Has this fix in beta 43 knocked out the usage of Microsoft Midi Mapper ?
This has disappeared from Tools/Options/Midi in Beta 43 however, it is still available in 2.51a
Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth is available in both versions.
As of NWC 2.75, the MIDI Mapper reference is no longer included as an available device. NWC 2.75 now defaults to the GS Wavetable synth when no other device has been selected. If you previously had the MIDI Mapper selected, it will fail to open in NWC 2.75. You will be alerted to this via a notification.
Background:
The MIDI Mapper was crippled in Windows XP, and removed in Windows Vista. When used in older versions of NWC, Windows would just remap the MIDI Mapper to the GS Wavetable synth.
A little more explanation...
The mess that is MIDI on Windows 10 basically forced a rewrite of how NWC deals with the MIDI ports. Since the MIDI Mapper has been removed from all officially supported versions of Windows, it made sense to remove it from NWC at this point. Since version 2.75 requires Windows XP, there is really nothing lost in the removal of the MIDI Mapper, as you can still select the real devices as needed.
If you upgrade to Windows 10, you will have a vary hard time using older versions of NWC with the MIDI Mapper/GS Wavetable device. It has been pretty badly broken in this newest release.
Thanks for the explanation.
For my part, I have downloaded Windows 10 but I have no intention in activating the install until at least I hear how it has gone for others. I certainly do not wish to be a trail blazer or to sit on the bleeding edge.
Maybe I'll wait for Windows 10 SP1. I made the mistake of installing Windows ME as soon as it was available. I had it for all of 2 days before I got rid of it. I'm not going to make the same mistake again, it might be more difficult to revert this time.
Perhaps I am a bleeding edge kind of guy, but I went ahead with the upgrade (from Windows 8.1) on one of my home systems. It is working fine for me so far in all of the applications I use (knock on wood :) ). I did experience the behavior in 2.51a that Eric described in the blog post, and his workaround addresses the issue. NWC 2.75 beta 43 works fine; it complained initially when MIDI Mapper was the available device, but once I removed it and added GS Wavetable in its stead, the problem went away - and MIDI Mapper with it.
Mike
Much more so than me it appears - I haven't got round to Windows 8 yet, preferring to stay with windows 7. I didn't like anything that Windows 8 offered. Perhaps I should find the missing link ? (Windows 9).
I read somewhere that 7 ate 9
:))
I've been a little afraid to download beta 43 in case it won't work with my sound setup, which does NOT use the MS GS Wavetable Synth. I use LoopBe1 as a pipe to SyFonOne, which can play my soundfonts. If that doesn't work, I'll be stuck with the crappy MS sound, and I really, really don't want to do that. We're close enough to release that I've switched my creative work to 2.75, so there's no going back to 2.51, either. Now what?<scratches head> I guess if it doesn't work, I can uninstall the test version, and then reinstall using the beta 42 installer....hmmmm....
....well, that's interesting. The LoopBe/SyFonOne combination works with beta 43, but only on the left channel. I don't get sound on the right channel at all. Using headphones, so the effect is kinda strange. Checked the settings in NWC (stereo pan set to 64 in all channels) and SyFonOne (both channels theoretically operating at the same volume). Now what? For the time being, I'll leave 43 installed, but I may have to switch back.
You won't have any problem with that setup.
Oh, I replied at same time as you...I don't think the changes in pre 43 would cause that issue.
False alarm. My headphone jack had slipped out about a millimeter, and the right channel wasn't connecting. Pushing it back in solved the problem. <blushes>
I'll spare everyone the jokes about "77" and the girl with a mixed up childhood ;D
77 ? Do tell.
BTW, I was looking through the MS Q&A for Windows 10 today, and it says you will be able to revert to your current system anytime within 30 days of installing Win 10.
I'm still using XP! I guess one day I'll be forced to downgrade to whatever version windblows is up to... although I'm more likely to migrate to linux...
Unless I can successfully get an XP VM to use a hosted sound card...