16 November 2015: Middle C & Voice Synth Producers



What is Middle C?

On a standard 88-key piano keyboard, Middle C (261.63 Hz) is designated as C4. Here's what it sounds like: Middle C at WikiMedia Commons.

Why is it important to know where Middle C is? Well, for one thing, if you're writing a vocal melody for a singer, you need to know where Middle C is as a reference point for the highest and lowest notes the singer's voice can reach.

Additionally, once you know the vocal range of your singer, you can then create the backing music tracks for the song that will complement--not clash--with the singer's voice e.g. creating a backing piano track that is an octave lower than the vocal melody.



Where Exactly is Middle C?

Because there's no internationally agreed-upon standard representation of Middle C, here's how Middle C is currently designated in the piano roll of some of the more popular voice synth editors and DAW software:



VOCALOID EDITOR: C3

PIAPRO STUDIO EDITOR: C3

UTAU EDITOR: C4

CEVIO CREATIVE STUDIO: C4



PROPELLERHEAD REASON: C3

ABLETON LIVE: C3

STEINBERG CUBASE PRO: C3

APPLE LOGIC PRO: C3

APPLE GARAGEBAND: C3

PRESONUS STUDIO ONE: C3

BITWIG STUDIO: C3

COCKOS REAPER: C5 C4 (Thanks kevinlyspirit & AyuRox, for the correction)

IMAGELINE FL STUDIO: C5

CAKEWALK SONAR: C5



Because Middle C is designated as C4 on a standard 88-key piano keyboard, a vocal melody you write in the range of A3-E5 on a standard 88-key piano keyboard will appear as A2-E4 in the piano roll of Vocaloid Editor.



Because Middle C is designated as C5 in the FL Studio piano roll, a melody you write in the range of A3-E5 in FL Studio will appear as A1-E3 in the piano roll of Vocaloid Editor.



REMEMBER: Regardless of where it is designated on a real piano or in the piano rolls of different software, Middle C remains Middle C and will forever be Middle C (261.63 Hz)!



Here are a couple of exercises:



1. If Miku Hatsune's recommended vocal range is A2-E4 in Vocaloid Editor, how would this vocal range appear on a standard 88-key piano keyboard?



2. If you export a MIDI melody (written in the range of A4-E6) from FL Studio, then import this MIDI file into Vocaloid Editor--what happens to the range of the notes in the piano roll of Vocaloid Editor?

Cheers, zuddox

