A Beginner's Guide To MIDI 9

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M.I.D.I. Files, Schmiddy Files
Once people started creating sequencer files it became obvious that they would want to exchange them, either because they were working with other M.I.D.I. musicians, or because they simply wanted to play their work to other people.
There were problems though. Firsltly, a file recorded using one sequencer program couldn't be played by another sequencer program, and secondly, although it was possible to embed intructions to change programmes within sequencer files, the sounds that were attached to various programmes within different synthesisers didn't necessarily bare any relation to each other.
The first difficulty was overcome by the development of M.I.D.I. files. These are sometimes referred to as MIDIs, or .MID files. These allowed sequences to be transported between different software setups.
The second problem was more difficult though.
It was solved by the development of a standard by which sounds were assigned to the 128 available programme numbers, so that, in short, when the original composer determined that a part should be played by a trumpet, it would be played by a trumpet when loaded into someone else's system.
The standard allocation of sounds is called General M.I.D.I., or GM.
This standard is somewhat frowned upon within the professional music making world, since it is seen partly as a way of dictating to M.I.D.I. musicians what sounds they should use, but also because it is lumped together as a close relative of the one finger auto-accompaniment found on many home keyboards.
Having said that, it is undoubtedly a very useful way of ensuring that M.I.D.I. Files sound close to the way they were intended. Of course, an Akai piano won't sound the same as an Ensoniq piano, but at least piano parts will be played by pianos when GM is used.
The standard sound allocation for GM sounds applies to all M.I.D.I. channels ecxept M.I.D.I. Channel 10. More of this in a minute. On all other channels the sounds are allocated to programme numbers as follows:

Prog. No. | Instrument
1 | Grand Piano
2 | Bright Acoustic Piano
3 | Electric Grand Piano
4 | Honky Tonk Piano
5 | Electric Piano 1
6 | Electric Piano 2
7 | Harpsichord
8 | Clavi
9 | Celesta
10 | Glockenspiel
11 | Music Box
12 | Vibraphone
13 | Marimba
14 | Xylophone
15 | Tubular Bells
16 | Dulcimer
17 | Drawbar Organ
18 | Percussive Organ
19 | Rock Organ
20 | Church Organ
21 | Reed Organ
22 | Accordion
23 | Harmonica
24 | Tango Accordion
25 | Acoustic Guitar (Nylon)
26 | Acoustic Guitar (Steel)
27 | Electric Guitar (Jazz)
28 | Electric Guitar (Clean)
29 | Electric Guitar (Muted)
30 | Overdriven Guitar
31 | Distortion Guitar
32 | Guitar Harmonics
33 | Acoustic Bass
34 | Electric Bass (Finger)
35 | Electric Bass (Pick)
36 | Fretless Bass
37 | Slap Bass 1
38 | Slap Bass 2
39 | Synth Bass 1
40 | Synth Bass 2
41 | Violin
42 | Viola
43 | Cello
44 | Contrabass
45 | Temelo Strings
46 | Pizzicato Strings
47 | Orchestral Harp
48 | Timpani
49 | String Ensemble 1
50 | String Ensemble 2
51 | Synth Strings 1
52 | Synth Strings 2
53 | Choir Aahs
54 | Choir Oohs
55 | Synth Voice
56 | Orchestral Hit
57 | Trumpet
58 | Trombone
59 | Tuba
60 | Muted Trumpet
61 | French Horn
62 | Brass Section
63 | Synth Brass 1
64 | Synth Brass 2
65 | Soprano Sax
66 | Alto Sax
67 | Tenor Sax
68 | Baritone Sax
69 | Oboe
70 | English Horn
71 | Bassoon
72 | Clarinet
73 | Piccolo
74 | Flute
75 | Recorder
76 | Pan Flute
77 | Blown Bottle
78 | Shakuhachi
79 | Whistle
80 | Ocarina
81 | Lead 1 (Square)
82 | Lead 2 (Sawtooth)
83 | Lead 3 (Calliope)
84 | Lead 4 (Chiff)
85 | Lead 5 (Charang)
86 | Lead 6 (Voice)
87 | Lead 7 (Fifths)
88 | Lead 8 (Bass & Lead)
89 | Pad 1 (New Age)
90 | Pad 2 (Warm)
91 | Pad 3 (Polysynth)
92 | Pad 4 (Choir)
93 | Pad 5 (Bowed)
94 | Pad 6 (Metallic)
95 | Pad 7 (Halo)
96 | Pad 8 (Sweep)
97 | FX 1 (Rain)
98 | FX 2 (Soundtrack)
99 | FX 3 (Crystal)
100 | FX 4 (Atmosphere)
101 | FX 5 (Brightness)
102 | FX 6 (Goblins)
103 | FX 7 (Echoes)
104 | FX 8 (Sci-Fi)
105 | Sitar
106 | Banjo
107 | Shamisen
108 | Koto
109 | Kalimba
110 | Bagpipe
111 | Fiddle
112 | Shanai
113 | Tinkle Bell
114 | Agogo
115 | Steel Drums
116 | Woodblock
117 | Taiko Drum
118 | Melodic Tom
119 | Synth Drum
120 | Reverse Cymbal
121 | Guitar Fret Noise
122 | Breath Noise
123 | Seashore
124 | Bird Tweet
125 | Telephone Ring
126 | Helicopter
127 | Applause
128 | Gunshot

