FAILURE MAP
← Case archive

FA-81411 / MIDI event timing / Open access

Track event parser with running status: running status survives a meta event · case 01

Data bytes after a meta event are decoded with the pre-meta status instead of being rejected.

Verified by executionVariant 1 · 8 checks per implementationDownload source bundle ↓JSON ↗

ROOT CAUSE

The meta branch does not clear the remembered running status.

VERIFIED REPAIR

Restore the meta cancels running status step so that it reads `running = None out.append([tick, 'meta', kind])`.

Unsuccessful approach: Setting running status to zero is not a cleared state: data bytes are then parsed as a bogus status-0 message.

Case contract

Input the bytes of a track body: each event is a variable-length delta then either a meta event (FF type len data...), a status byte (bit 7 set) with its data bytes, or data bytes reusing the previous channel status (running status). Program change (Cx) and channel pressure (Dx) take one data byte, other channel messages two. Meta events cancel running status. Return [absolute tick, status, data...] for channel events and [tick, "meta", type] for meta events, or None on truncation or data without a running status.

Why this case matters

MIDI sequencers, file readers and synth drivers depend on exact event ordering and tick/time arithmetic.

1 / The failure

Exit 1
"""Failure Map reference implementation. Python standard library only."""
import json

N = 1
observations = []
def solve(x):
    if not isinstance(x, list):
        return None
    out = []
    i = 0
    tick = 0
    running = None
    while i < len(x):
        delta = 0
        while True:
            if i >= len(x):
                return None
            b = x[i]
            i += 1
            delta = (delta << 7) | (b & 0x7F)
            if not b & 0x80:
                break
        tick += delta
        if i >= len(x):
            return None
        status = x[i]
        if status == 0xFF:
            if i + 2 >= len(x):
                return None
            kind = x[i + 1]
            i += 3 + x[i + 2]
            if i > len(x):
                return None
            out.append([tick, 'meta', kind])
            continue
        if status & 0x80:
            i += 1
            running = status
        elif running is None:
            return None
        else:
            status = running
        size = 1 if (status & 0xF0) in (0xC0, 0xD0) else 2
        if i + size > len(x):
            return None
        out.append([tick, status] + x[i:i + size])
        i += size
    return out
def check(label, actual, expected):
    observations.append({"check": label, "actual": actual, "expected": expected, "passed": actual == expected})
