General MIDI Level 2

Summary

General MIDI Level 2 or GM2 is a specification for synthesizers which defines several requirements beyond the more abstract MIDI standard and is based on General MIDI and GS extensions. It was adopted in 1999 by the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA).

General requirements edit

  • Number of Notes: 32 simultaneous notes
  • MIDI Channels: 16
  • Simultaneous Melodic Instruments – up to 16 (all Channels)
  • Simultaneous Percussion Kits – up to 2 (Channel 10/11)

Parameters edit

Program and bank change events edit

General MIDI 2 compatible synthesizers access all of the 256 instruments by setting cc#0 (Bank Select MSB) to 121 and using cc#32 (Bank Select LSB) to select the variation bank before a Program Change. Variation bank 0 contains the full GM — that is, General MIDI 1 — sound set. Variations using other bank numbers are new to General MIDI 2, and correspond to variation sounds introduced in Roland GS.

Melodic sounds edit

Piano edit
Patch Number Bank Number Instrument Name
1 0 Acoustic Grand Piano
1 Wide Acoustic Grand
2 Dark Acoustic Grand
2 0 Bright Acoustic Piano
1 Wide Bright Acoustic
3 0 Electric Grand Piano
1 Wide Electric Grand
4 0 Honky-tonk Piano
1 Wide Honky-tonk
5 0 Rhodes Piano
1 Detuned Electric Piano 1
2 Electric Piano 1 Variation
3 60's Electric Piano
6 0 Chorused Electric Piano
1 Detuned Electric Piano 2
2 Electric Piano 2 Variation
3 Electric Piano Legend
4 Electric Piano Phase
7 0 Harpsichord
1 Coupled Harpsichord
2 Wide Harpsichord
3 Open Harpsichord
8 0 Clavinet
1 Pulse Clavinet
Chromatic Percussion edit
Patch Number Bank Number Instrument Name
9 0 Celesta
10 0 Glockenspiel
11 0 Music Box
12 0 Vibraphone
1 Wet Vibraphone
13 0 Marimba
1 Wide Marimba
14 0 Xylophone
15 0 Tubular Bell
1 Church Bell
2 Carillon
16 0 Dulcimer/Santur
Organ edit
Patch Number Bank Number Instrument Name
17 0 Drawbar Organ
1 Detuned Organ 1
2 60's Organ 1
3 Organ 4
18 0 Percussive B3 Organ
1 Detuned Organ 2
2 Organ 5
19 0 Rock Organ
20 0 Church Organ 1
1 Church Organ 2
2 Church Organ 3
21 0 Reed Organ
1 Puff Organ
22 0 French Accordion
1 Italian Accordion
23 0 Harmonica
24 0 Bandoneon
Guitar edit
Patch Number Bank Number Instrument Name
25 0 Nylon-String Guitar
1 Ukulele
2 Open Nylon Guitar
3 Nylon Guitar 2
26 0 Steel-String Guitar
1 12-String Guitar
2 Mandolin
3 Steel + Body
27 0 Jazz Guitar
1 Hawaiian Guitar
28 0 Clean Electric Guitar
1 Chorus Guitar
2 Mid Tone Guitar
29 0 Muted Electric Guitar
1 Funk Guitar
2 Funk Guitar 2
3 Jazz Man
30 0 Overdriven Guitar
1 Guitar Pinch
31 0 Distortion Guitar
1 Feedback Guitar
2 Distortion Rtm Guitar
32 0 Guitar Harmonics
1 Guitar Feedback
Bass edit
Patch Number Bank Number Instrument Name
33 0 Acoustic Bass
34 0 Fingered Bass
1 Finger Slap
35 0 Picked Bass
36 0 Fretless Bass
37 0 Slap Bass 1
38 0 Slap Bass 2
39 0 Synth Bass 1
1 Synth Bass 101
2 Synth Bass 3
3 Clavi Bass
4 Hammer
40 0 Synth Bass 2
1 Synth Bass 4
2 Rubber Bass
3 Attack Pulse
Orchestra Solo edit
