Show HN: Perfect Bluetooth MIDI for Windows

83 points | by mayerwin 7 hours ago

12 comments

  • brudgers 5 hours ago
    For what it is worth, Microsoft is in the process of rolling out Windows Midi Services for Windows 11.

    https://microsoft.github.io/MIDI/

    • spacechild1 7 minutes ago
      Multi-client support? I must be dreaming!
    • embedding-shape 3 hours ago
      Why on earth is the "Windows MIDI Services is Here" thing a slider/carousel with one element in it? Why are the buttons completely misplaced with no margin between them? Has a human seen and tried this before they just deployed everything and went live?
      • brudgers 1 hour ago
        Most choices are not between bread and cake.

        Most choices are between bread and nothing.

        Good engineering is the art of good enough.

        Outrage is hardly warranted.

        • embedding-shape 16 minutes ago
          > Good engineering is the art of good enough.

          Sure, agree. When will this website reach the state of "good enough"?

          > Outrage is hardly warranted.

          Agreed, but I also don't see any outrage in any of the comments for this submission, what outrage are you talking about?

      • eps 2 hours ago
        Valid questions even if all of them are rhetorical.
      • keepupnow 2 hours ago
        Because slopsoft.
    • moomin 4 hours ago
      A few more years and we might be able to approach Atari ST levels of MIDI performance…
      • bitwize 2 hours ago
        Never gonna happen. The architecture of modern hardware and operating systems won't allow for that kind of low latency and jitter.
        • piltdownman 2 hours ago
          Specifically for Windows, the Intel 2001 Guidelines and Microsoft WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs) which prohibit the use of MPU401-style interfaces, as well as direct driver access to either the serial or parallel ports.

          Doing Direct-To-Bus MIDI handling can't be replicated in modern architecture like the ST was configured.

          That said, given the popularity in analog semi-modulars to be used as DAW outboard with MIDI over USB implementations that add latency and jitter, is it even a consideration for most users?

          Ableton and other performance oriented DAWs automatically compensate for MIDI and audio latency caused by plugins and devices; in Ableton's case it will delay the audio by the overall system latency, and/or bypasses plugin delay compensation only for armed/monitored tracks, making them more responsive.

          The real answer to the question is, as always, to use hardware sequencers and control voltage triggered off your master clock or DAW. SQ-64 is as rock solid as an Atari ST for CV work, although the 64ppqn limit doesn't match the Atari ST' 384pqqn capabilities. That said, standard MIDI Beat Clock is much lower at 24 PPQN. If you want to go all Autechre/Aphex Twin there's plenty of ways to skin that cat.

          • brudgers 1 hour ago
            If you care about timing over Midi, use MTC not Midi Clock. Because receivers have to derive clock frequency by counting pulses, Midi clock is inherently unstable.

            Midi Time Code is SMPTE.

  • cladopa 3 hours ago
    Wow. That looks really painful. I have multiple pianos, always used cable because I wanted it to work without problems in Linux and Mac. Also I can't stand delays.

    I have created 20 utils or so with the help of Claude, in order to practice multiple things like reading sheet music, or rhythms, or different scales. I never expected it to be that useful as my new Yamaha was bought before Claude existed, and having a cable that just works is so great.

    I have spent way less effort doing all my utils than this man into just connecting its machine.

    Before using it with Claude I used them a lot with Synthesia and GarageBand, but with Claude is like having a personal trainer.

  • BonerWiener 5 hours ago
    Wow very cool project! I will test it out later today - i have always been using cabled connection for my midi keyboard
  • IAmGraydon 23 minutes ago
    All of my synths are hooked up via USB or Focusrite interface (wired MIDI) because that makes sense for my setup, but this could be cool for more portable setups. The big question is what does your average latency look like?
  • QuantumNomad_ 6 hours ago
    > Windows only natively exposes BLE-MIDI through the WinRT API, which almost no DAW polls.

    I haven’t used Windows for ages. Does this mean that almost every Windows user with any Bluetooth MIDI keyboard is unable to use it out of the box with their DAW without installing additional third-party software?

    Does it apply even to latest version of the very widely used DAWs like Ableton, Pro Tools, FL Studio, Reason, and Reaper?

    • maksut 5 hours ago
      That wouldn't surprise me.

      Surprisingly Windows audio stack is a mess. I have a mini keyboard with Bluetooth and it was an adventure to get it working in Windows. In Linux it was pretty much plug and play.

      Low latency audio drviers are also messy in Windows when not using an audio interface with well written ASIO drivers. Pipewire in Linux is much easier to configure. Looks like MacOS also does not have this driver problem.

      It is surprising. Because most audio plugins and DAWs support only Windows and MacOS.

    • harrouet 5 hours ago
      If you use a Mac, you'd be amazed at how many things can't be done on Windows without 3rd-party software.

      Do you know how to spot a Windows user ? They print-and-scan to merge their PDFs.

      • SvenL 1 hour ago
        Actually I thought the same for macOS for certain things, like window management was way better on Windows than on macOS (snapping etc.) Luckily after years macOS finally has something decent to organize windows. I know that there were 3rd party apps like rectangles but something simple like organizing windows missing from a desktop OS always felt weird.
      • thrtythreeforty 3 hours ago
        This is a weird comment because I feel the same about getting macOS to a useable place.

        I probably have 5 or 6 things installed on my Mac like Scroll Reverse and Rectangle, just trying to beat the window manager into something that resembles useable.

  • monikalodhi 4 hours ago
    This is really interesting. Windows device handling can be tricky sometimes, especially when things work at one layer but fail silently at another. The channel detection approach is clever.
  • throw_m239339 4 hours ago
    Tried with the Yamaha Seqtrak on Windows 10, didn't work.
  • givinguflac 6 hours ago
    Impressive work! Alas I don’t use windows but if I did I would certainly check this out.
  • vunderba 2 hours ago
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  • farhadx 5 hours ago
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  • mockbolt 6 hours ago
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  • team_zlvox 6 hours ago
    [flagged]