fixtures = [[([0, 144, 60, 100, 10, 60, 0], [[0, 144, 60, 100], [10, 144, 60, 0]]), ([0, 192, 5, 0, 6], [[0, 192, 5], [0, 192, 6]]), ([0, 208, 64, 0, 50], [[0, 208, 64], [0, 208, 50]]), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 0, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 1, 65, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 176, 7, 100, 20, 10, 90], [[0, 176, 7, 100], [20, 176, 10, 90]]), ([127, 144, 60, 1], [[127, 144, 60, 1]]), ([128, 0, 144, 60, 1], [[0, 144, 60, 1]])], [([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 0, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 1, 65, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 176, 7, 100, 20, 10, 90], [[0, 176, 7, 100], [20, 176, 10, 90]]), ([127, 144, 60, 1], [[127, 144, 60, 1]]), ([128, 0, 144, 60, 1], [[0, 144, 60, 1]]), ([129, 0, 144, 60, 1], [[128, 144, 60, 1]]), ([0, 144, 60], None), ([0, 62, 100], None)], [([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 0, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 1, 65, 0, 62, 100], None), ([129, 0, 144, 60, 1], [[128, 144, 60, 1]]), ([0, 144, 60], None), ([0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 192, 5, 7, 6, 0, 144, 64, 90], [[0, 192, 5], [7, 192, 6], [7, 144, 64, 90]]), ([0, 255, 47, 0], [[0, 'meta', 47]]), ([0, 255, 81, 3, 7, 161, 32, 0, 144, 60, 64], [[0, 'meta', 81], [0, 144, 60, 64]])], [([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 0, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 1, 65, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 192, 5, 7, 6, 0, 144, 64, 90], [[0, 192, 5], [7, 192, 6], [7, 144, 64, 90]]), ([0, 255, 47, 0], [[0, 'meta', 47]]), ([0, 255, 81, 3, 7, 161, 32, 0, 144, 60, 64], [[0, 'meta', 81], [0, 144, 60, 64]]), ([0, 224, 0, 64, 16, 0, 65], [[0, 224, 0, 64], [16, 224, 0, 65]]), ([5, 144, 60, 100, 5, 128, 60, 0, 5, 62, 0], [[5, 144, 60, 100], [10, 128, 60, 0], [15, 128, 62, 0]]), ([0, 208, 10, 0, 20], [[0, 208, 10], [0, 208, 20]])], [([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 0, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 1, 65, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 224, 0, 64, 16, 0, 65], [[0, 224, 0, 64], [16, 224, 0, 65]]), ([5, 144, 60, 100, 5, 128, 60, 0, 5, 62, 0], [[5, 144, 60, 100], [10, 128, 60, 0], [15, 128, 62, 0]]), ([0, 208, 10, 0, 20], [[0, 208, 10], [0, 208, 20]]), ([0, 255, 3], None), ([0, 255, 3, 5, 65], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 192, 9, 3, 11], [[0, 144, 60, 100], [0, 192, 9], [3, 192, 11]])]]
for i, (args, expected) in enumerate(fixtures[N-1]):
    check("oracle %d" % i, solve(args), expected)
print(json.dumps({"observations": observations, "passed": all(x["passed"] for x in observations)}, ensure_ascii=False))
raise SystemExit(0 if all(x["passed"] for x in observations) else 1)
Boundary fixtureActualExpectedOutcome
oracle 0[[0, 144, 60, 100], [10, 144, 60, 0]][[0, 144, 60, 100], [10, 144, 60, 0]]Passed
oracle 1[[0, 192, 5], [0, 192, 6]][[0, 192, 5], [0, 192, 6]]Passed
oracle 2[[0, 208, 64], [0, 208, 50]][[0, 208, 64], [0, 208, 50]]Passed
oracle 3[[0, 144, 60, 100], [0, 'meta', 1], [0, 144, 62, 100]]NoneFailed
oracle 4[[0, 144, 60, 100], [0, 'meta', 1], [0, 144, 62, 100]]NoneFailed
oracle 5[[0, 176, 7, 100], [20, 176, 10, 90]][[0, 176, 7, 100], [20, 176, 10, 90]]Passed
oracle 6[[127, 144, 60, 1]][[127, 144, 60, 1]]Passed
oracle 7[[0, 144, 60, 1]][[0, 144, 60, 1]]Passed

