MIDI 2.0 spec confirmed: “the biggest advance in music technology in decades”

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EnochLight
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28 Jan 2020

I'm pretty excited about this - really hoping its adoption happens quickly and we see companies fully realizing its potential soon:

https://www.musicradar.com/news/midi-20 ... in-decades
MIDI Manufacturers Association adopts the new standard

It’s been years in the planning, but now the core spec for the MIDI 2.0 standard has finally been confirmed and adopted by the MIDI Manufacturers Association. In fact, the MMA is calling MIDI 2.0 "the biggest advance in music technology in decades".

The decision was taken at the MMA’s annual meeting, which took place at the recent Winter NAMM Show. The five core documents adopted were as follows:
  • MIDI Capability Inquiry (Update)
  • Specification for Universal MIDI Packet (UMP) Format and MIDI 2.0 Protocol
  • Common Rules for MIDI CI Profiles
  • Common Rules for MIDI-CI Property Exchange
  • Property Exchange Foundational Resources and Basic Resources
If that’s all a bit technical and dry for your taste, you might be more interested to learn that the well-attended NAMM session - it was standing room only - also featured demonstrations from Korg, Roland and Yamaha, who showed prototype MIDI 2.0 devices sending and receiving MIDI 2.0 protocol messages.
Maybe we'll see Reason support MIDI 2.0 sometime in the next 10-20 years? :D :lol:

A more detailed look on what this means:

https://www.musicradar.com/news/what-is ... -producers

And a fantastic (albeit lengthy) video on how VST3 is poised to already handle the new spec:

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tiker01
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28 Jan 2020

What are these potentials? Is MPE part of the new tech pack?
    
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orthodox
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28 Jan 2020

tiker01 wrote:
28 Jan 2020
What are these potentials? Is MPE part of the new tech pack?
They've shown new MIDI 2 message format of per-note controller messages, 32 bits of data. At 8:30 on the video.

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EnochLight
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28 Jan 2020

tiker01 wrote:
28 Jan 2020
What are these potentials? Is MPE part of the new tech pack?
Yes - MPE is part of the MIDI 2.0 spec. :)

I'm still trying to understand the potentials - but the big takeaway is that resolution is no longer capped at 127 which will come in amazingly handy in applications that need a higher resolution (such as lighting and robotics).
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orthodox
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28 Jan 2020

EnochLight wrote:
28 Jan 2020
I'm still trying to understand the potentials - but the big takeaway is that resolution is no longer capped at 127 which will come in amazingly handy in applications that need a higher resolution (such as lighting and robotics).
Still it's not enough for some applications. I wish they added a standard for continuously changing parameters (a set of unified curves and change rate specification). Despite the increased resolution I can't afford sending updates of a controller value at high rates so that it would change smoothly - this functionality should reside in the device.

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guitfnky
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28 Jan 2020

so how is this such a big thing for music? I mean, I get that higher resolution is better, but is the higher resolution something many people will even be able to hear a difference in? I mean, it’s hard to believe it’s the biggest advance in musical technology in decades if its most exciting improvements are in lighting and robotics. 😆

not trying to be cynical...I genuinely don’t understand what the big improvement is, in a purely musical sense. sounds like it’s sort of the MIDI equivalent of the difference between recording at 44.1k and 192k. sure, it’s clearly better on paper, but it’s such a diminishing return, the average listener will never notice. but I’m probably missing something.
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MannequinRaces
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28 Jan 2020

guitfnky wrote:
28 Jan 2020
so how is this such a big thing for music? I mean, I get that higher resolution is better, but is the higher resolution something many people will even be able to hear a difference in?
What do you mean hear a difference in? Like smoother parameter changes or what? It’s mainly on the controller side of things... not audio.

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guitfnky
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28 Jan 2020

MannequinRaces wrote:
28 Jan 2020
guitfnky wrote:
28 Jan 2020
so how is this such a big thing for music? I mean, I get that higher resolution is better, but is the higher resolution something many people will even be able to hear a difference in?
What do you mean hear a difference in? Like smoother parameter changes or what? It’s mainly on the controller side of things... not audio.
well that’s sort of my point...music is, by definition, *about* audio. if it doesn’t have an obvious effect on the audio, how can it be said that it’s a big advance in music technology? unless the emphasis is on technology, rather than music. in which case, it sounds more like misleading marketing fluff than any sort of truly tangible improvement.
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jlgrimes
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28 Jan 2020

guitfnky wrote:
28 Jan 2020
so how is this such a big thing for music? I mean, I get that higher resolution is better, but is the higher resolution something many people will even be able to hear a difference in? I mean, it’s hard to believe it’s the biggest advance in musical technology in decades if its most exciting improvements are in lighting and robotics. 😆

not trying to be cynical...I genuinely don’t understand what the big improvement is, in a purely musical sense. sounds like it’s sort of the MIDI equivalent of the difference between recording at 44.1k and 192k. sure, it’s clearly better on paper, but it’s such a diminishing return, the average listener will never notice. but I’m probably missing something.
Probably makes it easier for developers though, and might even open up the field for more sophisticated controllers.

Midi 1.0 has alot of workarounds where developers overcame limitations though. Probably now certain things such as pitch bends might get more resolution. should be interesting.

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MannequinRaces
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28 Jan 2020

guitfnky wrote:
28 Jan 2020
MannequinRaces wrote:
28 Jan 2020

What do you mean hear a difference in? Like smoother parameter changes or what? It’s mainly on the controller side of things... not audio.
well that’s sort of my point...music is, by definition, *about* audio. if it doesn’t have an obvious effect on the audio, how can it be said that it’s a big advance in music technology? unless the emphasis is on technology, rather than music. in which case, it sounds more like misleading marketing fluff than any sort of truly tangible improvement.
It’s a big advance for what MIDI controllers can do. Will this translate to somebody being the next Mozart, I don’t think so. Will we be able to listen to music made in 10 years and say ‘Hey! They used a MIDI 2.0 controller for that.’ Doubtful. I could be proven wrong though. :)

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Kalm
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29 Jan 2020

I'm the same way, what would 2.0 do for music that all the big players already found answers for?
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Re8et
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29 Jan 2020

I've seen a presentation of something like an Harp Synthesizer at Namm 2020 which is told it uses 2000 something velocities steps and is said to be a very close but guitar like playing experience. I have searched for the video link but couldn't find it, thousands of video's already.
MPE looks pretty amazing tho.

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30 Jan 2020

EnochLight wrote:
28 Jan 2020
tiker01 wrote:
28 Jan 2020
What are these potentials? Is MPE part of the new tech pack?
Yes - MPE is part of the MIDI 2.0 spec. :)

I'm still trying to understand the potentials - but the big takeaway is that resolution is no longer capped at 127 which will come in amazingly handy in applications that need a higher resolution (such as lighting and robotics).
Or even just hearing steps as you open a resonant filter. ALWAYS annoyed me. Can't believe it's taken til 2020 to move on!

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