diff --git a/adafruit_midi/__init__.py b/adafruit_midi/__init__.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index bee0070..5b30bc9
--- a/adafruit_midi/__init__.py
+++ b/adafruit_midi/__init__.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 
 """
 
-from .midi_message import MIDIMessage, ALL_CHANNELS
+from .midi_message import MIDIMessage
 
 __version__ = "0.0.0-auto.0"
 __repo__ = "https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_MIDI.git"
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ class MIDI:
     :param in_channel: The input channel(s).
         This is used by ``receive`` to filter data.
         This can either be an ``int`` for the wire protocol channel number (0-15)
-        a tuple of ``int`` to listen for multiple channels or ``"ALL"``.
-        Defaults to None.
+        a tuple of ``int`` to listen for multiple channels.
+        Defaults to all channels.
     :param int out_channel: The wire protocol output channel number (0-15)
         used by ``send`` if no channel is specified,
         defaults to 0 (MIDI Channel 1).
@@ -82,9 +82,9 @@ def __init__(
             raise ValueError("No midi_in or midi_out provided")
         self._midi_in = midi_in
         self._midi_out = midi_out
-        self._in_channel = in_channel  # dealing with pylint inadequacy
+        self._in_channel = in_channel
         self.in_channel = in_channel
-        self._out_channel = out_channel  # dealing with pylint inadequacy
+        self._out_channel = out_channel
         self.out_channel = out_channel
         self._debug = debug
         # This input buffer holds what has been read from midi_in
@@ -98,16 +98,16 @@ def in_channel(self):
         """The incoming MIDI channel. Must be 0-15. Correlates to MIDI channels 1-16, e.g.
         ``in_channel = 3`` will listen on MIDI channel 4.
         Can also listen on multiple channels, e.g. ``in_channel  = (0,1,2)``
-        will listen on MIDI channels 1-3 or ``in_channel = "ALL"`` for every channel.
-        Default is None."""
+        will listen on MIDI channels 1-3.
+        Default is all channels."""
         return self._in_channel
 
     @in_channel.setter
     def in_channel(self, channel):
-        if channel is None or (isinstance(channel, int) and 0 <= channel <= 15):
+        if channel is None or channel == "ALL":
+            self._in_channel = tuple(range(16))
+        elif isinstance(channel, int) and 0 <= channel <= 15:
             self._in_channel = channel
-        elif isinstance(channel, str) and channel == "ALL":
-            self._in_channel = ALL_CHANNELS
         elif isinstance(channel, tuple) and all(0 <= c <= 15 for c in channel):
             self._in_channel = channel
         else:
diff --git a/adafruit_midi/midi_message.py b/adafruit_midi/midi_message.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index a19a637..95e3d6f
--- a/adafruit_midi/midi_message.py
+++ b/adafruit_midi/midi_message.py
@@ -42,28 +42,20 @@
 __version__ = "0.0.0-auto.0"
 __repo__ = "https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_MIDI.git"
 
-# This is a special channel value outside of wire protocol range used to
-# represent all of the sixteen channels
-ALL_CHANNELS = -1
-
 # From C3 - A and B are above G
 # Semitones     A   B   C   D   E   F   G
 NOTE_OFFSET = [21, 23, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19]
 
-# pylint: disable=no-else-return
+
 def channel_filter(channel, channel_spec):
     """
     Utility function to return True iff the given channel matches channel_spec.
     """
     if isinstance(channel_spec, int):
-        if channel_spec == ALL_CHANNELS:
-            return True
-        else:
-            return channel == channel_spec
-    elif isinstance(channel_spec, tuple):
+        return channel == channel_spec
+    if isinstance(channel_spec, tuple):
         return channel in channel_spec
-    else:
-        raise ValueError("Incorrect type for channel_spec")
+    raise ValueError("Incorrect type for channel_spec" + str(type(channel_spec)))
 
 
 def note_parser(note):
diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index 50745f7..157d822 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -38,18 +38,18 @@
 master_doc = "index"
 
 # General information about the project.
-project = u"Adafruit MIDI Library"
-copyright = u"2019 Ladyada & Kevin J. Walters"
-author = u"Ladyada & Kevin J. Walters"
+project = "Adafruit MIDI Library"
+copyright = "2019 Ladyada & Kevin J. Walters"
+author = "Ladyada & Kevin J. Walters"
 
 # The version info for the project you're documenting, acts as replacement for
 # |version| and |release|, also used in various other places throughout the
 # built documents.
 #
 # The short X.Y version.
-version = u"1.0"
+version = "1.0"
 # The full version, including alpha/beta/rc tags.
-release = u"1.0"
+release = "1.0"
 
 # The language for content autogenerated by Sphinx. Refer to documentation
 # for a list of supported languages.
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@
     (
         master_doc,
         "AdafruitMIDILibrary.tex",
-        u"AdafruitMIDI Library Documentation",
+        "AdafruitMIDI Library Documentation",
         author,
         "manual",
     ),
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@
     (
         master_doc,
         "AdafruitMIDIlibrary",
-        u"Adafruit MIDI Library Documentation",
+        "Adafruit MIDI Library Documentation",
         [author],
         1,
     )
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@
     (
         master_doc,
         "AdafruitMIDILibrary",
-        u"Adafruit MIDI Library Documentation",
+        "Adafruit MIDI Library Documentation",
         author,
         "AdafruitMIDILibrary",
         "One line description of project.",