What values to initialize MIDI tracks?

Cubase
1

So I understand it’s a custom to put a initialisation bar at the beginning of MIDI tracks, so that pesky MOD wheel setting starts off at ‘evens’. Also expression CC and Volume Ccs are commonly used. .

But it’s just struck me that I have been doing this with all at a value of 127, is this too high?

Maybe something like a 100 would be a better choice? It would give ‘Midi headroom’ to bring volumes up, but on the other hand it could have other consequences, like sparking the wrong samples.
I am dealing with different sample library players too. Usually global volume is handled by CC7, but transitory volumes can be MIDI CC 1 (MOD), MIDI CC 11 (Expression) or sometimes even (Breath Control) CC2.

Shall I set all these to 100? Do I have to be library specific (over huge track counts)?

thinking this through…

I am building and auditioning a huge template, so I need to get this right.

Opinions gratefully received.


Zero

2

Hi,

From the MIDI Specification:
CC Nr. | Default Value
1 | 127
2 | 127
7 | 100
10 | 64
11 | 127

But of course, if you feel, you will need some head room, use lower values.

Myself, I’m not using these init values anymore (I mean, they are in my projects from history, but I always overwrite them with the current needed values). These init values are useful if you need to transfer the projects to another devices and you don’t know, what song played before, and who (and how) was it program med.

Myself, I always Record all of these values for every single track. For some compositions I need to start pp, so I record (or set) it. Other compositions I start the same instrument with ff.