SUPERBOOTH26 Shows MIDI 2.0 Becoming Reality

Working MIDI 2.0 demonstrations, cross-platform interoperability, accessibility innovations, and strong participation from MIDI Association members highlighted a milestone year for SUPERBOOTH26.

The first week of May Is MIDI Month 2026 was intense , but satisfying.

It brought together developers, manufacturers, artists, accessibility advocates, and music technology innovators for one of the most important gatherings in recent MIDI history.

We had two days of DAW working group meetings at Ableton with Apple, Microsoft, Steinberg, Native Instruments and many others . There were over 20 people participating in person and another 15 attending online including our friends from AMEI, the Japanese MIDI organization.

We made great progress on the Transport and Location profile which is nearing completion and the Macro Control profile which should also be finished soon.

Then there was a full day of discussions at the Native Instruments offices in Berlin of their proposal for a MIDI 2.0 Plugin Control Profile based on NKS.

Native Instruments Hosts MIDI 2.0 Plugin Control Discussions

Following the Ableton meetings, the DAW Working Group gathered at Native Instruments for a full day of discussions surrounding a proposed MIDI 2.0 Plugin Control Profile based on NKS concepts and workflows.

The conversations explored how future MIDI 2.0 profiles could improve interoperability between DAWs, plugins, controllers, and hardware ecosystems while maintaining consistent workflows across manufacturers.

MIDI 2.0 Demonstrations Move From Theory to Practice

At SUPERBOOTH26, the MIDI Association booth demonstrated practical, working MIDI 2.0 interoperability across multiple operating systems, software platforms, and hardware devices.

A live setup featured Cubase playing tracks using the Audio Impressions orchestral sample library supporting the Orchestral Articulation Profile. Steinberg converted MIDI 2.0 note messages into VST3 Note Expressions while demonstrating cross-platform communication using Network MIDI 2.0.

The demonstration routed MIDI data from a Windows PC through Ethernet and a standard network router to a MacBook Air connected to Synthogy Ivory and a Roland A-88MKII. This created a working environment where both the Piano Profile and Orchestral Articulation Profile operated across different operating systems using Network MIDI 2.0.

The Piano Profile was worked well out of the box and we could easily switch between playing live on the A988MK II and playing the Piano track from the Windows computer.

We showed many people a simple demo.

At first, the Piano Profile was turned off so none of the Knobs on the A88MKII did anything with Ivory.

Turning on the Profile automatically enabled all of the Registered Controllers for Ivory’s supported piano functions.

This allowed the knobs to instantly control parameters such as Volume, Lid Position, Soundboard Resonance, String Resonance, Stretch Tuning, Hammer Hardness, and even the Dynamic Range of the piano without having to manually map them or use MIDI Learn.

This simply demo of the power of a Profile to allow two devices to negotiate an agreement on what Registered Controllers to use (and in the case of the Piano Profile to also determine the Velocity and Half Pedal curves) really resonated with people.

As we said in our recently newsletter “MIDI 2.0 is becoming a reality. At SUPERBOOTH26, we proved it.”

MIDI Association Companies at SUPERBOOTH26

There were many MIDI Association companies who had booths at SuperBooth 2026.

Here is a quick summary with pictures and videos.

• Ableton

• Amenote

Amenote was showing the Aptiplay which uses the switches designed for the X Box or Playstation accessible gaming controllers and converts those switch signals into MIDI messages. You can also see the Arcana Strum on the table as well as a Popupiano which was used in the ConnectThroughMIDI installation described later in this article.

• Arturia

• Azotech

• Bitwig

• Embodme

• Eternal Research

• Groove Synthesis

• Kissbox

• KORG

• Melbourne Instruments

• Native Instruments

Of course the big news at Super Booth was that Native Instruments was acquired by inMusic.

An announcement from Nick Williams, CEO of Native Instruments
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To our friends, artists, partners, collaborators, and community:

After three months of hard work, and three months of extraordinary loyalty from you, I am pleased to share that a definitive agreement has now been signed for Native Instruments to be acquired by inMusic.

