MIDI.org Forum - Recent Topics

How to use MIDI files in Office 365

Siddharth Sharma — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:28:05 +0000

I recently purchased Office 365 and migrated my data to the O365 cloud. I want to use MIDI audio in my PowerPoint presentations. Is there a way to do it?

Browser-based audio-to-MIDI conversion workflow for producers

x lw — Sun, 31 May 2026 14:30:30 +0000

I have been working on a browser-based workflow for converting audio into editable MIDI, and I would be interested in feedback from MIDI users.

The common use cases are:
- extracting a melody from a vocal or instrument recording
- turning guitar or piano audio into MIDI for editing in a DAW
- converting MP3/WAV ideas into MIDI sketches without installing a plugin

The tool is PureMIDI:
removed link

It runs in the browser and is meant for quick transcription and MIDI extraction workflows. I am especially interested in feedback on accuracy expectations, DAW handoff, and which audio-to-MIDI workflows matter most to musicians and producers.

If this is not the right category, please let me know where it should go.

Getting JR Timestamps working on a USB MIDI 2.0 translator device

Johannes — Mon, 25 May 2026 09:14:22 +0000

I've been building a USB MIDI 2.0 8-port DIN interface on an RP2040 and have gotten it enumerating correctly on Linux (kernel 6.17) as a UMP Streaming device (ALSA leaves the JR clock handling to the application). On macOS (Tahoe) isn't CoreMidi supposed to handle the JR timestamps/clocks?

The device: A translator/interface - USB MIDI 2.0 on one side, 8 physical DIN MIDI 1.0 ports on the other. The DIN ports carry MIDI 1.0 content, so the Function Block midiProtocol is correctly set to 0x01.

What works on macOS: After several rounds of descriptor fixes (IAD triplet, CS_INTERFACE GTB type, MS Header in alt-0, UAC 1.0 AC header format), AppleMIDIUSBDriver binds correctly and MIDIServer enumerates the device as a UMP device. MIDIServer logs confirm it reads gtb.midiProtocol=0x2 from the inline GTBs in alt-1. UMP Endpoint Discovery completes successfully.

The problem: macOS only ever negotiates MIDI-1UP - it sends a Stream Config Request with protocol=0x01 and does not accept counter-proposals for protocol=0x02. The device appears in CoreMIDI as a standard MIDI 1.0 device. JR Timestamps/clocks are never send from the host.

What I've tried:

Setting bMIDIProtocol=0x02 in inline GTB descriptors (macOS reads it correctly but still negotiates 0x01)
Announcing midi1=true, midi2=true in Endpoint Info (no change)
Announcing midi1=false, midi2=true (device disappears from CoreMIDI - macOS apparently requires midi1 support)
Counter-proposing protocol=0x02 in Stream Config Notification (macOS ignores it and resends the 0x01 request)
The conclusion from MIDIServer logs is that configureDeviceUsingPortMap makes a hardcoded decision - seemingly based on the Function Block midiProtocol field - regardless of what the Endpoint Info capability flags say.

The question:

Are JR Timestamps ever achievable on macOS for a translator device whose function blocks report midiProtocol=0x01? Or does macOS require midiProtocol=0x02 function blocks to offer MIDI-2UP negotiation?

If a device sets midiProtocol=0x02 on its function blocks (meaning it would present the DIN ports to the host as MIDI 2.0 channels), does macOS then negotiate MIDI-2UP and honour JR Timestamps?

Is there any MIDI-CI or UMP Stream exchange that can prompt macOS to switch to MIDI-2UP after initial enumeration?

And what is up with the phantom Midi 2 device with 0 ins/outs ?

Any insight from people who have shipped MIDI 2.0 devices that work under CoreMIDI would be very welcome.

Any way to smooth note transitions (expression)?

Jason — Sun, 24 May 2026 18:10:20 +0000

The current soundtrack I am working on for the SNES MIDI Remaster Project has issues with lots of the strings.

A sustained note slowly fades out using expression, and then the next note instantly jumps to expression 127 on the same tick that the previous note has been turned off. This causes transients from the previous note to briefly sound at full volume. In one previous soundtrack I ended up duplicating the tracks and then alternating each original track's notes between the two new tracks.

I've tried to work around it this time by gapping the string notes, which only helps somewhat. So I want to see if there is some sort of "smoothing" I can do in any of the commonly available Windows MIDI editors to make the expression of the new note blend with the one of the old so the transition isn't so jarring. I have Anvil Studio, Sekaiju, and Sonar as the main ones I use, plus assorted others for converting to/from text etc. I would only need it to apply to the strings, which sometimes share a track/channel with one or more other instrument(s).

If worse comes to worse, I can always do the duplicate/alternate hack again, but it's time consuming (and I haven't added that in to my editor yet 😆 ) but I'd rather just be able to have it sound good without all the extra modification.

