There's some boring/obvious QoL stuff like expanding the notion of channels into groups + channels (16 groups of 16 channels in MIDI 2 instead of the implicit single group of 16 channels on MIDI 1), better synchronization messages, higher resolution control changes/velocity/aftertouch, polyphonic control changes, and so on. Basically the limitations of MIDI 1's 8 bit protocol are being lifted.

But the big difference is that MIDI 2 is duplex (devices can send and receive messages from each other, rather than just broadcasting them into the void). This allows for discovery (devices can find each other on the same connection/network), capability inquiry (devices can get metadata about each other) and the super power: property exchange (get/set properties as JSON).

The reason the last bit is so big is because it fixes some giant issues with MIDI, like being unable to control the tuning system used by all the connected devices. With some conventions and the new protocol we should see MIDI 2 open up a lot of room for non-western and microtonalities without resorting to tedium or hacks.

But that's just an example. It's kind of like a binary protocol for hardware and software music devices that goes beyond basic performance controls.

> What are the major features of MIDI 2 over MIDI 1?

"What Musicians & Artists need to know about MIDI 2.0": https://www.midi.org/midi-articles/what-musicians-and-artist...

MIDI 2 has huge vendor buy-in. MS isn't leading the charge, Google and apple are supporting it too. I posted this because I thought the repo might be more immediately useful than the pure specifications, which were released a few weeks ago.

Yes and yes, it isn't microsoft that started pushing it.

Biggest promises on top of better data types is actual device discovery, so for example after connecting control keyboard to a synth you can have the knob names automatically populated. And no hacks needed to get MPE

And how does it compare to OSC (Open Sound Control)?

It has broad vendor buy-in from the vendors that matter much more than OSes: Instrument manufacturers. Yamaha, Korg, and Roland all demo'ed MIDI 2.0 prototypes at NAMM recently.