Two iconic music technology companies, with decades of shared respect for this industry and the people who make music in it, are coming together to build something greater than either could alone. Our NKS hardware and MPC Editions collaboration last year was the beginning of this story. Today, we look ahead to a common future.

inMusic has spent three decades building and growing the brands that creators rely on every day — Akai Professional, Moog Music, Denon DJ, Numark, Rane, M-Audio and more. They understand what it means to build tools that musicians love. And they understand what Native Instruments means to our customers and community.

What this means for our community
The products, platforms, and brands you rely on continue. Native Instruments, iZotope, Plugin Alliance, Brainworx — all of it continues. Our teams continue to build, ship, and support every day.

What happens next
We are working towards the transaction completing in the coming weeks. Between now and then the business continues to operate normally, and we will share more about the integration as we have it.

As Jack O’Donnell, CEO of inMusic, put it: “Our commitment is simple: continued investment across all brands and product lines, and a long-term focus on innovation that serves creators at every level. The tools you rely on today will keep working, and the tools you will rely on tomorrow are actively being built.”

This is the fresh start we have been working toward. Thirty years of building tools for creators, and now a new chapter with a strong partner who has spent just as long dedicated to this industry.

The loyalty you have shown us through one of the most challenging periods in Native Instruments’ history is something we will not forget. From the partners who supported us, to the artists who kept creating, to the customers who kept showing up — thank you so much.
This moment belongs to all of you as much as it does to us. Thank you for standing with us.

Nick Williams

CEO of Native Instruments

Native Instruments booth at Super Booth 2026

• Roland

Roland had two booths at Super Booth and they were both out in the woods in the Bunglowdorf.

Roland Future Design Lab was there led by MIDI Association Exec Board member Paul McCabe.

They were showing off their collaboration with Neutone for Neural Sampling.

“From the very first demos with professional audio developers through the overwhelming response from musicians worldwide, it was clear that Project LYDIA was resonating,” said Paul McCabe, LA‑based leader of Roland Future Design Lab. “That dialogue directly shaped Phase 2. This version reflects what creators told us they want from AI hardware in real musical contexts, while also bringing forward new ideas from our team.”

Roland was there with a TR1000 Firmware update.

• Steinberg (with Yamaha)
• Studio Logic and Waldorf

• UDO Audio

• Waldorf Music ( See Studio Logic)
• Yamaha

Highlights From the Show Floor

• Yamaha showcased the Montage M series and advanced synthesizer workflows.
• Ableton hosted developer and artist discussions around Live integrations and performance tools.
• Melbourne Instruments demonstrated expressive hardware control technologies and its Roto-Control system.
• Multiple companies demonstrated increasing adoption of MIDI 2.0 concepts including higher-resolution control, profiles, and interoperability.

Accessibility and Inclusive Technology

The MIDI Association booth also highlighted products and initiatives connected to the organization’s growing Music Accessibility Initiative.

One of the most talked-about installations at SUPERBOOTH26 came from Tobi Hunke of AbletonDrummer.com and ConnectThroughMIDI.

SUPERBOOTH organizers provided space for a special accessibility-focused installation that attracted attendees eager to experience adaptive music performance tools firsthand.

The exhibit demonstrated how MIDI technology can reduce barriers to musical participation while creating entirely new forms of performance interaction.

The Momentum Behind MIDI 2.0

The progress demonstrated during SUPERBOOTH26 reflects years of collaborative development between operating system vendors, DAW developers, hardware manufacturers, and MIDI Association working groups.

With Apple and Microsoft implementing Network MIDI 2.0 support at the operating system level, and companies such as Steinberg, Roland, Yamaha, and Native Instruments actively participating in profile development, the ecosystem is moving toward broader real-world deployment.

At the same time, accessibility initiatives, educational outreach, and open-source developer resources continue to expand the reach of MIDI technology far beyond traditional production workflows.

Looking Ahead

As attendees returned home from Berlin, one message was clear: MIDI 2.0 is no longer simply a specification under development. Working products, cross-platform interoperability, accessibility solutions, and collaborative industry efforts are bringing the next generation of MIDI into everyday creative workflows.

The MIDI Association will continue sharing updates on profile development, interoperability testing, accessibility initiatives, and member activities throughout May Is MIDI Month 2026.

Learn More

• MIDI.org
• MIDI2.dev
• MIDI 2.0 Developer Repositories
• SUPERBOOTH