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Demystifying MIDI filtering in iConfig

"Be the Ball"

A common phrase heard in coaching movies and now a way to look at filtering in iConfig: Be the interface.

Taking the view of the interface when looking at the left column in the MIDI Routing, MIDI Filtering, MIDI Remapping in iConfig is the best way to understand what data you are controlling.

Input vs. Output

On the MIDI filtering tab in iConfig you will notice a dropdown menu in the top left of the page where it says Input and the dropdown can be used to switch to Output.

For illustration:

  • We have a MIDI foot controller connected to the USB-MIDI Host port on a mio4. This controller is reserved into HST1 port.
  • We also have Computer A on USB Device Jack 1 and Computer B on USB Device Jack 2.
  • The MIDI controller sends both a Program Change and Note on/off Data at the same time.


Using a MIDI monitor on Computer A we see this:



Example 1:  We want to filter all note data coming from the foot controller into the mio4 so the note information does not go to anything (Comp A and Comp B specifically)

In this example we will block Note On/Off Events only.

If we remember our new motto , be the interface, we will want to filter the MIDI data from the controller to the interface Input. 

In the left column we will now select HST1 under USB Host Jack. See image below:



Now when we run the MIDI monitor on Comp A we see only the Program change, as we have successfully filtered the note data.




Example 2: We want to filter all note data going from the foot controller to Computer B only. We want Program Change to go to both Comp A and Comp B but only Note data going to Comp A.

In this example we will block Note On/Off Events only.

This time we will select Output in the dropdown because we cannot block the notes from getting to the interface or it will block both anything from getting that data. We will need to specifically block the Note data from going Out to the computer port.

In the left column select HST1 under USB Device Jack 2:



We keep Computer A/USB 1 with the default: No filtering.

Now when we run the MIDI monitor on Computer A we see the same thing:



On Computer B we will see the change:




Hopefully these examples will help you understand MIDI Filtering in iConfig a little better.