Patch Number Bank Number Instrument Name
41 0 Violin
1 Slow Violin
42 0 Viola
43 0 Cello
44 0 Contrabass
45 0 Tremolo Strings
46 0 Pizzicato Strings
47 0 Harp
1 Yang Qin
48 0 Timpani
Orchestra Ensemble edit
Patch Number Bank Number Instrument Name
49 0 String Ensemble
1 Orchestra Strings
2 60's Strings
50 0 Slow String Ensemble
51 0 Synth Strings 1
1 Synth Strings 3
52 0 Synth Strings 2
53 0 Choir Aahs
1 Choir Aahs 2
54 0 Voice Oohs
1 Humming
55 0 Synth Voice
1 Analog Voice
56 0 Orchestra Hit
1 Bass Hit
2 6th Hit
3 Euro Hit
Brass edit
Patch Number Bank Number Instrument Name
57 0 Trumpet
1 Dark Trumpet
58 0 Trombone
1 Trombone 2
2 Bright Trombone
59 0 Tuba
60 0 Muted Trumpet
1 Muted Trumpet 2
61 0 French Horns
1 French Horn 2
62 0 Brass Section 1
1 Brass Section 2
63 0 Synth Brass 1
1 Synth Brass 3
2 Analog Brass 1
3 Jump Brass
64 0 Synth Brass 2
1 Synth Brass 4
2 Analog Brass 2
Reed edit
Patch Number Bank Number Instrument Name
65 0 Soprano Sax
66 0 Alto Sax
67 0 Tenor Sax
68 0 Baritone Sax
69 0 Oboe
70 0 English Horn
71 0 Bassoon
72 0 Clarinet
Wind edit
Patch Number Bank Number Instrument Name
73 0 Piccolo
74 0 Flute
75 0 Recorder
76 0 Pan Flute
77 0 Bottle Blow
78 0 Shakuhachi
79 0 Whistle
80 0 Ocarina
Synth Lead edit
Patch Number Bank Number Instrument Name
81 0 Square Lead
1 Square Wave
2 Sine Wave
82 0 Saw Lead
1 Saw Wave
2 Doctor Solo
3 Natural Lead
4 Sequenced Saw
83 0 Synth Calliope
84 0 Chiffer Lead
85 0 Charang
1 Wire Lead
86 0 Solo Synth Vox
87 0 5th Saw Wave
88 0 Bass & Lead
1 Delayed Lead
Synth Pad edit
Patch Number Bank Number Instrument Name
89 0 Fantasia Pad
90 0 Warm Pad
1 Sine Pad
91 0 Polysynth Pad
92 0 Space Voice Pad
1 Itopia
93 0 Bowed Glass Pad
94 0 Metal Pad
95 0 Halo Pad
96 0 Sweep Pad
Synth Sound FX edit
Patch Number Bank Number Instrument Name
97 0 Ice Rain
98 0 Soundtrack
99 0 Crystal
1 Synth Mallet
100 0 Atmosphere
101 0 Brightness
102 0 Goblin
103 0 Echo Drops
1 Echo Bell
2 Echo Pan
104 0 Star Theme
Ethnic edit
Patch Number Bank Number Instrument Name
105 0 Sitar
1 Sitar 2
106 0 Banjo
107 0 Shamisen
108 0 Koto
1 Taisho Koto
109 0 Kalimba
110 0 Bagpipe
111 0 Fiddle
112 0 Shanai
Percussive edit
Patch Number Bank Number Instrument Name
113 0 Tinkle Bell
114 0 Agogo
115 0 Steel Drums
116 0 Woodblock
1 Castanets
117 0 Taiko
1 Concert Bass Drum
118 0 Melodic Tom 1
1 Melodic Tom 2
119 0 Synth Drum
1 808 Tom
2 Electric Percussion
120 0 Reverse Cymbal
Sound Effect edit
Patch Number Bank Number Instrument Name
121 0 Guitar Fret Noise
1 Guitar Cut Noise
2 String Slap
122 0 Breath Noise
1 Flute Key Click
123 0 Seashore
1 Rain
2 Thunder
3 Wind
4 Stream
5 Bubble
124 0 Bird
1 Dog
2 Horse-Gallop
3 Bird 2
125 0 Telephone 1
1 Telephone 2
2 Door Creaking
3 Door Closing
4 Scratch
5 Wind Chimes
126 0 Helicopter
1 Car-Engine
2 Car-Stop
3 Car-Pass
4 Car-Crash
5 Siren
6 Train
7 Jetplane
8 Starship
9 Burst Noise
127 0 Applause
1 Laughing
2 Screaming
3 Punch
4 Heart Beat
5 Footsteps
128 0 Gun Shot
1 Machine Gun
2 Lasergun
3 Explosion

