9
Main Features
GM (General MIDI)
fig.GM logo
General MIDI is a set of recommendations which seeks to provide a way to go
beyond the limitations of proprietary designs, and standardize the MIDI capabilities
of sound generating devices. Sound generating devices and music files that meet the
General MIDI standard bear the General MIDI logo ( ).
Music files bearing the General MIDI logo can be played back using any General
MIDI sound generating unit to produce essentially the same musical performance.
GM2 (General MIDI 2)
fig.GM2 logo
The upwardly compatible General MIDI 2 ( ) recommendations pick up where
the original General MIDI left off, offering enhanced expressive capabilities, and
even greater compatibility.
Issues that were not covered by the original General MIDI recommendations, such
as how sounds are to be edited, and how effects should be handled, have now been
precisely defined. Moreover, the available sounds have been expanded.
General MIDI 2 compliant sound generators are capable of reliably playing back
music files that carry either the General MIDI or General MIDI 2 logo.
In some cases, the conventional form of General MIDI, which does not include the
new enhancements, is referred to as “General MIDI 1” as a way of distinguishing it
from General MIDI 2.
GS Format
fig.GS logo
The GS Format ( ) is Roland’s set of specifications for standardizing the
performance of sound generating devices. In addition to including support for
everything defined by the General MIDI, the highly compatible GS Format
additionally offers an expanded number of sounds, provides for the editing of
sounds, and spells out many details for a wide range of extra features, including
effects such as reverb and chorus.
Designed with the future in mind, the GS Format can readily include new sounds
and support new hardware features when they arrive.
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