Composing for Cell

To make your composition into a MIDI file that Cell can play, you'll need to know a little about how Cell handles MIDI instructions. A MIDI file prepared for another device - such as a mobile ringtone - won't play correctly on Cell.

Cell's instruments have a unique MIDI mapping.

You can download a note map for Cell here.

Cell only listens to MIDI channel one

Events on other MIDI channels are ignored.

Cell's instruments are real physical instruments, and have physical limitations.

The kick drum cannot play faster than 120 bpm. Most of the other instruments are capable of over 180 bpm.

Many of Cell's instruments are percusison instruments, putting a long note in the MIDI file won't make them sustain longer

Many of Cell's instruments are played by being plucked, or struck with a hammer. The length of a note in the MIDI file controls the time the mechanism is active, not how long the note sounds. In fact for instruments played with hammers such as the gong or the xylophones, putting a long note in the MIDI file can muffle the sound, because the hammer will stay pressed against the instrument, instead of getting out of the way so the note can ring.

Many of the instruments work best with precise note lengths. Where this applies we have suggested a time in the notemap file above. We have experimented with automatically filtering note lengths, and the lengths of the notes in your composition - particularly for percussion instruments - may be automatically adjusted when it plays.

Compositions sent to Cell are limited to three minutes.

Compositions can be divided into 3 minute blocks and uploaded individually. After a composition has been recorded, all sound recordings and midi files sent to Cell can be downloaded from the songs page.

The Compose > Tools Page has more information and downloads to help you compose music for Cell.

You can send your compositions to Cell on the Upload Page.