SHA-256 / 2837d4110f0522fb01adb5613ddeb1a39993b263bf86df284a5d4551103ea522

2 / The unsuccessful fix

Exit 1
"""Failure Map reference implementation. Python standard library only."""
import json

N = 1
observations = []
def solve(x):
    if not isinstance(x, list):
        return None
    out = []
    i = 0
    tick = 0
    running = None
    while i < len(x):
        delta = 0
        while True:
            if i >= len(x):
                return None
            b = x[i]
            i += 1
            delta = (delta << 7) | (b & 0x7F)
            if not b & 0x80:
                break
        tick += delta
        if i >= len(x):
            return None
        status = x[i]
        if status == 0xFF:
            if i + 2 >= len(x):
                return None
            kind = x[i + 1]
            i += 3 + x[i + 2]
            if i > len(x):
                return None
            running = 0
            out.append([tick, 'meta', kind])
            continue
        if status & 0x80:
            i += 1
            running = status
        elif running is None:
            return None
        else:
            status = running
        size = 1 if (status & 0xF0) in (0xC0, 0xD0) else 2
        if i + size > len(x):
            return None
        out.append([tick, status] + x[i:i + size])
        i += size
    return out
def check(label, actual, expected):
    observations.append({"check": label, "actual": actual, "expected": expected, "passed": actual == expected})
fixtures = [[([0, 144, 60, 100, 10, 60, 0], [[0, 144, 60, 100], [10, 144, 60, 0]]), ([0, 192, 5, 0, 6], [[0, 192, 5], [0, 192, 6]]), ([0, 208, 64, 0, 50], [[0, 208, 64], [0, 208, 50]]), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 0, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 1, 65, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 176, 7, 100, 20, 10, 90], [[0, 176, 7, 100], [20, 176, 10, 90]]), ([127, 144, 60, 1], [[127, 144, 60, 1]]), ([128, 0, 144, 60, 1], [[0, 144, 60, 1]])], [([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 0, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 1, 65, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 176, 7, 100, 20, 10, 90], [[0, 176, 7, 100], [20, 176, 10, 90]]), ([127, 144, 60, 1], [[127, 144, 60, 1]]), ([128, 0, 144, 60, 1], [[0, 144, 60, 1]]), ([129, 0, 144, 60, 1], [[128, 144, 60, 1]]), ([0, 144, 60], None), ([0, 62, 100], None)], [([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 0, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 1, 65, 0, 62, 100], None), ([129, 0, 144, 60, 1], [[128, 144, 60, 1]]), ([0, 144, 60], None), ([0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 192, 5, 7, 6, 0, 144, 64, 90], [[0, 192, 5], [7, 192, 6], [7, 144, 64, 90]]), ([0, 255, 47, 0], [[0, 'meta', 47]]), ([0, 255, 81, 3, 7, 161, 32, 0, 144, 60, 64], [[0, 'meta', 81], [0, 144, 60, 64]])], [([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 0, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 1, 65, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 192, 5, 7, 6, 0, 144, 64, 90], [[0, 192, 5], [7, 192, 6], [7, 144, 64, 90]]), ([0, 255, 47, 0], [[0, 'meta', 47]]), ([0, 255, 81, 3, 7, 161, 32, 0, 144, 60, 64], [[0, 'meta', 81], [0, 144, 60, 64]]), ([0, 224, 0, 64, 16, 0, 65], [[0, 224, 0, 64], [16, 224, 0, 65]]), ([5, 144, 60, 100, 5, 128, 60, 0, 5, 62, 0], [[5, 144, 60, 100], [10, 128, 60, 0], [15, 128, 62, 0]]), ([0, 208, 10, 0, 20], [[0, 208, 10], [0, 208, 20]])], [([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 0, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 1, 65, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 224, 0, 64, 16, 0, 65], [[0, 224, 0, 64], [16, 224, 0, 65]]), ([5, 144, 60, 100, 5, 128, 60, 0, 5, 62, 0], [[5, 144, 60, 100], [10, 128, 60, 0], [15, 128, 62, 0]]), ([0, 208, 10, 0, 20], [[0, 208, 10], [0, 208, 20]]), ([0, 255, 3], None), ([0, 255, 3, 5, 65], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 192, 9, 3, 11], [[0, 144, 60, 100], [0, 192, 9], [3, 192, 11]])]]
for i, (args, expected) in enumerate(fixtures[N-1]):
    check("oracle %d" % i, solve(args), expected)
print(json.dumps({"observations": observations, "passed": all(x["passed"] for x in observations)}, ensure_ascii=False))
raise SystemExit(0 if all(x["passed"] for x in observations) else 1)
Boundary fixtureActualExpectedOutcome
oracle 0[[0, 144, 60, 100], [10, 144, 60, 0]][[0, 144, 60, 100], [10, 144, 60, 0]]Passed
oracle 1[[0, 192, 5], [0, 192, 6]][[0, 192, 5], [0, 192, 6]]Passed
oracle 2[[0, 208, 64], [0, 208, 50]][[0, 208, 64], [0, 208, 50]]Passed
oracle 3[[0, 144, 60, 100], [0, 'meta', 1], [0, 0, 62, 100]]NoneFailed
oracle 4[[0, 144, 60, 100], [0, 'meta', 1], [0, 0, 62, 100]]NoneFailed
oracle 5[[0, 176, 7, 100], [20, 176, 10, 90]][[0, 176, 7, 100], [20, 176, 10, 90]]Passed
oracle 6[[127, 144, 60, 1]][[127, 144, 60, 1]]Passed
oracle 7[[0, 144, 60, 1]][[0, 144, 60, 1]]Passed

SHA-256 / ecdbfe1bb2308df405a965591f12edf97eb84dc741438967eb41c0aa0b98ba77

3 / The verified repair

Exit 0
"""Failure Map reference implementation. Python standard library only."""
import json

