diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/canvas-flag.cc b/gtk2_ardour/canvas-flag.cc
index bd82b2d3f3..f0361c5bf9 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/canvas-flag.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/canvas-flag.cc
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ CanvasFlag::set_text(string& a_text)
 {
 	delete_allocated_objects();
 	
-	_text = new InteractiveText(*this, 0.0, 0.0, Glib::ustring(a_text));
+	_text = new InteractiveText(*this, this, 0.0, 0.0, Glib::ustring(a_text));
 	_text->property_justification() = Gtk::JUSTIFY_CENTER;
 	_text->property_fill_color_rgba() = _outline_color_rgba;
 	double flagwidth  = _text->property_text_width()  + 10.0;
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ CanvasFlag::set_text(string& a_text)
 	_text->show();
 	_line = new SimpleLine(*this, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, _height);
 	_line->property_color_rgba() = _outline_color_rgba;
-	_rect = new InteractiveRect(*this, 0.0, 0.0, flagwidth, flagheight);
+	_rect = new InteractiveRect(*this, this, 0.0, 0.0, flagwidth, flagheight);
 	_rect->property_outline_color_rgba() = _outline_color_rgba;
 	_rect->property_fill_color_rgba() = _fill_color_rgba;
 	_text->raise_to_top();	
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/canvas-note-event.cc b/gtk2_ardour/canvas-note-event.cc
index e5ff6abf46..d89e68786d 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/canvas-note-event.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/canvas-note-event.cc
@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@ namespace Canvas {
 
 /// dividing the hue circle in 16 parts, hand adjusted for equal look, courtesy Thorsten Wilms
 const uint32_t CanvasNoteEvent::midi_channel_colors[16] = {
-	  0xd32d2d00,  0xd36b2d00,  0xd3972d00,  0xd3d12d00,  
-	  0xa0d32d00,  0x7dd32d00,  0x2dd45e00,  0x2dd3c400,  
-	  0x2da5d300,  0x2d6fd300,  0x432dd300,  0x662dd300,  
-	  0x832dd300,  0xa92dd300,  0xd32dbf00,  0xd32d6700 
+	  0xd32d2dff,  0xd36b2dff,  0xd3972dff,  0xd3d12dff,  
+	  0xa0d32dff,  0x7dd32dff,  0x2dd45eff,  0x2dd3c4ff,  
+	  0x2da5d3ff,  0x2d6fd3ff,  0x432dd3ff,  0x662dd3ff,  
+	  0x832dd3ff,  0xa92dd3ff,  0xd32dbfff,  0xd32d67ff
 	};
 
 CanvasNoteEvent::CanvasNoteEvent(MidiRegionView& region, Item* item,
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ void
 CanvasNoteEvent::show_velocity()
 {
 	hide_velocity();
-	_text = new InteractiveText(*(_item->property_parent()));
+	_text = new InteractiveText(*(_item->property_parent()), this);
 	_text->property_x() = (x1() + x2()) /2;
 	_text->property_y() = (y1() + y2()) /2;
 	ostringstream velo(ios::ate);
@@ -176,6 +176,8 @@ CanvasNoteEvent::selected(bool selected)
 	_selected = selected;
 }
 
+#define SCALE_USHORT_TO_UINT8_T(x) ((x) / 257)
+
 uint32_t 
 CanvasNoteEvent::base_color()
 {
@@ -183,15 +185,22 @@ CanvasNoteEvent::base_color()
 	
 	ColorMode mode = _region.color_mode();
 	
+	const uint8_t minimal_opaqueness = 15;
+	
 	switch (mode) {
 	case TrackColor:
 		{
 			Gdk::Color color = _region.midi_stream_view()->get_region_color();
-			return RGBA_TO_UINT(color.get_red(), color.get_green(), color.get_blue(), 0xff);
+			return RGBA_TO_UINT(
+					SCALE_USHORT_TO_UINT8_T(color.get_red()), 
+					SCALE_USHORT_TO_UINT8_T(color.get_green()), 
+					SCALE_USHORT_TO_UINT8_T(color.get_blue()), 
+					minimal_opaqueness + _note->velocity());
 		}
 		
 	case ChannelColors:
-		return CanvasNoteEvent::midi_channel_colors[_note->channel()];
+		return UINT_RGBA_CHANGE_A(CanvasNoteEvent::midi_channel_colors[_note->channel()], 
+				                  minimal_opaqueness + _note->velocity());
 		
 	default:
 		return meter_style_fill_color(_note->velocity());
@@ -210,8 +219,6 @@ CanvasNoteEvent::on_event(GdkEvent* ev)
 	double event_x, event_y, dx, dy;
 	bool select_mod;
 	uint8_t d_velocity = 10;
-
-	cerr << "CanvasNoteEvent::on_event(GdkEvent* ev)" << endl;
 	
 	if (_region.get_time_axis_view().editor.current_mouse_mode() != Editing::MouseNote)
 		return false;
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/interactive-item.h b/gtk2_ardour/interactive-item.h
index 145a592511..13d224fc72 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/interactive-item.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/interactive-item.h
@@ -41,48 +41,51 @@ public:
  */
 class InteractiveText : public Text, public InteractiveItem {
 public:
-	InteractiveText(Group& parent, double x, double y, const Glib::ustring& text) 
+	InteractiveText(Group& parent, InteractiveItem* parent_item, double x, double y, const Glib::ustring& text) 
 		: Text(parent, x, y, text) 
-	{
-		_parent = dynamic_cast<InteractiveItem*>(&parent);
-	}
+		, _parent_item(parent_item)
+	{}
 	
-	InteractiveText(Group& parent)
-		: Text(parent) 
-	{
-		_parent = dynamic_cast<InteractiveItem*>(&parent);		
-	}
+	InteractiveText(Group& parent, InteractiveItem* parent_item)
+		: Text(parent)
+		, _parent_item(parent_item)
+	{}
 	
 	bool on_event(GdkEvent* ev) {
-		if(_parent) {
-			return _parent->on_event(ev);
+		std::cerr << "InteractiveRect::on_event(GdkEvent* ev)" << std::endl;
+		if(_parent_item) {
+			std::cerr << " parent not null" << std::endl;
+			return _parent_item->on_event(ev);
 		} else {
 			return false;
 		}
 	}
-
+	
 protected:
-	InteractiveItem* _parent;
+	InteractiveItem* _parent_item;
 };
 
 class InteractiveRect: public SimpleRect, public InteractiveItem
 {
 public:
-	InteractiveRect(Group& parent, double x1, double y1, double x2, double y2) 
-		: SimpleRect(parent, x1, y1, x2, y2) {
-		_parent = dynamic_cast<InteractiveItem*>(&parent);
-	}
+	InteractiveRect(Group& parent, InteractiveItem* parent_item, double x1, double y1, double x2, double y2) 
+		: SimpleRect(parent, x1, y1, x2, y2) 
+		, _parent_item(parent_item)
+		{}
 	
 	bool on_event(GdkEvent* ev) {
-		if(_parent) {
-			return _parent->on_event(ev);
+		std::cerr << "InteractiveRect::on_event(GdkEvent* ev)" << std::endl;
+		if(_parent_item) {
+			std::cerr << " parent not null" << std::endl;
+			return _parent_item->on_event(ev);
 		} else {
 			return false;
 		}
 	}
 
+
 protected:
-	InteractiveItem* _parent;
+	InteractiveItem* _parent_item;
 };
 
 } /* namespace Canvas */