Under the GM standard, M.I.D.I. Channel 10 is reserved for percussion sounds, and a system for allocating sounds to particular notes is specified too:

Note No. | Note Name | Sound
35 | B1 | Acoustic Bass Drum
36 | C1 | Bass Drum 1
37 | C#1 | Side Stick
38 | D1 | Acoustic Snare
39 | D#1 | Hand Clap
40 | E1 | Electric Snare
41 | F1 | Low Floor Tom
42 | F#1 | Closed Hi-Hat
43 | G1 | High Floor Tom
44 | G#1 | Pedal Hi-Hat
45 | A2 | Low Tom
46 | A#2 | Open Hi-Hat
47 | B2 | Low Mid-Tom
48 | C2 | High Mid-Tom
49 | C#2 | Crash Cymbal 1
50 | D2 | High Tom
51 | D#2 | Ride Cymbal 1
52 | E2 | China Cymbal
53 | F2 | Ride Bell
54 | F#2 | Tambourine
55 | G2 | Splash Cymbal
56 | G#2 | Cowbell
57 | A3 | Crash Cymbal 2
58 | A#3 | Vibraslap
59 | B3 | Ride Cymbal 2
60 | C3 | High Bongo
61 | C#3 | Low Bongo
62 | D3 | Mute Hi Conga
63 | D#3 | Open Hi Conga
64 | E3 | Low Conga
65 | F3 | Hi Timbale
66 | F#3 | Low Timbale
67 | G3 | High Agogo
68 | G#3 | Low Agogo 2
69 | A4 | Cabasa
70 | A#4 | Maracas
71 | B4 | Short Whistle
72 | C4 | Long Whistle
73 | C#4 | Short Guiro
74 | D4 | Long Guiro
75 | D#4 | Claves
76 | E4 | High Woodblock
77 | F4 | Low Woodblock
78 | F#4 | Mute Cuica
79 | G4 | Open Cuica
80 | G#4 | Mute Triangle
81 | A5 | Open Traingle

General M.I.D.I. also specifies that:

| The receiving instrument should be 16 note polyphonic across M.I.D.I. channels 1 to 9, and 11 to 16.
| The receiving instrument should be 8 note polyphonic on M.I.D.I. channel 10.
| All 128 program numbers should be implemented.
| Controllers 1, 7, 10, 11, 64, 121 and 123 must be implemented (these are described on the previous page).