This is true, of course, even if the post sounds a bit like a horoscope. ;)

I really hope that the possibilities of MIDI 2.0 will be applied as widely as possible as soon as possible (<20y and before 3.0 comes).
It will likely be implemented quickly in DAWs and in keyboards as well...
Anyway, it is good that MIDI 2.0 has not been patented and that there are no license fees. That gives hope.
On the other hand, not much has been done in the two years the standard has been around. According to the motto:
There is much to do, let's wait and see.

 

Last edited: Jun 5, 2022

Roland A-88 MKII - MIDI 2.0 Controller Keyboard - 999 €

Roland announces the A-88MKII MIDI controller, a new version of their controller keyboard. And this comes with 88 weighted hammer action keys and in a very compact "slim" design. But what's extraordinary about this hardware is its compatibility with the MIDI 2.0 standard. Roland is thus the frontrunner of a new era.

What’s the Timeline?
All of these new capabilities sound fantastic, but gear with MIDI 2.0 support isn’t yet available, nor is there support among DAWs and plug-ins. One exception is the Roland A-88MKII keyboard. On its website, the company says it is “ready to take advantage of the extended capabilities of MIDI 2.0,” although it hasn’t specified what that readiness entails.

Several companies have shown working prototypes, as was evident at the MMA annual meeting at NAMM. “Roland, Korg, and Yamaha sent engineers over from Japan with prototype gear,” Porter says. “They were playing with a Yamaha-modified keyboard controlling a Korg-modified synth over MIDI 2.0, with all the new expressivity and resolution, and it worked.”

But there are still more hurdles preventing widespread adoption of the new standard. One of them is bureaucratic. “We have to wait for the USB people to approve the way we want to send MIDI 2.0 data over it,” Porter says. “And that’s in process. I have no idea how long that takes. Once that happens, then all the companies like Focusrite and MOTU that make interface boxes have to update their systems. Apple and Microsoft have to update their operating systems. It’s a chicken-and-egg thing, and everybody behind the scenes is doing what they can, waiting for those other pieces.”

It appears that the adoption of MIDI 2.0 is going to happen gradually. “It’s not like we can flick a switch and all of a sudden, MIDI 2.0 comes out the other end,” Anderton points out. “The prioritization on backward-compatibility means new features can roll out over time. It will also be possible to buy products where MIDI 2.0 is dormant, as it waits for other products to appear. Then one day, that product wakes up to find other MIDI 2.0 gear with which it can converse.”

 

Last edited: Jun 5, 2022