General MIDI Level 2

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, GS extensions, and XG extensions. It was adopted in 1999 by the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA).

General requirements

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

Program and bank change events

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 and Yamaha XG.

Melodic sounds

Piano

Patch Number	Bank Number	Instrument Name
1	0	Acoustic Grand Piano
	1	Wide Acoustic Grand
	2	Dark Acoustic Grand
2	0	Bright Acoustic Piano
2	1	Wide Bright Acoustic
3	0	Electric Grand Piano
3	1	Wide Electric Grand
4	0	Honky-tonk Piano
4	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
8	1	Pulse Clavinet

Chromatic Percussion

Patch Number	Bank Number	Instrument Name
9	0	Celesta
10	0	Glockenspiel
11	0	Music Box
12	0	Vibraphone
12	1	Wet Vibraphone
13	0	Marimba
13	1	Wide Marimba
14	0	Xylophone
15	0	Tubular Bell
	1	Church Bell
	2	Carillon
16	0	Dulcimer/Santur

Organ

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
21	1	Puff Organ
22	0	French Accordion
22	1	Italian Accordion
23	0	Harmonica
24	0	Bandoneon

Guitar

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
27	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
30	1	Guitar Pinch
31	0	Distortion Guitar
	1	Feedback Guitar
	2	Distortion Rtm Guitar
32	0	Guitar Harmonics
32	1	Guitar Feedback

Bass

Patch Number	Bank Number	Instrument Name
33	0	Acoustic Bass
34	0	Fingered Bass
34	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

Patch Number	Bank Number	Instrument Name
41	0	Violin
41	1	Slow Violin
42	0	Viola
43	0	Cello
44	0	Contrabass
45	0	Tremolo Strings
46	0	Pizzicato Strings
47	0	Harp
47	1	Yang Qin
48	0	Timpani

Orchestra Ensemble

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
51	1	Synth Strings 3
52	0	Synth Strings 2
53	0	Choir Aahs
53	1	Choir Aahs 2
54	0	Voice Oohs
54	1	Humming
55	0	Synth Voice
55	1	Analog Voice
56	0	Orchestra Hit
	1	Bass Hit
	2	6th Hit
	3	Euro Hit

Brass

Patch Number	Bank Number	Instrument Name
57	0	Trumpet
57	1	Dark Trumpet
58	0	Trombone
	1	Trombone 2
	2	Bright Trombone
59	0	Tuba
60	0	Muted Trumpet
60	1	Muted Trumpet 2
61	0	French Horns
61	1	French Horn 2
62	0	Brass Section 1
62	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

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

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

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
85	1	Wire Lead
86	0	Solo Synth Vox
87	0	5th Saw Wave
88	0	Bass & Lead
88	1	Delayed Lead

Synth Pad

Patch Number	Bank Number	Instrument Name
89	0	Fantasia Pad
90	0	Warm Pad
90	1	Sine Pad
91	0	Polysynth Pad
92	0	Space Voice Pad
92	1	Itopia
93	0	Bowed Glass Pad
94	0	Metal Pad
95	0	Halo Pad
96	0	Sweep Pad

Synth Sound FX

Patch Number	Bank Number	Instrument Name
97	0	Ice Rain
98	0	Soundtrack
99	0	Crystal
99	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

Patch Number	Bank Number	Instrument Name
105	0	Sitar
105	1	Sitar 2
106	0	Banjo
107	0	Shamisen
108	0	Koto
108	1	Taisho Koto
109	0	Kalimba
110	0	Bagpipe
111	0	Fiddle
112	0	Shanai

Percussive

Patch Number	Bank Number	Instrument Name
113	0	Tinkle Bell
114	0	Agogo
115	0	Steel Drums
116	0	Woodblock
116	1	Castanets
117	0	Taiko
117	1	Concert Bass Drum
118	0	Melodic Tom 1
118	1	Melodic Tom 2
119	0	Synth Drum
	1	808 Tom
	2	Electric Percussion
120	0	Reverse Cymbal

Sound Effect

Patch Number	Bank Number	Instrument Name
121	0	Guitar Fret Noise
	1	Guitar Cut Noise
	2	String Slap
122	0	Breath Noise
122	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

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

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

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)

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

Supported Universal System Exclusive (SysEx) messages

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

References

External links

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