Amend manual re MIDI note numbers

[mgd]

Hi!

I just did some testing regarding which MIDI note number correspondents to which NerdSEQ note as of the display. I have not been able to find that in the manual, so I recorded some MIDI and looked at the data.

What I found is this:
NerdSEQ C-0 is MIDI Note #0 which often is referred to as MIDI Notename C -2 (C,,,). In that notation NerdSEQ C-3 is MIDI Note #36 == MIDI Notename C1 © which is about 65.406 Hz. That's also a common 0V tone for the analog VCOs that I have access to.
NerdSEQ A-5 is MIDI Note #64 == MIDI Notename A3 (a') which is supposed to be 440 Hz. Consequently NerdSEQ C-A is MIDI Note #120 == MIDI Notename C8 (c'''''') which is supposed to be 8372 Hz.

If this information is already in the manual just ignore this post. Otherwise I'd suggest to add that somewhere, preferably in the MIDI section

Kind regards,
Michael

[XORadmin]

Hi!

I just did some testing regarding which MIDI note number correspondents to which NerdSEQ note as of the display. I have not been able to find that in the manual, so I recorded some MIDI and looked at the data.

What I found is this:
NerdSEQ C-0 is MIDI Note #0 which often is referred to as MIDI Notename C -2 (C,,,). In that notation NerdSEQ C-3 is MIDI Note #36 == MIDI Notename C1 © which is about 65.406 Hz. That's also a common 0V tone for the analog VCOs that I have access to.
NerdSEQ A-5 is MIDI Note #64 == MIDI Notename A3 (a') which is supposed to be 440 Hz. Consequently NerdSEQ C-A is MIDI Note #120 == MIDI Notename C8 (c'''''') which is supposed to be 8372 Hz.

If this information is already in the manual just ignore this post. Otherwise I'd suggest to add that somewhere, preferably in the MIDI section

Kind regards,
Michael

Just FYI,

there is no exact definition of which midi note number should generate a note of a dedicated octave (not exactly defined at Midi.org, the only definition as far as I know is the middle position. I remember looking it up some years ago on the midi.org definitions and the discussions about it). And so in the past different manufacturers implemented this for their gear in different ways. While a Roland Synth would be on octave A when using C-2, Korg would have the same tone on octave B. And this is something people claim also as 'being wrong' in several products. "I put C-4 in ableton and get C-5 on the NerdSEQ....."

And because of that I implemented the midi offset for inputs and outputs. So it can always be matched with any DAW or Midi keyboard you are using.
Looking on the oscillator side, the same thing is reality... 2 volt on one oscillator would produce the tone on a different octave depending on the oscillator (and wide tuning if possible).

Cheers

[mgd]

Just FYI,

there is no exact definition of which midi note number should generate a note of a dedicated octave (not exactly defined at Midi.org, the only definition as far as I know is the middle position. I remember looking it up some years ago on the midi.org definitions and the discussions about it).

As you write, middle C (as of an 88-key Piano) is defined as MIDI Note #60. This is enough to define the precise frequency for all MIDI notes.

Middle c on an 88-key piano is c', i.e. the c below Kammerton a' (440 Hz or whatever reference tuning you prefer; for simplicity I'll stick to 440 Hz). Thus c' is 261.63 Hz. All other values derive from that and thus MIDI note number #0 is C,,, at about 8.1 Hz.

I'm not aware of discussions disputing that. midi.org has a document describing midi tuning data where they specifically state these frequencies.

However I'm aware some vendors call middle c c3 while others name it c4. In NerdSEQ this seems to be C-5. Fine. I don't want to change that. Just documented

Best wishes,
Michael

[XORadmin]

Just FYI,

there is no exact definition of which midi note number should generate a note of a dedicated octave (not exactly defined at Midi.org, the only definition as far as I know is the middle position. I remember looking it up some years ago on the midi.org definitions and the discussions about it).

As you write, middle C (as of an 88-key Piano) is defined as MIDI Note #60. This is enough to define the precise frequency for all MIDI notes.

Middle c on an 88-key piano is c', i.e. the c below Kammerton a' (440 Hz or whatever reference tuning you prefer; for simplicity I'll stick to 440 Hz). Thus c' is 261.63 Hz. All other values derive from that and thus MIDI note number #0 is C,,, at about 8.1 Hz.

I'm not aware of discussions disputing that. midi.org has a document describing midi tuning data where they specifically state these frequencies.

However I'm aware some vendors call middle c c3 while others name it c4. In NerdSEQ this seems to be C-5. Fine. I don't want to change that. Just documented

Best wishes,
Michael

This is all correct. And the description is exactly as the following (if I am allowed to quote from the official specs, but I do it anyway)
"NOTE NUMBER
Each note is assigned a numeric value, which is transmitted with any Note-On/Off message. Middle C
has a reference value of 60. This is the middle C of an 88 note piano-style keyboard though it need not be
physically located in the center of a keyboard." - Copied form Midi.org V1.0 specification

However, there is no mention at all if that should be named as C-5 or C-6 or C-4....And you can find interpretations of that going as far as that it starts as minus C-1(0), C-0(12), C-1(24), C-2  etc...
In the NerdSEQ manual it says:
MIDI IN Offset → As the Midi standard is pretty vague about which frequency for example
a C on octave 3 should play and different manufacturers and use different octave offsets,
this setting can be used to flexibly change the Midi note input offset, so the octaves always
match well, regardless of the Midi input device. The setting can have a positive and
negative offset.

And Midi out does have it's own offset as well. So in the end I think this is covered. And I totally agree that the manual can be better on many points

[mgd]

I'm probably phrasing too weirdly

Basically all I would like to see in the manual is something like:
On the NerdSEQ C-5 yields middle C which is MIDI Note #60, provided there is no MIDI or Track Offset or transposition in place.

I'm not concerned about the naming at all. I see there are good (technical) reasons as to why the NerdSEQ names notes the way they are and I don't wish to mess with that. I just want to be able to do all transformations w/o trial and error.

But this is no biggy as I have found out and now I know

Best wishes,
Michael