diff --git a/build/macosx/platform_specific_code/juce_mac_CoreMidi.cpp b/build/macosx/platform_specific_code/juce_mac_CoreMidi.cpp
index fb557897af..e151bd025b 100644
--- a/build/macosx/platform_specific_code/juce_mac_CoreMidi.cpp
+++ b/build/macosx/platform_specific_code/juce_mac_CoreMidi.cpp
@@ -573,8 +573,6 @@ MidiInput::~MidiInput()
     OK (MIDIPortDisconnectSource (mpe->port, mpe->endPoint));
     OK (MIDIPortDispose (mpe->port));
     delete mpe;
-
-    activeCallbacks.minimiseStorageOverheads();
 }
 
 void MidiInput::start()
diff --git a/build/win32/platform_specific_code/juce_win32_Midi.cpp b/build/win32/platform_specific_code/juce_win32_Midi.cpp
index 3b0c2ed90e..9f004d1b61 100644
--- a/build/win32/platform_specific_code/juce_win32_Midi.cpp
+++ b/build/win32/platform_specific_code/juce_win32_Midi.cpp
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ BEGIN_JUCE_NAMESPACE
 //==============================================================================
 static const int midiBufferSize = 1024 * 10;
 static const int numInHeaders = 32;
-static const int inBufferSize = 128;
+static const int inBufferSize = 256;
 
 class MidiInThread  : public Thread
 {
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ public:
     }
 
     //==============================================================================
-    void handle (const uint32 message, const uint32 timeStamp)
+    void handle (const uint32 message, const uint32 timeStamp) throw()
     {
         jassert (validityInt == 0x12345678);
         if (validityInt != 0x12345678)
@@ -99,17 +99,7 @@ public:
         if (byte < 0x80)
             return;
 
-        static const char extraDataLengths[] = {
-            2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2,
-            2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2,
-            2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2,
-            2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2,
-            1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,
-            1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,
-            2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2,
-            0, 1, 2, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };
-
-        const int numBytes = extraDataLengths [byte - 0x80] + 1;
+        const int numBytes = MidiMessage::getMessageLengthFromFirstByte ((uint8) byte);
 
         const double time = timeStampToTime (timeStamp);
 
@@ -131,7 +121,7 @@ public:
         notify();
     }
 
-    void handleSysEx (MIDIHDR* hdr, const uint32 timeStamp)
+    void handleSysEx (MIDIHDR* const hdr, const uint32 timeStamp) throw()
     {
         jassert (validityInt == 0x12345678);
         if (validityInt != 0x12345678)
@@ -163,7 +153,7 @@ public:
         }
     }
 
-    void writeBlock (int i)
+    void writeBlock (const int i) throw()
     {
         hdr[i].dwBytesRecorded = 0;
         MMRESULT res = midiInPrepareHeader (hIn, &hdr[i], sizeof (MIDIHDR));
@@ -226,7 +216,7 @@ public:
         }
     }
 
-    void start()
+    void start() throw()
     {
         jassert (hIn != 0);
         if (hIn != 0 && ! isStarted)
@@ -253,7 +243,7 @@ public:
         }
     }
 
-    void stop()
+    void stop() throw()
     {
         if (isStarted)
         {
@@ -297,7 +287,7 @@ private:
     int pendingLength;
     char pending [midiBufferSize];
 
-    double timeStampToTime (uint32 timeStamp)
+    double timeStampToTime (uint32 timeStamp) throw()
     {
         timeStamp += startTime;
 
@@ -357,13 +347,14 @@ int MidiInput::getDefaultDeviceIndex()
     return 0;
 }
 
-MidiInput* MidiInput::openDevice (int index, MidiInputCallback* callback)
+MidiInput* MidiInput::openDevice (const int index, MidiInputCallback* const callback)
 {
     if (callback == 0)
         return 0;
 
     UINT deviceId = MIDI_MAPPER;
     int n = 0;
+    String name;
 
     const int num = midiInGetNumDevs();
 
@@ -377,6 +368,7 @@ MidiInput* MidiInput::openDevice (int index, MidiInputCallback* callback)
             if (index == n)
             {
                 deviceId = i;
+                name = String (mc.szPname, sizeof (mc.szPname));
                 break;
             }
 
@@ -384,7 +376,7 @@ MidiInput* MidiInput::openDevice (int index, MidiInputCallback* callback)
         }
     }
 