N = 1
observations = []
def solve(x):
    if not isinstance(x, list):
        return None
    out = []
    i = 0
    tick = 0
    running = None
    while i < len(x):
        delta = 0
        while True:
            if i >= len(x):
                return None
            b = x[i]
            i += 1
            delta = (delta << 7) | (b & 0x7F)
            if not b & 0x80:
                break
        tick += delta
        if i >= len(x):
            return None
        status = x[i]
        if status == 0xFF:
            if i + 2 >= len(x):
                return None
            kind = x[i + 1]
            i += 3 + x[i + 2]
            if i > len(x):
                return None
            running = None
            out.append([tick, 'meta', kind])
            continue
        if status & 0x80:
            i += 1
            running = status
        elif running is None:
            return None
        else:
            status = running
        size = 1 if (status & 0xF0) in (0xC0, 0xD0) else 2
        if i + size > len(x):
            return None
        out.append([tick, status] + x[i:i + size])
        i += size
    return out
def check(label, actual, expected):
    observations.append({"check": label, "actual": actual, "expected": expected, "passed": actual == expected})
fixtures = [[([0, 144, 60, 100, 10, 60, 0], [[0, 144, 60, 100], [10, 144, 60, 0]]), ([0, 192, 5, 0, 6], [[0, 192, 5], [0, 192, 6]]), ([0, 208, 64, 0, 50], [[0, 208, 64], [0, 208, 50]]), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 0, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 1, 65, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 176, 7, 100, 20, 10, 90], [[0, 176, 7, 100], [20, 176, 10, 90]]), ([127, 144, 60, 1], [[127, 144, 60, 1]]), ([128, 0, 144, 60, 1], [[0, 144, 60, 1]])], [([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 0, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 1, 65, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 176, 7, 100, 20, 10, 90], [[0, 176, 7, 100], [20, 176, 10, 90]]), ([127, 144, 60, 1], [[127, 144, 60, 1]]), ([128, 0, 144, 60, 1], [[0, 144, 60, 1]]), ([129, 0, 144, 60, 1], [[128, 144, 60, 1]]), ([0, 144, 60], None), ([0, 62, 100], None)], [([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 0, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 1, 65, 0, 62, 100], None), ([129, 0, 144, 60, 1], [[128, 144, 60, 1]]), ([0, 144, 60], None), ([0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 192, 5, 7, 6, 0, 144, 64, 90], [[0, 192, 5], [7, 192, 6], [7, 144, 64, 90]]), ([0, 255, 47, 0], [[0, 'meta', 47]]), ([0, 255, 81, 3, 7, 161, 32, 0, 144, 60, 64], [[0, 'meta', 81], [0, 144, 60, 64]])], [([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 0, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 1, 65, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 192, 5, 7, 6, 0, 144, 64, 90], [[0, 192, 5], [7, 192, 6], [7, 144, 64, 90]]), ([0, 255, 47, 0], [[0, 'meta', 47]]), ([0, 255, 81, 3, 7, 161, 32, 0, 144, 60, 64], [[0, 'meta', 81], [0, 144, 60, 64]]), ([0, 224, 0, 64, 16, 0, 65], [[0, 224, 0, 64], [16, 224, 0, 65]]), ([5, 144, 60, 100, 5, 128, 60, 0, 5, 62, 0], [[5, 144, 60, 100], [10, 128, 60, 0], [15, 128, 62, 0]]), ([0, 208, 10, 0, 20], [[0, 208, 10], [0, 208, 20]])], [([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 0, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 255, 1, 1, 65, 0, 62, 100], None), ([0, 224, 0, 64, 16, 0, 65], [[0, 224, 0, 64], [16, 224, 0, 65]]), ([5, 144, 60, 100, 5, 128, 60, 0, 5, 62, 0], [[5, 144, 60, 100], [10, 128, 60, 0], [15, 128, 62, 0]]), ([0, 208, 10, 0, 20], [[0, 208, 10], [0, 208, 20]]), ([0, 255, 3], None), ([0, 255, 3, 5, 65], None), ([0, 144, 60, 100, 0, 192, 9, 3, 11], [[0, 144, 60, 100], [0, 192, 9], [3, 192, 11]])]]
for i, (args, expected) in enumerate(fixtures[N-1]):
    check("oracle %d" % i, solve(args), expected)
print(json.dumps({"observations": observations, "passed": all(x["passed"] for x in observations)}, ensure_ascii=False))
raise SystemExit(0 if all(x["passed"] for x in observations) else 1)
Boundary fixtureActualExpectedOutcome
oracle 0[[0, 144, 60, 100], [10, 144, 60, 0]][[0, 144, 60, 100], [10, 144, 60, 0]]Passed
oracle 1[[0, 192, 5], [0, 192, 6]][[0, 192, 5], [0, 192, 6]]Passed
oracle 2[[0, 208, 64], [0, 208, 50]][[0, 208, 64], [0, 208, 50]]Passed
oracle 3NoneNonePassed
oracle 4NoneNonePassed
oracle 5[[0, 176, 7, 100], [20, 176, 10, 90]][[0, 176, 7, 100], [20, 176, 10, 90]]Passed
oracle 6[[127, 144, 60, 1]][[127, 144, 60, 1]]Passed
oracle 7[[0, 144, 60, 1]][[0, 144, 60, 1]]Passed

SHA-256 / b2a900a584f8c4a06ffdfc338c07bcdbd0241b20c26716eec4f9d4dcb2029b72

Verification & scope

A deterministic bounded teaching model with a stipulated toy contract; it is not a complete Standard MIDI File or MIDI 1.0/2.0 implementation. This reproducer isolates one failure mechanism. Results cover the supplied fixtures. Variants within a family share a test contract and should remain grouped when constructing evaluation splits. Related mechanisms with a shared evaluation_group must also remain together; these controlled models are not independent production incidents.

Observations recorded using Python 3.12.14 at 2026-09-29T14:50:02.672846+00:00.

Case digest / 05adbe6709cc92c00dbc13cb31f201941d1e2c8e0f719603185f8df4919d739c