KVR Audio

The Chase · Post by **The Chase** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:15 pm

How come in a lot of music software, the range of parameters often goes from zero to 127? What is the significance of this number?

mbell · Post by **mbell** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:18 pm

A 7 bit unsigned integer can store the values from 0 to 127.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:18 pm

because 1+2+7 = 10

Borogove · Post by **Borogove** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:21 pm

The Chase wrote:How come in a lot of music software, the range of parameters often goes from zero to 127? What is the significance of this number?

As mbell mentioned, it's the range of a 7-bit unsigned integer.

We inherit the 7-bit range from MIDI, which sends messages as a series of 8-bit words; the top bit of each word is used to distinguish the start of a command (e.g. note on, note off, controller change) from the parameter data associated with the command. This leaves 7 bits for the range of a parameter.

128 distinct note values covers about 10 and a half octaves, the full 20Hz-20KHz range, so that works well. 128 different note velocities can hit half-decibel precision across 60dB of dynamic range. Those were considered sufficient. Pitch bend and other continuous controllers can optionally use two data words instead of one, giving 128 x 128 = 16384 steps (14 bits) of resolution.

Failed Muso · Post by **Failed Muso** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:26 pm

But some stuff goes up to 128 ???

Borogove · Post by **Borogove** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:30 pm

Lovesign wrote:But some stuff goes up to 128 ???

The stuff that goes up to 128 probably starts at 1 instead of zero. Computers and computer programmers usually count from zero, lesser beings usually count from one.

Failed Muso · Post by **Failed Muso** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:33 pm

Borogove wrote:
Lovesign wrote:But some stuff goes up to 128 ???
The stuff that goes up to 128 probably starts at 1 instead of zero. Computers and computer programmers usually count from zero, lesser beings usually count from one.

I guess my British humour is wasted here....

(Especially amongst the superior "programmers"

)

Borogove · Post by **Borogove** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:35 pm

Lovesign wrote:I guess my British humour is wasted here....

Heh, I got the Spinal Tap reference, I just thought you were seriously asking

Maybe I should have said "computer programmers count from zero; people who still have intact senses of humor count from one"

scuzzphut · Post by **scuzzphut** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:41 pm

in the spirit of this exchange.....

there are 10 types of people in the world
those who understand binary and those who don't.

I know it's old - but I still like it

ouroboros · Post by **ouroboros** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:46 pm

to press this theme further, I must say that, while the formulaic "blond/creed/nationality"j okes are pretty dumb, this one:

The Best Blond Joke Ever,
-had me rolling.

Failed Muso · Post by **Failed Muso** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:51 pm

scuzzphut wrote:in the spirit of this exchange.....

there are 10 types of people in the world
those who understand binary and those who don't.

I know it's old - but I still like it

I have that as a sig on another forum and in my blog

flippya2000 · Post by **flippya2000** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:03 pm

Hink wrote:because 1+2+7 = 10

..I'll have to take your word on that

but what is the significance of 10 prey tell? Something to do with binary no doubt - whatdya mean I'm wrong?

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:31 pm

flippya2000 wrote:
Hink wrote:because 1+2+7 = 10
..I'll have to take your word on that but what is the significance of 10 prey tell? Something to do with binary no doubt - whatdya mean I'm wrong?

I just made that up to confuse people...

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:39 pm

mbell wrote:A 7 bit unsigned integer can store the values from 0 to 127.

Which in English is 2 to the power of 7.

Meffy · Post by **Meffy** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:41 pm

... minus one.

Why 0 - 127?