Roland owner manual About the PC-300, What is the GS Format g?

Owner’s Manual

2. About the PC-300

The Roland PC-300 is a MIDI keyboard controller designed to provide for the con- venient transmission of Program Change and Bank Select messages, as well as a vari- ety of other MIDI messages (such as Reverb and Chorus information) to an external sound module. It contains no internal sound source. It is particularly suited for controlling sound modules that comply with the GS Format. (Called sim- ply “GS sound modules” in the following.)

What is the GS Format (g)?

The GS Format is a standardized set of specifications for Roland’s sound sources which defines the manner in which multi- timbral sound generating units will respond to MIDI messages. All devices compatible with the GS Format bear the GS logo. Every module or device with the GS logo will respond in the same way to the MIDI messages sent from the PC-300.

Note: All Roland GS sound modules also fully support Level 1 of the General MIDI System (m).

In 1990, the MIDI standard incorporated the Program Change/Bank Select message cluster (selection of sounds using both program numbers and control change numbers CC00 and CC32). The GS Format accommodates this form of sound selection, which allows for a much larger number of sounds to be selected.

About the sounds contained in a GS sound module

A GS sound module contains 128 basic sounds (“Capital Tones”) and a number of Variation Tones. The mapping for the Capital Tones is compatible with Level 1 of the General MIDI System. Capital Tones are stored in bank 0, while the Variations are stored in banks 1 through 127. The number of available Variation Tones depends on the sound module you are using. Please see the manual of the sound module(s) your are using to find out how may sounds there are and how to access them.

About the Drum Sets Provided by a GS Sound Module

The MIDI channel used for the Rhythm Set/Drum Set/Drum Part of a GM/GS module (MIDI channel 10) provides for the use of several Variation Sets in addi- tion to the basic Drum Set (Standard Set: program change number PC01). Though most Drum Sets can be selected using pro- gram change messages, the module your are using may also contain a number of Variation Sets. Please see its manual for details.

Note: If a Variation Tone or Variation Drum Set you have requested is not available in the GS module you are using, the module may not sound at all, or use a Drum Set with different sounds.

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