diff --git a/src/MIDI.h b/src/MIDI.h
index b9183d1..a7af885 100644
--- a/src/MIDI.h
+++ b/src/MIDI.h
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ public:
                                   Channel inChannel);
     inline void endNrpn(Channel inChannel);
 
-    inline void send(MidiMessage);
+    inline void send(const MidiMessage&);
     
 public:
     void send(MidiType inType,
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ public:
     // Input Callbacks
 
 public:
-    inline void setHandleMessage(void (*fptr)(MidiMessage));
+    inline void setHandleMessage(void (*fptr)(const MidiMessage&));
     inline void setHandleNoteOff(void (*fptr)(byte channel, byte note, byte velocity));
     inline void setHandleNoteOn(void (*fptr)(byte channel, byte note, byte velocity));
     inline void setHandleAfterTouchPoly(void (*fptr)(byte channel, byte note, byte pressure));
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ public:
 private:
     void launchCallback();
 
-    void (*mMessageCallback)(MidiMessage message);
+    void (*mMessageCallback)(const MidiMessage& message);
     void (*mNoteOffCallback)(byte channel, byte note, byte velocity);
     void (*mNoteOnCallback)(byte channel, byte note, byte velocity);
     void (*mAfterTouchPolyCallback)(byte channel, byte note, byte velocity);
diff --git a/src/MIDI.hpp b/src/MIDI.hpp
index 1bb37eb..c8b2be0 100644
--- a/src/MIDI.hpp
+++ b/src/MIDI.hpp
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ inline MidiInterface<Transport, Settings, Platform>::~MidiInterface()
 template<class Transport, class Settings, class Platform>
 void MidiInterface<Transport, Settings, Platform>::begin(Channel inChannel)
 {
-    // Initialise the Serial port
+    // Initialise the Transport layer
     mTransport.begin();
 
     mInputChannel = inChannel;
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ void MidiInterface<Transport, Settings, Platform>::begin(Channel inChannel)
     mMessage.length  = 0;
 
     mThruFilterMode = Thru::Full;
-    mThruActivated  = false;
+    mThruActivated  = true;
 }
 
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ void MidiInterface<Transport, Settings, Platform>::begin(Channel inChannel)
  them thru.
  */
 template<class Transport, class Settings, class Platform>
-void MidiInterface<Transport, Settings, Platform>::send(MidiMessage inMessage)
+void MidiInterface<Transport, Settings, Platform>::send(const MidiMessage& inMessage)
 {
     if (!inMessage.valid)
         return;
@@ -1189,7 +1189,7 @@ bool MidiInterface<Transport, Settings, Platform>::isChannelMessage(MidiType inT
  @{
  */
 
-template<class Transport, class Settings, class Platform> void MidiInterface<Transport, Settings, Platform>::setHandleMessage(void (*fptr)(MidiMessage))                                     { mMessageCallback              = fptr; }
+template<class Transport, class Settings, class Platform> void MidiInterface<Transport, Settings, Platform>::setHandleMessage(void (*fptr)(const MidiMessage&))                              { mMessageCallback              = fptr; }
 template<class Transport, class Settings, class Platform> void MidiInterface<Transport, Settings, Platform>::setHandleNoteOff(void (*fptr)(byte channel, byte note, byte velocity))          { mNoteOffCallback              = fptr; }
 template<class Transport, class Settings, class Platform> void MidiInterface<Transport, Settings, Platform>::setHandleNoteOn(void (*fptr)(byte channel, byte note, byte velocity))           { mNoteOnCallback               = fptr; }
 template<class Transport, class Settings, class Platform> void MidiInterface<Transport, Settings, Platform>::setHandleAfterTouchPoly(void (*fptr)(byte channel, byte note, byte pressure))   { mAfterTouchPolyCallback       = fptr; }
diff --git a/src/serialMIDI.h b/src/serialMIDI.h
index 1aa2ac3..b0a0fdf 100644
--- a/src/serialMIDI.h
+++ b/src/serialMIDI.h
@@ -4,11 +4,22 @@
 
 BEGIN_MIDI_NAMESPACE
 
-template <class SerialPort>
-class serialMIDI
+struct DefaultSerialSettings
 {
+    /*! Override the default MIDI baudrate to transmit over USB serial, to
+    a decoding program such as Hairless MIDI (set baudrate to 115200)\n
+    http://projectgus.github.io/hairless-midiserial/
+    */
+    static const long BaudRate = 31250;
+};
+
+template <class SerialPort, class _Settings = DefaultSerialSettings>
+class SerialMIDI
+{
+    typedef _Settings Settings;
+
 public:
-	serialMIDI(SerialPort& inSerial)
+	SerialMIDI(SerialPort& inSerial)
         : mSerial(inSerial)
 	{
 	};
@@ -16,6 +27,12 @@ public:
 public:
 	void begin(MIDI_NAMESPACE::Channel inChannel = 1)
 	{
+        // Initialise the Serial port
+        #if defined(AVR_CAKE)
+            mSerial. template open<Settings::BaudRate>();
+        #else
+            mSerial.begin(Settings::BaudRate);
+        #endif
 	}
 
 	bool beginTransmission(MidiType)
@@ -52,7 +69,7 @@ private:
  Then call midi2.begin(), midi2.read() etc..
  */
 #define MIDI_CREATE_INSTANCE(Type, SerialPort, Name)  \
-    typedef MIDI_NAMESPACE::serialMIDI<Type> __smt;\
+    typedef MIDI_NAMESPACE::SerialMIDI<Type> __smt;\
     typedef MIDI_NAMESPACE::MidiInterface<__smt> TypedMidiInterface;\
     __smt serialMidi(SerialPort);\
     TypedMidiInterface Name((__smt&)serialMidi);