Port 255 (Midi 1.0)

Lido — Wed, 20 May 2026 12:06:48 +0000

If I in a midi file see a port value of 11111111, how should i interpret it?
What is most likely the midi authors intention with that number?
Right now I am simply allocating it to port 255 in my app, since then it at least does not interfere with any of the 'normal' ports.
AI suggests it could mean its connected to all ports at same time, omni. Or that it means unassigned, which I guess is port 0, but what if there is tracks with port
0.
PS. I know ports is not part of standard midi 1.0 spec, but I hope one of you still knows the answer.

Thanks for any answers.

MPE forum GENERAL

Tony — Sun, 03 May 2026 11:58:29 +0000

From my own collection tests, here's what I'm considering. Do others agree or have better suggestions for these groups?

I have a collection of MPE devices and am currently mapping out recommendations for different user scenarios.

I’d appreciate forum input on which MPE controllers (hardware or touch‑based) you’d suggest for:

· Users with physical disabilities (e.g., limited hand mobility, low force, single‑finger use)

· Previously trained musicians (may need familiar feel or minimal relearning)

· People with trauma histories, including CSA (needs around agency, sensory safety, body awareness)

· Other impacts (chronic pain, hospitalisation, distance education, fatigue)

I have my own shortlist but want to hear real‑world experiences and preferences from this community.

Thanks for any feedback.

P.S. – If you’ve tried more than one device for any of the above, please share what worked best and why.

(I’ll be posting brand‑specific queries separately.)

Yamaha MU128 sysex receive channel

Robert MORELLI — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 20:24:17 +0000

Hello,

I am not a newbie about MIDI, I started long time ago with ATARI ST then Mega ST then Falcon, with Cubase, Cubase audio.

Today my home studio uses a PC with a french music distribution Linux, Librazik, In my setup, I have:

- Edirol UA-25 connected to the PC and the sequencer Muse (a Cubase like).

- Roland Canvas SC-55

- Yamaha MU128

- Box MIDI THRU with 6 out.

- keybord M-Audio Keystation 61es

- drum Band Hero !

I would want to configure with sysex the MU128, in order to receive from a keyboard on channel 3 for part 1-3. I don't success to find out the right sysex. The MIDI documentation is very usefulness for me. On the Web no information about this. Could you help me please ?

My journey with USB MIDI 2.0 in TinyUSB

Saulo Verissimo — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 01:59:06 +0000

Hello, my friends. I'm Saulo, writing from Brazil, (Brasília, Capital).

It's been a few months since I started working hard on implementing USB MIDI 2.0 on embedded systems. My starting points were Andrew Mee's AM_MIDI2.0Lib (MIDI 2.0 protocol), AmeNote's tusb_ump, and Mike Kent's ProtoZOA (embedded and USB), along with the official specs. My interest in this topic came from work I've been doing for a few years on MIDI transports for ESP32 (removed link " target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ESP32_Host_MIDI). Along that path, I've been learning a bit about embedded architecture and the transport layer, especially USB.

It took many weeks of testing against Linux and Windows hosts, reading through M2-104-UM and the USB MIDI 2.0 Class Definition paragraph by paragraph. Last month I reached a stable version using TinyUSB, both Device and Host modes, validated first on RP2040 and then on Adafruit Feather RP2040 Host (Pico SDK, CMake). After testing across several devices, I opened the upstream PR: removed link " target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> removed link .

Since then, I've been running a local branch based on the PR to keep the work moving. And that's the reason for this post: to see if others are on the same path and find allies here in the forum to push embedded MIDI 2.0 forward. So far, on my bench, I've enumerated on RP2040, RP2350, ESP32, Nordic nRF52840, and SAMD21. All of them enumerated cleanly on both Windows MIDI Services and Linux.

One angle in particular has been getting special attention: Teensy, Daisy Seed, and ESP32-P4. These are hacker-friendly boards with real audio processing capability. The experiments on these three are well under way, and this axis, where MIDI 2.0 meets real embedded audio, is where I'm going deeper.

It's been a really good experience. I'm excited about where this is going, and it would be great to find others walking a similar path.

What kind of security features should I expect in a studio space for rent?

Misbah Misbah — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 06:07:06 +0000

Security is a top priority when you are a solo practitioner. Most reputable salon suites for rent offer advanced security features that you might not get in a standard storefront. This typically includes 24/7 keycard access, which ensures that only tenants and their guests can enter the building after hours. Inside your specific studio space for rent, you usually have your own heavy-duty lock, allowing you to leave your expensive tools and products behind without worry. Many facilities also have 24-hour video surveillance in the hallways and common areas. Knowing that your salon suites for rent are in a secure, well-monitored building gives you and your clients peace of mind, especially during late-evening appointments. This safety factor is a major reason why many professionals prefer a managed studio space for rent over a stand-alone shop, as the collective security of the building protects everyone’s livelihood.

Claude plays MIDI

Sema — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:27:04 +0000

I have recently discovered a very cool project (not mine). Please check it out!
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sbbf874YWQ
GitHub: https://github.com/mikeborozdin/vibe-composer-midi-mcp