In a significant advancement for music and audio professionals, Microsoft has unveiled the public preview of Windows MIDI Services in the latest build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the Canary Channel. This new feature brings a host of enhancements that are set to elevate the user experience for MIDI applications.
Highlights of the new MIDI service:
- Full support for the MIDI 2.0 standard, which includes high-speed data transmission, higher-fidelity messages, and increased resolution for controller values. Additionally, it offers full in-service MIDI 2.0 endpoint discovery and protocol negotiation.
- Faster transports that promise improved timing and reduced jitter, ensuring a smoother performance for musicians and producers.
- Enhanced USB MIDI driver that supports both MIDI 1.0 and MIDI 2.0, providing versatility for users with different setups.
- Multi-client support, enabling multiple applications to utilize a single device simultaneously, fostering collaboration and creativity.
- In-service scheduling of outgoing timestamped messages and timestamped incoming messages for applications utilizing the new Windows MIDI Services App SDK.
- Built-in loopback and app-to-app MIDI support, enhancing the connectivity between different software applications.
- Automatic translation between MIDI 1.0 and MIDI 2.0 based on the needs of the API, application, and device, simplifying the user experience.
- More device metadata available to applications, allowing for richer interactions and functionalities.
- Improved device add/update/remove notifications, ensuring users are always informed about their connected devices.
- Backward compatibility with the WinMM (MME) MIDI 1.0 API, along with future support for WinRT MIDI 1.0. This allows applications to leverage new features without requiring changes while still accessing MIDI 2.0 devices at a MIDI 1.0 feature level.
- Open-source nature of the MIDI Service, with all its transports, tools, tests, and SDK being MIT-licensed open-source projects developed in collaboration with hardware and software partners globally.
For those interested in a deeper dive into MIDI 2.0 and its implications for Windows 11, an insightful interview with Microsoft’s Pete Brown, recorded at the end of last year, is available for viewing.
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