level.

CC 64 — Sustain Pedal

Hold/sustain. 0–63 = off, 64–127 = on. Most common pedal in piano playing.

CC 66 — Sostenuto

Holds only notes that are currently held when pedal is pressed. Middle pedal of grand piano.

CC 74 — Filter Cutoff

Brightness / filter frequency. Common in synth patches. 0 = very dark, 127 = bright/open.

CC 91 — Reverb

Reverb send amount. 0 = dry, 127 = maximum reverb. Widely supported in GM soundbanks.

CC 121 — Reset All Controllers

Resets all CCs to defaults. Useful at start of a track to ensure a clean state.

CC 123 — All Notes Off

Silences all sounding notes on the channel. Emergency mute / end-of-track cleanup.

Pitch Bend

14-bit control (0–16383). Centre = 8192. Range is set by patch (usually ±2 semitones). Separate from CC system.

🎹 Velocity humanisation: Perfectly quantised velocity (all notes at 100) sounds robotic. Add ±5–15 variation to main parts, ±20–30 for drums. Most DAWs have a humanise function. For live-feel piano, left hand chords often sit 10–20 velocity units lower than the right hand melody.

🔢 MIDI note numbers: Middle C (C4) = MIDI note 60. Each semitone = +1. C5 = 72, C3 = 48. Some software uses C3 as middle C (note 60) — check your DAW's numbering. The full range is 0 (C-2) to 127 (G8).

📡 MIDI 2.0: MIDI 2.0 (2020+) expands velocity to 32-bit resolution (0–4,294,967,295) and adds per-note controllers, better pitch resolution, and bidirectional communication. Most hardware and software still uses MIDI 1.0 — 7-bit, 0–127 range.