blind leading the blind
Guys - everytime I post some notation or something about notes I add something along the lines of the following words:
Fl does not use the same octave numbering as almost all of
the other major daws.
Middle C = C[sub]3[/sub] or MIDI note Number (NN) 60. Fl instead says that Middle C = C[sub]5[/sub].
So there is nothing wrong with FL other than the fact that they did not adhere to the standard for note naming and octave numbering
The following is taken from a recent PM I sent to sosagotthat, with the FL octave number column added for this discussion
An octave means 8 notes; it is applied to the distance between any two notes of the same note note name, as there are a total of 8 notes to play in the accepted scale forms to get to the next note of the same name: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C is a total of 8 notes.
The numbers next to a note name specify a specific pitch or fundamental frequency for each note.
With the advent of MIDI, octave numbers became more or less standardised to show where Middle C was. In most software daws, middle C is indicated as C[sub]3[/sub] which is MIDI note number 60. The C in the middle of the treble clef is C[sub]4[/sub] and the C above the treble clef is C[sub]5[/sub]. The C in the bass clef is C[sub]2[/sub] and the C below the bass clef is C[sub]1[/sub].
More importantly, the notes in each octave are numbered starting from the C:
Octave Number | Notes | MIDI NN | FL's Octave number |
-2 | C[sub]-2[/sub]-D[sub]-2[/sub]-E[sub]-2[/sub]-F[sub]-2[/sub]-G[sub]-2[/sub]-A[sub]-2[/sub]-B[sub]-2[/sub] | 0-2-4-5-7-9-11 | 0 |
-1 | C[sub]-1[/sub]-D[sub]-1[/sub]-E[sub]-1[/sub]-F-[sub]-1[/sub]-G-[sub]-1[/sub]-A-[sub]-1[/sub]-B[sub]-1[/sub] | 12-14-16-17-19-21-23 | 1 |
0 | C[sub]0[/sub]-D[sub]0[/sub]-E[sub]0[/sub]-F[sub]0[/sub]-G[sub]0[/sub]-A[sub]0[/sub]-B[sub]0[/sub] | 24-26-28-29-31-33-35 | 2 |
1 | C[sub]1[/sub]-D[sub]1[/sub]-E[sub]1[/sub]-F[sub]1[/sub]-G[sub]1[/sub]-A[sub]1[/sub]-B[sub]1[/sub] | 36-38-40-41-43-45-47 | 3 |
2 | C[sub]2[/sub]-D[sub]2[/sub]-E[sub]2[/sub]-F[sub]2[/sub]-G[sub]2[/sub]-A[sub]2[/sub]-B[sub]2[/sub] | 48-50-52-53-55-57-59 | 4 |
3 | C[sub]3[/sub]-D[sub]3[/sub]-E[sub]3[/sub]-F[sub]3[/sub]-G[sub]3[/sub]-A[sub]3[/sub]-B[sub]3[/sub] | 60-62-64-65-67-69-71 | 5 |
4 | C[sub]4[/sub]-D[sub]4[/sub]-E[sub]4[/sub]-F[sub]4[/sub]-G[sub]4[/sub]-A[sub]4[/sub]-B[sub]4[/sub] | 72-74-76-77-79-81-83 | 6 |
5 | C[sub]5[/sub]-D[sub]5[/sub]-E[sub]5[/sub]-F[sub]5[/sub]-G[sub]5[/sub]-A[sub]5[/sub]-B[sub]5[/sub] | 84-86-88-89-91-93-95 | 7 |
6 | C[sub]6[/sub]-D[sub]6[/sub]-E[sub]6[/sub]-F[sub]6[/sub]-G[sub]6[/sub]-A[sub]6[/sub]-B[sub]6[/sub] | 96-98-100-101-103-105-107 | 8 |
7 | C[sub]7[/sub]-D[sub]7[/sub]-E[sub]7[/sub]-F[sub]7[/sub]-G[sub]7[/sub]-A[sub]7[/sub]-B[sub]7[/sub] | 108-110-112-113-115-117-119 | 9 |
8 | C[sub][/sub]-D[sub][/sub]-E[sub][/sub]-F[sub][/sub]-G[sub][/sub] | 120-122-124-125-127 | 10 |
A[sub]-1[/sub] is the lowest note found on the 88 key piano keyboard. C[sub]7[/sub] is the highest note found on the same keyboard.
So the notes below A[sub]-1[/sub] and above C[sub]7[/sub] are generally not audible. Look at an orchestral octave chart to know more about individual instruments and their placement within the octave structure described above
Also check out
Bandcoach ~ Beginning Theory: 1: Notes alone where I cover the ground a little more clearly giving pitch name, frequency and MIDI note numbers as well as octave numbers.
remember to add 2 to the octave number if you want to use it in FL..........