I’ve got a new Native Instruments Kontrol S49 Mk3, and I use Cubase Pro 15 on a MacBook Pro running OS 26.2. Cubase is supposed to be MIDI 2.0 compatible, but when I switched the Kontrol S49 Mk3 to MIDI 2.0, Cubase didn’t seem to want to behave. Is it too soon? Is Cubase not really ready? Or have I just failed to do something crucial in settings?
There’s a MIDI 2.0 switch in Cubase in the setup pages, IIRC.
As a word of caution: the Kontrol S49 doesn’t do any high-resolution MIDI 2.0. It uses MIDI 1.0 protocol over UMP data format, so a good step in the right direction, but not yet high res.
Pete
Microsoft
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What does that mean in detail?
The MIDI 2.0 option in Cubase is more a “to be implemented” feature than actual support for MIDI 2.0 devices already present in the market much like the MIDI Remote.
@Psychlist1972 … Thank you … I’ll check out the Cubase setup option.
And yes, clearly my ambition is ahead of reality.
@Johnny_Moneto … Well, nothing seems to transmit. It’s as if Cubase doesn’t recognise the S49. I’ve had an S88 Mk2 for ages, and that’s been brilliant as a MIDI 1.0 device. I was just hoping the Mk3 beasts would be a proper MIDI upgrade straight out of the box. But it seems it’ll be more of a drip feed of upgrades.
@BrunoDSL … Thank you … I did suspect I was expecting too much too soon.
FWIW, the MIDI 2.0 support (the UMP Data Format) is completely different from classic MIDI 1.0, so if the options aren’t set correctly, or if the app doesn’t support the new format, no data will get through. So it makes sense what you’re seeing.
Maybe I’m mistaken. I thought Cubase 15 supported MIDI 2.0 on macOS.
Pete
Microsoft
Psychlist1972 … Hi Pete … In theory (and on paper) it does. And I tried doing what I think you were suggesting. I switched the S49 Mk3 to MIDI 2.0 and rebooted it. Then I went into Cubase settings, under MIDI, and turned on MIDI-CI (Capability Inquiry), which (supposedly) allows bi-directional communication and “allows devices to discover and configure themselves automatically, enhancing compatibility.” It then brings up a MIDI Scripts window and seems to be trying to load scripts, maybe from the keyboard, or from NI online … who knows!
But when, I then tried the keyboard again, some bits were showing (eg. the window was reflecting the Komplete Kontrol NKS instrument track I’d selected), but the transport and other buttons were dark, and the keys didn’t seem to communicate either. So, a partial connection only. I don’t know if some other settings need to change in Cubase for a proper handshake and full operation. Clearly, this needs me to dig deeper. Or maybe it’s all just a vicious lie. Or something … 
I would concentrate on this first as it is the prime functionality of a keyboard to transmit the pressing of the black and white keys.
From your text I take it that the S49 shows up in Studio → Studio Settings → Midi Ports.
Did you try the free Ableton Live software that comes with the keyboard , whether the keybed is working there? Or is there a midi monitoring app in macOS?
Doesn’t the OS also need to support the underlying protocols? I know recent versions of Win11 have v2.0 in insider preview builds…or something like that. Not sure how MacOS is doing.
MacOS has support for Midi 2.0 for several years now.
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Johnny_Moneto … Good thinking. I’ve got a MIDI Monitor app on the Mac, so I’ll check out whether any key MIDI is reaching the OS. And Paul_J … I think Johnny’s right. Apple added MIDI 2.0 support a few iterations ago.
I’ll get to the bottom of this … somehow …
Not sure what you’re using, but I use MidiFire for both direct monitoring and even direct mapping of devices. I found the interface a wee clumsy at first, but once you get used to it, it works quite well. Just FYI 
Yep. Apple has had it for a while now.
We had to rewrite our whole midi stack, so it took a bit longer. It’s going into retail Windows 11 releases starting the week after NAMM. It’ll take around 30 days to finish the rollout.
Pete
Microsoft
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Great news, well done! However … any details on how this will affect existing stable Windows 11, i.e. can we control when/how this gets applied? I’m hoping a reversible installer, rather than a non-optional “update”.
It goes out as a feature update through Windows Update. You can usually roll those back via Windows Update > Update History > Uninstall updates.
For example (from my Insider Dev test VM):
But I don’t control the update process itself, so YMMV.
The app SDK and tools package is a separate download and can be installed/uninstalled as needed.
Pete
Microsoft
1 Like
A report over here suggests there may be some disruption with the new update, could this be related? (I know, not retail Windows 11):
I am experiencing some weird behavior this am and am not sure appropriate place to share feedback, but it appears something may be wonky with my computer and midi 2.0 rollout.
I have a new Modal Carbon8M that my main system would not recognize: Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed).
I tried USB2 ports (direct to MB), USB1 ports (internal hub) and a USB3 port on the back panel. All gave same error in device manager. I did this 10 to 20 times just in case. Same result. Computer is an I7 6700K running Windows 11 Pro that was upgraded from 10 that was upgraded from 7 OEM.
I then tried plugging it in to my laptop (lenovo I9) that has windows 11 pro upgrade from lenovo windows 11 oem. Finally on laptop, it recognized it as CARBON8 in device manager, but the Modal app could not see it. After some more power cycles it worked.
I went back to studio pc and tried the multiple power cycle thing and it did finally work.
What I have noticed on both computers in device manager is that it appears to be using usbmidi2. I have downloaded the script and it says midi 2 isnt running.
So maybe part of it is but not all of it?
I have no other issues with any other USB midi devices. Only the carbon8 that was brand new to both systems this morning.
Maybe this is expected behavior but will be brutal in the future if this is going to happen every time with a new device.
Is this retail Windows 11, or an Insider build?
In any case, to fix this, if you want:
Go back into device manager, right-click the Carbon8 under sound/video etc. controllers. Choose “update driver”
Browse my computer for drivers
Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer
Choose “USB Audio Device” (this is our in-box MIDI 1 driver)
After it has completed, reboot.
What should have happened, and I don’t know why it didn’t here, is the system should have detected that MIDI2 was not enabled, and then moved the device over to the MIDI1 driver. But if something else had already grabbed it exclusively, we can’t do that. Not sure what else was running.
Edit: the 6700k is not a processor supported by Windows 11. Did you use a special installer / configuration / debloat tool to bypass that? I wonder if it removed something else along the way which caused this.
Pete
Microsoft