Drum sounds edit

These are the same patch numbers as defined in the original version of GS. Drum bank is accessed by setting cc#0 (Bank Select MSB) to 120 and cc#32 (Bank Select LSB) to 0 and PC (Program Change) to select drum kit.

1 Standard Kit The only kit specified by General MIDI Level 1
9 Room Kit Drums recorded with room ambience
17 Power Kit More powerful kick and snare sounds
25 Electronic Kit Sounds of various electronic drums
26 TR-808 Kit Analog drum kit similar to Roland TR-808
33 Jazz Kit Softer kick and snare sounds than the Standard Kit
41 Brush Kit Many brush sounds added
49 Orchestra Kit A collection of concert drums and timpani
57 Sound FX Kit A collection of sound effects

Additional percussion notes edit

These are the same GS drum notes and span Drum Kits 1 to 49:

27 High Q 34 Metronome Bell
28 Slap 82 Shaker
29 Scratch Push 83 Jingle Bell
30 Scratch Pull 84 Belltree
31 Sticks 85 Castanets
32 Square Click 86 Mute Surdo
33 Metronome Click 87 Open Surdo

Supported Control Change messages edit

CC Function
0/32 Bank Select (MSB/LSB)
1 Modulation Wheel
2 Breath Controller
4 Foot Controller
5 Portamento Time
7 Channel Volume
10 Pan
64 Damper Pedal On/Off (Sustain)
65 Portamento On/Off
66 Sostenuto On/Off
67 Soft Pedal On/Off
70 Sound Variation
71 Timbre/Harmonic Intensity (filter resonance)
72 Release Time
73 Attack Time
74 Brightness (cutoff frequency)
75 Decay Time
76 Vibrato Rate
77 Vibrato Depth
78 Vibrato Delay
91 Effect 1 Depth (reverb send level)
92 Effect 2 Depth (formerly tremolo depth)
93 Effect 3 Depth (chorus send level)
94 Effect 4 Depth (formerly detune depth)
95 Effect 5 Depth (formerly phaser depth)
6/38 Data Entry (MSB/LSB)
100/101 Registered Parameter Number (MSB/LSB)

Supported Registered Parameter Numbers (RPNs) edit

  • Pitch Bend Sensitivity
  • Channel Fine Tune
  • Channel Coarse Tune
  • Modulation Depth Range (Vibrato Depth Range)
  • RPN NULL

Supported Universal System Exclusive (SysEx) messages edit

  • Master Volume
  • Master Fine Tuning
  • Master Coarse Tuning
  • Reverb Type
  • Reverb Time
  • Chorus Type
  • Chorus Mod Rate
  • Chorus Mod Depth
  • Chorus Feedback
  • Chorus Send to Reverb
  • Controller Destination Setting
  • Scale/Octave Tuning Adjust
  • Key-Based Instrument Controllers
  • GM2 System On

See also edit

References edit

External links edit

  • MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA)
  • Smithers, Brian. "General MIDI Redux". Electronic Musician.