MIDI-GM1 vs. GM2 standard

[Jokeyman123]

After reading many posts here about the difficulties some users are having regarding compatibility with midi files playable on various Casio keyboards-I found this which might be helpful:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_MIDI_Level_2

 

In particular, I noticed that there is a need to re-map program change messages you may wish to play on various Casios, for most smf (standard midi file) which are older and are usually mapped as GM1. There have been many GM extensions by Roland (GS) Yamaha (XG) and others that allow for mapping many more sounds than the basic GM1 standard, but the more recent Casios with their extended tone or sound maps apparently need the GM2 mapping ino order to get older GM1 sounds to play correctly. I posted in this forum since there are a wide variety of Casios that this may pertain to. Hope it helps.

[JohnG7]

The best place, and the official author/repository of all MIDI standards, is the MMA, the MIDI Manufacturers Association.

They publish all the standards on-line, now. Search for the MMA.

 

The key difference, for most MIDI users, between GM and GM2 is the adoption of the Bank Select commands CC#0 and CC#32.

There is a table at the back of the GM2 MMA specification that outlines its specific use to select 'voices'.

The Bank Select message must precede the Program Change message.

I've attached the MMA GM2 specification. See the tables at the end of the manual.

Hope that's of some help?

GM2-v12a.pdf

Edited August 10, 2016 by JohnG7
Attaching MMA GM2 guide.

[- T -]

Johnathon - Good topic - Thanks for starting it !

 

For those who are interested, from my own personal experience, I know that the following contemporary Casio

models still conform to the original GM (GM1, so to speak) voice standard:

 

CTK-6000 / 6250 / 7000 / 7200

WK-6500 / 6600 / 7500 / 7600

 

This is stated in the manuals for each of the above models and means that any Program Change received without

a corresponding Bank Select (or a Bank Select of 0) will default to the GM Voice/Drum sets, and should still be

compatible with older Standard MIDI File voicings.  This is not to exclude other, non-listed, Casio models with which

I have had no experience.  For those interested in those models I suggest a data search ( Edit > Find) on the term "GM"

in a PDF copy of the appropriate manual.  It should tell you whether the GM voice set is "GM" or "GM2".

 

Contrary to popular belief (by mainly non-Casio owners), the main "Panel" ("Native") voices in these models are

not GM voices.  Many are velocity switched multi-samples, and almost all use wave samples that are much larger

than those used by GM voice sets.