MIDI 2.0 updates, Microsoft update and tentative schedule

Steinberg Lounge
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MIDI 2.0 seems to make some good steps so that we, the endusers, will be able to make use of it in the near future.
Microsoft’s Pete Brown has posted some news regarding MIDI 2.0 in Windows:

Over at midi.org there were some 20 specification documents updated this month:
The MIDI Association - MIDI 2.0 - Updated June 2023

So, maybe 2024 will see the advent of MIDI 2.0 for the broader public.

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saw this video from Namm 2024 with Pete from microsoft.
what does it means in real world to have midi 1.0/2.0 integrated into windows ? we have it in cubase so what benefits its have to have it on windows too ?

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All MIDI from external devices (synths, remote keyboards, any remote controller) go through the OS to Cubase. There is no non-OS connection between Cubase and the external devices (like ASIO kind of provides for audio).
Therefore w/o MIDI 2.0 support of Windows no PC user will have MIDI 2.0 in Cubase.

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so basically, now we can’t use midi 2 in cubase under windows until microsoft adds it ?
it’s only true for external hardware or also for “in the box” inside cubase ?
(not that i use it right now, just for knowledge)

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on other topic, any news on using multiple ASIO audio devices on windows ?

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MIDI is used for communication between devices. Cubase doesn’t really use MIDI to talk to itself, it uses VST3 for this. Much of the advantages of MIDI 2.0 over the regular MIDI standard are already integrated into the VST3 standard for a decade now. In other words: You are already enjoying features of MIDI 2.0 for many years without knowing it.

I saw in the video they were using MIDI velocity as an example of a MIDI 2.0 feature. With VST3 you have not only 16bit velocity resolution but 32bitfloat resolution. Currently, however, most plugins convert these values into 7bit resolution in order to be compatible when communicating with the “outside world”, ie. you playing notes on your keyboard. They have to use 7bit because of the current MIDI standard. Current MIDI really is the bottleneck here that makes everything coarse.
As soon as MIDI 2.0 is available on your hardware, on your OS, and on your DAW you will be able to enjoy these higher resolutions. Maybe some plugins need to be updated in order to get rid of the artifical downsizing of the resolution, I am not quite sure about this.

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