Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

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For most Kawai digital and hybrid piano owners, it is not necessary to manually install additional drivers in order to use the instrument's USB-MIDI device under Windows. However, VPC1 owners may wish to install the Kawai USB-MIDI driver under certain circumstances. This FAQ article explains when to use the Kawai driver, and when it may be preferable to use the standard (built-in) Windows driver.

What is the Kawai USB-MIDI driver?
The Kawai USB-MIDI driver is a special driver that allows multiple applications to communicate with a digital piano's USB-MIDI device simultaneously. This functionality is useful for VPC1 owners when using the VPC Editor tool and a DAW application or software instrument at the same time. The Kawai USB-MIDI driver overcomes a limitation of the standard (built-in) Windows USB-MIDI driver, which allows only one application to use the USB-MIDI device at a time – e.g. the VPC Editor or a DAW application, not both simultaneously.

When should the Kawai USB-MIDI driver be used?
The Kawai USB-MIDI driver is intended for VPC1 owners using a computer running Windows 11 23H2 or earlier (e.g. Windows 10) who wish to use the VPC Editor and another MIDI application simultaneously.

If using the VPC1 with a computer running Windows 11 24H2 or later, or if simultaneous use of the VPC Editor and another MIDI application is not required, it is not necessary to install the Kawai USB-MIDI driver – the standard (built-in) Windows USB-MIDI driver should be used. Moreover, Windows 11 24H2 introduces new MIDI services that allow the standard (built-in) Windows USB-MIDI driver to be used by multiple applications simultaneously, providing the same functionality as the Kawai USB-MIDI driver.

For owners of other Kawai digital and hybrid piano instruments, it is also not necessary to install the Kawai USB-MIDI driver – the standard (built-in) Windows USB-MIDI driver should be used.

My VPC1 stopped working after a Windows 11 update, what should I do?
VPC1 owners using the Kawai USB-MIDI driver may experience compatibility issues after installing the April 2026 Windows 11 Security Update. In this case, it is recommended to fully uninstall the Kawai USB-MIDI driver and allow the standard (built-in) Windows USB-MIDI driver to be used.

To uninstall the Kawai USB-MIDI driver, please follow the steps below:
1. Right-click [Start].
2. Click [Installed apps].
3. Type "kawai" in [Search apps].
4. Click the [...] to the right of [Windows Driver Package - KAWAI USB MIDI].
5. Click [Uninstall].
A message will appear stating, "This app and its related info will be uninstalled."
6. Click [Uninstall].
User Account Control will appear.
7. Click [Yes].
The Uninstall Driver Package screen will appear.
8. Click [Yes].
After a few moments, the [Windows Driver Package - KAWAI USB MIDI] entry will disappear.

The next time the VPC1 is connected to the computer, the standard (built-in) Windows USB-MIDI driver will be installed automatically.