-    MidiInput* const in = new MidiInput (getDevices() [index]);
+    MidiInput* const in = new MidiInput (name);
     MidiInThread* const thread = new MidiInThread (in, callback);
 
     HMIDIIN h;
@@ -424,12 +416,12 @@ MidiInput::~MidiInput()
 
 void MidiInput::start()
 {
-    ((MidiInThread*)internal)->start();
+    ((MidiInThread*) internal)->start();
 }
 
 void MidiInput::stop()
 {
-    ((MidiInThread*)internal)->stop();
+    ((MidiInThread*) internal)->stop();
 }
 
 
@@ -515,41 +507,43 @@ MidiOutput* MidiOutput::openDevice (int index)
 
     for (i = handles.size(); --i >= 0;)
     {
-        MidiOutHandle* const han = (MidiOutHandle*) handles[i];
+        MidiOutHandle* const han = (MidiOutHandle*) handles.getUnchecked(i);
 
         if (han != 0 && han->deviceId == deviceId)
         {
             han->refCount++;
-            MidiOutput* out = new MidiOutput();
-            out->internal = (void*)han;
+
+            MidiOutput* const out = new MidiOutput();
+            out->internal = (void*) han;
             return out;
         }
     }
 
-    HMIDIOUT h = 0;
-    MMRESULT res = MMSYSERR_NOERROR + 1;
-
     for (i = 4; --i >= 0;)
     {
-        UINT devId = deviceId; // copy because this call changes the value
-        res = midiOutOpen (&h, devId, 0, 0, CALLBACK_NULL);
-        if (res != MMSYSERR_ALLOCATED)
-            break;
+        HMIDIOUT h = 0;
+        MMRESULT res = midiOutOpen (&h, deviceId, 0, 0, CALLBACK_NULL);
 
-        Sleep (100);
-    }
-
-    if (res == MMSYSERR_NOERROR)
-    {
-        MidiOutHandle* const han = new MidiOutHandle();
-        han->deviceId = deviceId;
-        han->refCount = 1;
-        han->handle = h;
-        handles.add (han);
-
-        MidiOutput* const out = new MidiOutput();
-        out->internal = (void*)han;
-        return out;
+        if (res == MMSYSERR_NOERROR)
+        {
+            MidiOutHandle* const han = new MidiOutHandle();
+            han->deviceId = deviceId;
+            han->refCount = 1;
+            han->handle = h;
+            handles.add (han);
+
+            MidiOutput* const out = new MidiOutput();
+            out->internal = (void*) han;
+            return out;
+        }
+        else if (res == MMSYSERR_ALLOCATED)
+        {
+            Sleep (100);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            break;
+        }
     }
 
     return 0;
@@ -566,8 +560,7 @@ MidiOutput::~MidiOutput()
     if (handles.contains ((void*) h) && --(h->refCount) == 0)
     {
         midiOutClose (h->handle);
-        handles.removeValue ((void*)h);
-        handles.minimiseStorageOverheads();
+        handles.removeValue ((void*) h);
         delete h;
     }
 }
@@ -601,10 +594,10 @@ bool MidiOutput::getVolume (float& leftVol,
 void MidiOutput::setVolume (float leftVol,
                             float rightVol)
 {
-    const MidiOutHandle* const handle = (MidiOutHandle*)internal;
+    const MidiOutHandle* const handle = (MidiOutHandle*) internal;
 
     DWORD n;
-    unsigned short* nn = (unsigned short*) &n;
+    unsigned short* const nn = (unsigned short*) &n;
     nn[0] = (unsigned short) jlimit (0, 0xffff, (int)(rightVol * 0xffff));
     nn[1] = (unsigned short) jlimit (0, 0xffff, (int)(leftVol * 0xffff));
     midiOutSetVolume (handle->handle, n);
diff --git a/src/juce_appframework/audio/midi/juce_MidiBuffer.cpp b/src/juce_appframework/audio/midi/juce_MidiBuffer.cpp
index 44e8c955df..93cb664c8a 100644
--- a/src/juce_appframework/audio/midi/juce_MidiBuffer.cpp
+++ b/src/juce_appframework/audio/midi/juce_MidiBuffer.cpp
@@ -117,17 +117,7 @@ static int findActualEventLength (const uint8* const data,
     }
     else if (byte >= 0x80)
     {
-        static const char messageLengths[] = {
-            3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3,
-            3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3,
-            3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3,
-            3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3,
-            2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2,
-            2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2,
-            3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3,
-            1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 };
-
-        size = jmin (maxBytes, messageLengths [byte - 0x80]);
+        size = jmin (maxBytes, MidiMessage::getMessageLengthFromFirstByte ((uint8) byte));
     }
 
