Midi 2.0, the legendary audio format is updated after 35 years

Anyone with any technical music experience will certainly have come across the MIDI file format. It is likely that some of you have seen it in Windows 95.

Yes, in March of this year, MIDI 2.0 will be released.

However, it may surprise you to know that even though the technology is old (around 35 years to be exact), it is still widely used today. Largely because its interface is one of the simplest sound input and output methods.

After so many years it seems that all the big shots from the major audio companies have finally accepted a new standard. Yes, in March of this year, MIDI 2.0 will be released.

MIDI 2.0

Why did it take so long to update? Well, the short version is that this is more common than you think. Take the smartphone market as an example, for years all of them had largely different charging cables. However, in recent years, the vast majority of them (with the notable exception of Apple) have agreed to use all USB-C.

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In other words, to make changes like this, everyone must agree to the new standard.

To a large extent, the transition will result in two major changes. First, the resolution of the audio will be increased from 7 to 32 bits. Second, it is likely that older MIDI cable formats will be replaced by a standard USB connection. To be fair, a design change that has been long awaited.

The Roland A-88MKII keyboard will be one of the first products to adopt MIDI 2.0 and, alongside it, many more from other companies.

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