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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 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)

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

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.