Midi protocol gets an update in the form of midi 2.0 after 37 years
The MIDI Manufacturers Association and the Japanese MIDI organization AMEI have released the preliminary specification and name of the new MIDI generation. Midi 2.0 will have a more extensive feature set than the protocol announced in 1982.
This is a preliminary specification, which can still be adjusted on the basis of tests with prototype devices and software. In the coming months, several manufacturers will be testing midi 2.0 prototypes, including Ableton/Cycling ’74, Art+Logic, Bome Software, Google, imitone, Native Instruments, Roland, ROLI, Steinberg, TouchKeys and Yamaha.
The next step is for the MMA and AMEI to design a midi 2.0 logo and create a program for manufacturers to certify devices to the specification. Midi 2.0 is backwards compatible with midi 1.0 and extends the standard to include automated configurations, new integrations for daws, and tighter timings.
For example, Midi Capability Inquiry enables devices to declare their properties via midi 2.0, which brings possibilities with profiles within reach, as well as Property Exchange for exchanging configuration settings and controller values. Furthermore, there are improvements in resolution and timings. For example, midi 2.0 messages may contain 16-bit velocity values instead of 7-bit values.
Midi stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. Dating back to August 1983, the standard was developed after Roland, Yamaha, Korg, Kawai and Sequential Circuits realized the need for a protocol that would allow instruments from different manufacturers to synchronize with each other. Until then, manufacturers used their own methods, such as via the analog cv/gate.