[rotexo]

I've been fantasizing a little about a new modular format, or at least a new category of synth controllers, taking advantage of the higher resolution of MIDI 2.0 for some modulation signals. I could be wrong, but I thought MIDI 2.0 was supposed to potentially be faster/more timing accurate too.

[absorber]

I'm not overtly familiar with MIDI 2.0, but from what I've heard it does fix most of the issues of the old MIDI. However, if you transport your messages over DIN ports, all bets are off.

You can also look at Open Sound Control, as it was once intended as a replacement for MIDI.

[PaulDavisThe1st]

OSC has never, ever been even remotely close to being a replacement for MIDI.

Every MIDI message (well, almost every MIDI message) has a defined semantic associated with it. The receiver of the message might choose to reinterpret that, but the default semantic is still defined by the standard.

There is not a single standard OSC message. The only thing that is standardized in OSC is the format of a message. Both the receiver and sender have to agree to a specific set of messages, with a specific set of semantics.

Trivial example: you want a MIDI-driven synth to start playing middle C. You send it a MIDI NoteOn event with the note number 60. There is no equivalent for this with OSC, not even close. You must know precisely what messages the synth will accept and which ones will mean "start playing middle C".

OSC is cool but it isn't and almost certainly will never be a replacement for MIDI.

[rotexo]

Yeah I was thinking transport over ethernet would be cool