4 ms·

Why not just use USB? Standardise all instruments on USB and use adaptors for backwards compatibility.

franky47 7y ago
One advantage that MIDI 1.0 had (and still holds) over USB is it's simplicity to implement on low power controllers and devices. I got into programming 12 years ago thanks to MIDI, I wanted to control some of my guitar pedals with an Arduino, and the simplicity of the protocol definitely contributed to helping me hack things together and learn. I'm not sure it would have been the case if I had to learn the contrived details of the USB stack just to send a simple ProgramChange message (2 bytes) to my pedal (which uses MIDI DIN plugs, no USB there). I can't wait to see how to get those 2.0 extensions into the library I built for Arduino [1]. Hopefully it will remain simple for newcomers to learn and enjoy programming by interacting with their musical instruments, like I did. [1] https://github.com/FortySevenEffects/arduino_midi_library https://github.com/FortySevenEffects/arduino_midi_library
robbrown451 7y ago
Most MIDI seems to be done over USB already. MIDI 2.0 is mostly unrelated to the actual connectors and such, it's more about the protocol.
- mhh__ 7y ago
  "MIDI" on your Desk may well be done over USB but MIDI as a hardware protocol is absolutely rock solid and is the only choice for live music. Speaking as an occasional backstage gremlin, I minimise the USB proportion of the signal path because reduces the amount of testing required (MIDI is generally well implemented on the hardware side, but not all USB midi interfaces are made equal). That and a lot of MIDI is instrument-to-instrument rather than to a PC (Or more realistically a Mac, because you have to have a Mac to be a creative, right...)
  - freeone3000 7y ago
    Windows audio latency increased to a 35ms floor in Vista and never recovered.
    - oriolid 7y ago
      This is why many music apps use ASIO drivers that skip Windows audio. ASIO is awful in many ways, but latency is not one of them.

One advantage that MIDI 1.0 had (and still holds) over USB is it's simplicity to implement on low power controllers and devices. I got into programming 12 years ago thanks to MIDI, I wanted to control some of my guitar pedals with an Arduino, and the simplicity of the protocol definitely contributed to helping me hack things together and learn. I'm not sure it would have been the case if I had to learn the contrived details of the USB stack just to send a simple ProgramChange message (2 bytes) to my pedal (which uses MIDI DIN plugs, no USB there). I can't wait to see how to get those 2.0 extensions into the library I built for Arduino [1]. Hopefully it will remain simple for newcomers to learn and enjoy programming by interacting with their musical instruments, like I did. [1] https://github.com/FortySevenEffects/arduino_midi_library https://github.com/FortySevenEffects/arduino_midi_library

robbrown451 7y ago

Most MIDI seems to be done over USB already. MIDI 2.0 is mostly unrelated to the actual connectors and such, it's more about the protocol.

mhh__ 7y ago
"MIDI" on your Desk may well be done over USB but MIDI as a hardware protocol is absolutely rock solid and is the only choice for live music. Speaking as an occasional backstage gremlin, I minimise the USB proportion of the signal path because reduces the amount of testing required (MIDI is generally well implemented on the hardware side, but not all USB midi interfaces are made equal). That and a lot of MIDI is instrument-to-instrument rather than to a PC (Or more realistically a Mac, because you have to have a Mac to be a creative, right...)
- freeone3000 7y ago
  Windows audio latency increased to a 35ms floor in Vista and never recovered.
  - oriolid 7y ago
    This is why many music apps use ASIO drivers that skip Windows audio. ASIO is awful in many ways, but latency is not one of them.