Standardisation for midi data, arrived at, yet still not standard enough and being regularly up-dated............Basically GM says that a certain sound such as drums will be on a certain channel, and that Controller data for things like the Pitch Wheel, and the Sustain Pedal etc will be all standardised.........Basic perameters are defined by GM. but not enough as yet....Outside of the basic controllers and the assignments of sounds to channels, all the manufacturers kit uses different Control Numbers for adjusting their particular synths' sound......Which is a pain in the arse......Anyway it is going to be further standardised in the future, so they say.
A table of 128 standard sounds or instruments for MIDI cards and synthesisers.
A synthesizer specification created by the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA) defining a common configuration and set of capabilities for consumer Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) synthesizers.
Addition to the basic MIDI spec to assure a maximum level of compatibility when playing back GM-format song files. The specification covers type and program, number of sounds, minimum levels of polyphony and multitimbrality, response to controller messages etc.
A standardized subset of rules within MIDI designed to facilitate cross-instrument compatibility. General MIDI instruments (those that display the "GM" logo) all use the same memory areas for sound storage (i.e., an acoustic piano sound is always stored in the first program slot) and always use MIDI channel 10 for drum parts. GM instruments must be capable of playing at least 16 different sounds simultaneously and must have at least 24-note polyphony.
An extension of the MIDI specification that assigns an additional set of 128 sounds. General MIDI establishes a definite set of program number assignments for a wide variety of common SYNTHESIZER sounds and also standardizes the instrument sounds for MIDI song disks and SEQUENCERS.
General MIDI (GM) is a standard developed by Roland, and adopted by most other synth manufacturers, to make MIDI files sound similar on different synths, and to allow easier control of one synth from another. General MIDI files and compatible MIDI devices use the same program (or "patch") number for the same instruments. There are 128 GM sounds (programs or instruments), grouped by instrument type, (i.e. piano sounds, organ sounds, strings, etc.). This way MIDI files can be arranged to request the same type of sounds from any compatible playback device. They may don't sound exactly the same, better synths will generate better sounds, but at least if your file calls for a piano sounds, that's what you'll hear. There are many different manufacturers and many different models of GM synths, sound modules and sound cards, and the same MIDI file may sound better on one than the other, but piano will be piano, and strings will be strings.
General MIDI specifies set MIDI-Standard instruments. There are 128 set instruments, each assigned a number. "1" stands for acoustic grand piano, "2" for bright acoustic piano and so on. GM supports 16 separate channels. Channel 10 is intended to be used for percussion, as each note refers to a drum-sound. The main advantage of GM is that a GM-compatible MIDI composition can be played through practically any GM instrument. It is advisable to play all MIDI through a good sound card as this will make a great deal of difference in the output sound.
(GM): A set of requirements for MIDI devices aimed at ensuring consistent playback performance on all instruments bearing the GM logo. Some of the requirements include 24-voice polyphony and a standardized group (and location) of sounds. For example, patch #17 will always be a drawbar organ sound on all General MIDI instruments.
International standard layout for keyboard tones and other parameters, which ensures that all MIDI keyboards, modules and software from all manufacturers will be functionally compatible, and offers somewhat greater ease of use. Some CASIO units do not follow the General MIDI scheme, but are fully functional in most MIDI applications nonetheless. Most of the larger Casios are of the General MIDI design.
A standard subset of MIDI rules designed to ensure compatibility among different instruments. General MIDI instruments all store sounds in the same memory areas, and always use MIDI Channel 10 for precussion. They can all play at least 16 sounds at once, and have at least 24-note polyphony.
A standard designed for cross-compatibility between MIDI instruments. Basically, it consists of a list of specific tones with corresponding number values. For an instrument to be GM-compatible, it must be able to produce the relevant tones on receiving a Program Change command of the relevant number. For example, a Piano tone has a value of 1, and a Helicopter sound has a value of 125. The system is greatly flawed by the huge restrictions is places on the composer, and the fact that there is no way of knowing just how a particular instrument will actually sound. It's main use seems to be restricted to the distribution of cheesy MIDI versions of pop songs.
A set of 128 different instrumental sounds which is common to many electronic musical instruments accross all manufacturers. Standard MIDI files are designed to trigger sounds from this set.