Since Winter NAMM 2015, I’ve been working on a new MIDI specification together with many other industry professionals (Apple, Bigwig, Haken Audio, KMI, Madrona Labs, Moog Music, Roger Linn Design, ROLI, …). We’ve preliminarily called it Multidimensional Polyphonic Expression, in short: MPE.
The point is very simple: to allow new controllers like the LinnStrument and Eigenharp to have full per-note expressive support in sound generators and DAWs.
We’ve taken a pragmatic approach where we kept the best of what is already in practical use today and structured in so that adding support for MPE would be the least possible effort, while providing the most possible benefit.
A beta version of the spec is available at http://bit.ly/mpe-spec
Feel free to reach out to let us know what you think of it!
I believe the SpaceHarp controller is especially suitable for this expanded MIDI. There are a number of unique features with the SpaceHarp, including the fact that our Sound Galaxy tools suite can simultaneously apply up to 20 types of DAW effects using any combination of height (by the SpaceHarp’s sonar height sensors), Hot Hand USB ring roll and/or pitch, as well as iOS accelerometers roll and/or pitch. We can handle up to five simultaneous expression parameters as well as polyphonic notes with velocity, all in free space without touching a controller surface. We are truly multi-dimensional. We just learned of Expressive MIDI so we’ll have to try this out with our new controller!