     return size;
diff --git a/src/juce_appframework/audio/midi/juce_MidiMessage.cpp b/src/juce_appframework/audio/midi/juce_MidiMessage.cpp
index 5919e115a3..a6c1d32a7b 100644
--- a/src/juce_appframework/audio/midi/juce_MidiMessage.cpp
+++ b/src/juce_appframework/audio/midi/juce_MidiMessage.cpp
@@ -59,6 +59,29 @@ int MidiMessage::readVariableLengthVal (const uint8* data,
     return v;
 }
 
+int MidiMessage::getMessageLengthFromFirstByte (const uint8 firstByte) throw()
+{
+    // this method only works for valid starting bytes of a short midi message
+    jassert (firstByte >= 0x80 
+              && firstByte != 0xff 
+              && firstByte != 0xf0
+              && firstByte != 0xf7);
+
+    static const char messageLengths[] = 
+    {
+        3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3,
+        3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3,
+        3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3,
+        3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3,
+        2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2,
+        2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2,
+        3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3,
+        1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 
+    };
+
+    return messageLengths [firstByte & 0x7f];
+}
+
 //==============================================================================
 MidiMessage::MidiMessage (const uint8* const d,
                           const int dataSize,
@@ -67,12 +90,17 @@ MidiMessage::MidiMessage (const uint8* const d,
      message (0),
      size (dataSize)
 {
+    jassert (dataSize > 0);
+
     if (dataSize <= 4)
         data = (uint8*) &message;
     else
         data = (uint8*) juce_malloc (dataSize);
 
     memcpy (data, d, dataSize);
+
+    // check that the length matches the data..
+    jassert (size > 3 || getMessageLengthFromFirstByte (*d) == size);
 }
 
 MidiMessage::MidiMessage (const int byte1,
@@ -82,6 +110,9 @@ MidiMessage::MidiMessage (const int byte1,
      size (1)
 {
     data[0] = (uint8) byte1;
+
+    // check that the length matches the data..
+    jassert (getMessageLengthFromFirstByte ((uint8) byte1) == 1);
 }
 
 MidiMessage::MidiMessage (const int byte1,
@@ -93,6 +124,9 @@ MidiMessage::MidiMessage (const int byte1,
 {
     data[0] = (uint8) byte1;
     data[1] = (uint8) byte2;
+
+    // check that the length matches the data..
+    jassert (getMessageLengthFromFirstByte ((uint8) byte1) == 2);
 }
 
 MidiMessage::MidiMessage (const int byte1,
@@ -106,6 +140,9 @@ MidiMessage::MidiMessage (const int byte1,
     data[0] = (uint8) byte1;
     data[1] = (uint8) byte2;
     data[2] = (uint8) byte3;
+
+    // check that the length matches the data..
+    jassert (getMessageLengthFromFirstByte ((uint8) byte1) == 3);
 }
 
 MidiMessage::MidiMessage (const MidiMessage& other) throw()
@@ -201,17 +238,7 @@ MidiMessage::MidiMessage (const uint8* src,
         }
         else
         {
-            static const char messageLengths[] = {
-                3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3,
-                3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3,
-                3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3,
-                3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3,
-                2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2,
-                2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2,
-                3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3,
-                1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 };
-
-            size = messageLengths [byte - 0x80];
+            size = getMessageLengthFromFirstByte ((uint8) byte);
             *data = (uint8) byte;
 
             if (size > 1)
diff --git a/src/juce_appframework/audio/midi/juce_MidiMessage.h b/src/juce_appframework/audio/midi/juce_MidiMessage.h
index 5388058963..3893541c90 100644
--- a/src/juce_appframework/audio/midi/juce_MidiMessage.h
+++ b/src/juce_appframework/audio/midi/juce_MidiMessage.h
@@ -844,6 +844,13 @@ public:
     static int readVariableLengthVal (const uint8* data,
                                       int& numBytesUsed) throw();
 
+    /** Based on the first byte of a short midi message, this uses a lookup table
+        to return the message length (either 1, 2, or 3 bytes).
+
+        The value passed in must be 0x80 or higher.
+    */
+    static int getMessageLengthFromFirstByte (const uint8 firstByte) throw();
+
     //==============================================================================
     /** Returns the name of a midi note number.