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MIDI/Music Thry Peeps: Why does Live think Middle C is a C3

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 12:36 am
by ShrimpUSA
Not too much else to say. In music, middle C (like on a piano) is considered C4. Does MIDI consider middle C to be C3?

I am preparing an intro to music theory lesson for Live users and I assumed middle C would be C4 on the piano scroll in Live, but its C3. I feel like I'm on crazy pills.

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 8:15 am
by Creator
its because bass is cooler than treble. <br> :)

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 1:34 pm
by arachnaut
Unfortunately, there is no standard naming convention
for octave numbers.

Concert A4 = 440Hz would imply middle C is C4.

CoolEdit calls this C4, MidiOx allows you to call it anything
in a preference file. Sonar calls it C5. Sound Forge calls it
C5.

The only standard is that 'middle' C is MIDI note 60.

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:04 am
by justin
think its something to do with the various attempts at standardizing MIDI synths during the 80's. may also have originated in the days of analog synths when different manufacturers used different voltage standards for keyboards...