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Official MIDI Specifications

Profiles

A Profile is a defined set of rules for how a MIDI receiver device implementing the Profile shall respond to a chosen set of MIDI messages to achieve a particular purpose or to suit a particular application.
M2-113-UM_1-0_Default_Control_Change_Mapping_Profile

Many MIDI devices are very flexible in configuration to allow a wide variety of interaction between devices in various applications. However, when 2 devices are configured differently, there can be a mismatch that reduces interoperability.

This Default Control Change Mapping Profile defines how devices can be set to a default state, aligned with core definitions of MIDI 1.0 and MIDI 2.0. In particular, devices with this Profile enabled have the assignment of Control Change message destinations/functions set to common, default definitions.

Profiles define specific implementations of a set of MIDI messages chosen to suit a particular instrument, Device type, or to accomplish a particular task. Two Devices that conform to the same Profile will generally have greater interoperability between them than Devices using MIDI without Profiles. Profiles increase interoperability and ease of use while reducing the amount of manual configuration of Devices by users.

The MIDI Capability Inquiry (MIDI-CI) specification defines mechanisms and a set of Universal System Exclusive messages used for Profile Configuration (and much more). However, MIDI-CI does not define the rules for Profile Specifications or devices that implement Profiles. This document, the Common Rules for MIDI-CI Profiles, complements MIDI-CI by defining a set of design rules for all Profile Specifications.