MIDI Channel 16 Control Change Hex Number

This article explains the hexadecimal status byte used to identify a Control Change command on MIDI Channel 16. It details how MIDI status bytes are constructed and breaks down the specific nibbles representing message types and channel assignments.

The hexadecimal value that identifies a Control Change command on MIDI Channel 16 is BF (often written as 0xBF).

Understanding the Status Byte Structure

In the MIDI 1.0 specification, a channel voice message begins with a status byte. This byte consists of eight bits, divided into two 4-bit hexadecimal digits (nibbles):

1. Message Type (High Nibble): The first hexadecimal digit specifies the type of command being sent. The identifier for a Control Change (CC) command is always B (binary 1011).
2. Channel Assignment (Low Nibble): The second hexadecimal digit specifies the target MIDI channel. Because MIDI channels are zero-indexed in binary, Channels 1 through 16 correspond to hexadecimal values 0 through F (decimal values 0 to 15). Channel 16 is represented by F (binary 1111).

Combining the Control Change identifier (B) with the Channel 16 identifier (F) produces the complete status byte: BF.

Structure of a Complete Control Change Message

A standard Control Change event requires three consecutive bytes:

• Status Byte (0xBF): Defines the message as a Control Change on Channel 16.
• Data Byte 1 (0x00 to 0x7F): Identifies the controller number (0–127), such as Mod Wheel (CC 1) or Sustain Pedal (CC 64).
• Data Byte 2 (0x00 to 0x7F): Sets the value assigned to that controller (0–127).