Windows 7 MIDI output device selection

Anonymous

I am an active musician who has recently made the switch from XP to Windows 7, skipping Vista. I connected my Edirol UM-1, and the drivers installed successfully. The interface works fine within my DAW software, but I also like to have WMP use the UM-1 as the default MIDI output device. When I went to the control panel to make that selection, I discovered that the MIDI device section was missing completely.

There are several threads on this topic in the Vista forums, but I haven't found much discussion about this topic in the Windows 7 forum. The fact that this problem remains from Vista to Windows 7 does not give me much hope that a solution will come from Microsoft.

My questions: Is there a solution to this problem that doesn't involve registry hacks or questionable downloads? And/or has anyone had any success in Windows 7 using registry hacks or software patches.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous

Hi again Don well I've found where you are making your mistake! You are not editing the registry in the right place. You must go to the DEFAULT MIDI DEVICE folder or directory. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ActiveMovie\devenum{4EFE2452-168A-11D1-BC76-00C04FB9453B}\Default MidiOut Device

You are going to the directory in the same 4EFE2452-168A-11D1-BC76-00C04FB9453B but you are editing Tascam US122mk2 and the Microsoft Wavetable synth directories DO NOT EDIT THESE FOLDERS. You MUST GO TO THE DEFAULT MIDI DEVICE DIRECTORY! You must also re edit the two device Tascam and MS WAvetable directories back to the original zero for Wavetable and 1 for tascam. Then edit the DEFAULT MIDI DEVICE directory to either zero for onboard or 1 for USB. A simple mistake that's cost you a few folicles ;-) Terry

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Anonymous

Mike,

Its actually all to do with the drivers, not the OS.

I have an Edirol PCM30 keyboard and a Edirol SD20, bioth of which work perfectly under W7 Pro as Edirol has written W7 specific drivers for these products. I can also use the keyboard through a Presonus FS26x26 as it also has W7 specific drivers.

If your midi devicde manufacturer has not written W7 specific drivers then you'll have to try using Vista drivers (install in compatibility mode), but there are no guarantee they work.

UM1 drivers are here :

http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=498#

Emu beta drivers are available here (scroll down) :

http://connect.creativelabs.com/emu/default.aspx

Cheers,

jerry

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43 additional answers

Anonymous

2011-10-21T22:26:17+00:00

Yep - you are right.

Microsoft make it easy to use by taking out features. Then make it even easier by renaming everything and moving it to a new location so the 90% of people in the world who know how to use it have to start learning it all over again. Write components that each have a different interface and don't use standard file dialogs eg. Windows Fax and Scan. Come back Bill we need you to keep the marketing idiots in line... Steve Jobs might have done a lot for Apple but Microsoft are helping even more. - end of rant.

To choose a Midi device in Windows 7 you need third party software to provide the interface now. It is not the fault of the driver except that maybe MS now expect the driver software to come bundled with this feature.

Cheers:-)
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Anonymous

2011-11-04T21:48:08+00:00

Yep - you are right.

Microsoft make it easy to use by taking out features. Then make it even easier by renaming everything and moving it to a new location so the 90% of people in the world who know how to use it have to start learning it all over again. Write components that each have a different interface and don't use standard file dialogs eg. Windows Fax and Scan. Come back Bill we need you to keep the marketing idiots in line... Steve Jobs might have done a lot for Apple but Microsoft are helping even more. - end of rant.

To choose a Midi device in Windows 7 you need third party software to provide the interface now. It is not the fault of the driver except that maybe MS now expect the driver software to come bundled with this feature.

Cheers:-)
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Anonymous

2012-01-23T14:45:02+00:00

I had the same problem, I could not select my EMU 1820 midi port (CS2x connected there).

I created a simple utility to do the job

MidiPortConfig

www.sdim.gr/mpc/

It is tested on Windows 7 x64 ultimate.

Don't look my home page, it's still under construction ;-)

Yes but this does not work at all on two of my machines! I've picked up virus' from some of these so called midi port programs and now I'm very dupious about trying anything. Why Windows hasn't made a simple utility to adress this problem I don't know. They are happy to take millions in revenue but can't address a simple problem like this. I have tried everything and there does not appear to be a get round. I have been a Midi musician and music programmer since the original windows program and up to Vista and 7 there has never been a problem. You go into control panel. Select hardware and sound and tell windows which midi card you want to address as default. What can be so hard to keep this option in? I'm stuck now I either go back to XP which apparantly microsoft are soon dropping support for or hang up my boots. Any one has genuine get round for this problem I would be sincerely grateful for.
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