Windows will soon be jamming to MIDI 2.0’s music services

For many, MIDI means SoundBlaster cards, chiptunes, and WAD files played to the sound of a killer synth score. But Microsoft Windows has begun previewing MIDI 2.0, the first update to the MIDI protocol since 1983.

Microsoft is building an in-box public preview of Windows MIDI Services into Build 27788 of the Windows 11 Canary Channel, an experimental build that doesn’t guarantee that it will ever be released to the public. But it undoubtedly will, with the work that Microsoft has already put into this.

Windows MIDI Services includes the updated MIDI stack, not only including MIDI 2.0 but also an update to MIDI 1.0 that allows it to run on Arm64 as well as Windows. MIDI is a way to record and play back music, and as Microsoft notes, forms the foundation of syncing drum machines and synthesizers.

MIDI 2.0 includes what modern musicians want, Microsoft said, “like increased speed and fidelity, better control of instruments, modern bi-directional conversations and negotiation between instruments, discovery, better USB timing, and more.” It’s also open source.

You can read Microsoft’s blog post for more about all of the technical goodies, which also includes a high-speed MIDI class driver supplied by AMEI (Association of Musical Electronics Industry of Japan) and written by AmeNote. There’s an entire SDK, and Microsoft is working on a Network MII 2.0 transport layer, too, in conjunction with third-party equipment that will support the new standard.

The build also includes a number of fixes and improvements, such as:

• When “Restore previous folder windows at logon” is enabled in File Explorer, Microsoft will also now restore all the extra tabs which you previously had open in each File Explorer window.
• If you were working on a file on OneDrive on your phone, you will see a notification on your PC to pick up where you left off, assuming that it’s been recent enough.
• Microsoft is adding a feature to turn off the “Start backup” nagware for those who aren’t already backing up Documents, Picture, or the Desktop folder.