Appendix: MIDI Note Mapping
All Poly presets use General MIDI drum map assignments, compatible with Cubase Drum Maps, Native Instruments Battery/Kontakt, and any GM-compliant kit.
Note names use the Cubase default convention: Middle C (MIDI 60) = C3, MIDI 0 = C-2.
Note Inventory
Section titled “Note Inventory”| Note | Name | GM Standard Name | Used By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | C1 | Bass Drum 1 | Kick in most presets, Surdo (Bossa Nova), Gong (Kotekan Interlock), Mridangam bass (Carnatic Tala) |
| 37 | C#1 | Side Stick | Rim (Polymetric Drift, Sparse Pulse, Balkan Aksak) |
| 38 | D1 | Acoustic Snare | Snare in Four on the Floor, Breakbeat, Pocket Groove, Afrobeat 12/8, IDM Glitch |
| 39 | D#1 | Hand Clap | Ghost (Sparse Pulse, Pocket Groove), Kanjira (Carnatic Tala), Init lane 5 |
| 42 | F#1 | Closed Hi-Hat | Hi-hat in Four on the Floor, Breakbeat, Pocket Groove; Ghatam (Carnatic Tala); shimmer in Reich Phasing, Kotekan Interlock |
| 43 | G1 | High Floor Tom | Djembe (Afro-House Phrases), Darbuka (Balkan Aksak), Mridangam treble (Carnatic Tala), Init lane 6 |
| 45 | A1 | Low Tom | Tom/Perc ghost (Polymetric Drift, Breakbeat, IDM Glitch), Init lane 3 |
| 46 | A#1 | Open Hi-Hat | Perc ghost (Four on the Floor), Init lane 4 |
| 50 | D2 | High Tom | Init lane 7 |
| 56 | G#2 | Cowbell | Bell (Afrobeat 12/8), Cowbell (Latin Feel), Perc (Afro-House Phrases), Glitch ornament (IDM Glitch) |
| 63 | D#3 | Open Hi Conga | Conga (Latin Feel, Afro-House Phrases, Afrobeat 12/8) |
| 67 | G3 | High Agogo | Agogo (Bossa Nova) |
| 70 | A#3 | Maracas | Shaker (Afro-House Phrases, Afrobeat 12/8), Pandeiro (Bossa Nova) |
| 75 | D#4 | Claves | Clave (Latin Feel) |
| 76 | E4 | Hi Wood Block | Reich fixed/drifting (Reich Phasing), Polos (Kotekan Interlock), Zurna (Balkan Aksak), Tamborim (Bossa Nova) |
| 77 | F4 | Low Wood Block | Sangsih (Kotekan Interlock) |
Init Preset Lane Assignments
Section titled “Init Preset Lane Assignments”The Init (All Lanes) preset maps each lane to a standard GM drum voice:
| Lane | Note | Name | GM Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 36 | C1 | Bass Drum 1 |
| 1 | 38 | D1 | Acoustic Snare |
| 2 | 42 | F#1 | Closed Hi-Hat |
| 3 | 45 | A1 | Low Tom |
| 4 | 46 | A#1 | Open Hi-Hat |
| 5 | 39 | D#1 | Hand Clap |
| 6 | 43 | G1 | High Floor Tom |
| 7 | 50 | D2 | High Tom |
Design Notes
Section titled “Design Notes”Non-Western instruments are mapped to the closest GM equivalent by role rather than by timbral similarity. The choices prioritize rhythmic function over acoustic accuracy:
- Kanjira (39 / Hand Clap) – 54 (Tambourine) would be slightly more accurate for a frame drum, but Hand Clap works as a snappy ghost layer in the Carnatic Tala preset.
- Pandeiro (70 / Maracas) – 54 (Tambourine) is arguably closer, but Maracas gives the right shaker-shimmer role for the Bossa Nova preset.
- Ghatam (42 / Closed Hi-Hat) – no GM equivalent exists for a clay pot. Closed Hi-Hat fills the rhythmic shimmer role well in the Carnatic Tala preset.
- Afrobeat bell (56 / Cowbell) – Ride Bell (53) is an alternative for timeline bells, but Cowbell is valid and more universally mapped across drum kit plugins.
These mappings ensure that any GM-compatible drum instrument produces a usable result without custom drum map configuration.
Preview audio uses CC0 and CC-BY drum samples. Every sample is credited on theCredits & Licenses page.