Why Does Cakewalk Call Middle C C5?

[mdiemer]

Since I have used it, Cakewalk has incorrectly labelled Middle C, which is universally known as  C4, as C5. This causes problems with keyswitching in instrument libraries. You have to make the keyswitch an octave higher than it should be for it to work, which sometimes causes it to run into the playable range of the instrument, causing unwanted sounds that you have to track down and correct (set velocity and volume so you can't hear them). And more to the point: is there a way to change this?

Maybe this has been addressed already, if so I apologize. I can't find any way in settings to change it.

 

[scook]

From http://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=Cakewalk&language=3&help=0x22B06

Quote

Base Octave for Pitches. There is no industry standard for numbering octaves. By default, Cakewalk calls MIDI note 0 (the lowest possible note) C0. The Yamaha FB-01, for example, shows MIDI note 0 as C-2 (C negative 2). To match Cakewalk to that standard, set Base Octave to –2.

Set the display as you wish.

[mdiemer]

scook, you truly are incredible, not to mention extremely fast. I swear I checked the entire manual but somehow I missed that. guess I didn't expect it to be in that section. This should solve the problem.

[mdiemer]

Yes, this worked. Thanks again scook.

[scook]

You are welcome. This question comes up at least once a year.

[iRelevant]

I might mention that also Fruity Loops uses C5 as middle C, so there is no universal agreement as to what middle C should be.

[Grem]

"The C near the middle of the piano keyboard, written on the first ledger line below the treble staff or the first ledger line above the bass staff."

 

As I see it, when you look at a full size 88 key piano, it's very apparent what middle C is.

 

And no world standard organization has declared any standard. Agreed. But see above and again it becomes apparent what should be called "Middle C "

[mdiemer]

I think what confused me is that I am notation oriented. For me, middle c has always been the c in the middle of the keyboard, as grem says above. But for folks who are more digitally oriented, it's whatever their daw says it is. and yes there is thus no universal agreement, I was wrong about that.