General MIDI

• MIDI + Instrument Patch Map + Percussion Key Map -> a piece of MIDI music sounds the same anywhere it is played
  • Instrument patch map is a standard program list consisting of 128 patch types.
  • Percussion map specifies 47 percussion sounds.
  • Key-based percussion is always transmitted on MIDI channel 10.

• Requirements for General MIDI Compatibility:
  • Support all 16 channels.
  • Each channel can play a different instrument/program (multitimbral).
  • Each channel can play many voices (polyphony).
  • Minimum of 24 fully dynamically allocated voices.