Send out Midi note-on for F#9

Scripting with Gig Performer
1

I want to control a DMX controller via midi that needs note on F#9 to turn the blackout off.

It seems none of my controllers will go to F#9 (Midi #126 (Hex 7E)

Nothing lets me get to F#9 via transpose or otherwise in regular gig performer settings etc. Gig Performer only seems to go to C8 max (Midi 120)

Can I do it via a script or scriplet to just send out the midi command 90 7E 7F?

If so, what command would I use?

2

I don’t use MIDI keys within GP so not sure why it can only go to C9 (which is better very surprised if that’s true), but this can definitely be achieved with GP Script using the MakeNoteMessage and SendNow functions

https://gigperformer.com/docs_5_0/SystemFunctionList.html

3

I think there is also an underlying note naming convention coming in the debate; note 126 is probably F#8 in Gig Performer.

What you want to achieve is clear. But what exactly did you do, and what were you expecting that didn’t work out the way you wanted it to?

1 Like
4

Hmm, could you use GP’s Midi File Player and (outside GP) create a midi file hitting that note (step entry, etc.)?

Or maybe trigger F#9 as an “Action”. I think you can input the note.

I have not fully thought through these options, but these came to mind.

Jeff

5

Maybe if we knew which controller he uses, there could be some other way around?
Maybe it’d be just a matter of configuration…

6

Indeed ---- middle C is note number 60 but Yamaha refers to this as C3 whereas Roland refers to it as C4. As far as I know, most companies use the Yahama convention as do we.

As for sending MIDI note 126 (regardless of the naming convention) is concerned, there are multiple ways to do this, mostly related to how you explicitly WANT to trigger it. Since it’s a special case, I would personally use a button widget to send it (connect to a MIDI In block host parameter for that note number) and then map a key or button on your controller to trigger it.
Alternatively, if you’re using songs, then you could use a song part action to do it automatically.

7

Maybe another option is use transpose so you can hit a note within the key range of the controller, but it will trigger the F#8(?)

8

Yes, and this topic has been raised previously in the community. The link is HERE.

I have written several articles in other forums about this topic as it comes up consistently if you create instrument synthesizers, which I dabble with. The below gives a moderate description of the topic. For individual use, you have to look at the actual gear you use - e.g. the manufacturer, and the octave naming convention. To be specific, GP, like many other software creators, uses the MIDI standard note name convention where MIDI note 60 is defined as middle C. Where that is on your keyboard depends on the manufacturer as you have noted.

MIDI “middle C” octave notation often differs from standard piano keyboard octave notation, and the confusion originates from differences in naming conventions rather than actual note frequencies. The MIDI standard defines middle C as note number 60, but does not assign an octave name; various manufacturers and software apply different octave labels to note 60—most frequently C3 or C4—causing this ambiguity.​

Details on MIDI vs Piano Notation

  • Scientific Pitch Notation (SPN, used for piano scoring):

    • Middle C is always labeled C4 (the fourth C from the bottom on a standard 88-key piano).​

  • MIDI Standard:

    • Middle C is defined as note 60, but the octave number (C3, C4, etc.) is not standardized—manufacturers like Yamaha typically label it as C3, while Roland and most international standards label it as C4.​

  • Manufacturer Definitions:

    • Yamaha historically used C3 for middle C, mapping the lowest MIDI note (0) to C-2.

    • Roland uses C4 for middle C, starting the lowest C as C1, which is aligned with SPN.​

  • Resulting Confusion:

    • The same MIDI note (60) can appear as C3 (Yamaha, some DAWs), C4 (Roland, most theory texts), or even C5 in obscure cases—a direct result of how the “lowest C” is counted in the system.​

Historical Background

  • The ambiguity began because the original MIDI specification defined only note numbers (0 to 127) and not their corresponding octave labels.​

  • Scientific pitch notation (SPN), proposed in the early 18th century and standardized later, assigned “C4” as middle C for consistency across musical instruments and scores.​

  • With the rise of electronic instruments, some manufacturers mapped the lowest key on a full keyboard as C0 (Roland), others as C-2 (Yamaha), resulting in a one-octave difference when labeling middle C.​

  • Efforts have been made to unify this (SPN recommends C4), but many legacy and current MIDI instruments/software still use alternate conventions.

Summary Table

System/Brand Middle C Label MIDI Note #
Scientific Pitch C4 60
Roland/International C4 60
Yamaha (some DAWs) C3 60
Some software C5 60

This persistent difference means “middle C” in MIDI should always be referenced by note number (60), not octave label, to avoid confusion, especially when translating between digital and acoustic environments. In your - @jwaling - case , my suggestion would be to check to see if the MIDI note you send actually maps to the key octave notation that your equipment uses first to verify your use case.

1 Like
9

Thanks speed12, that did the trick, I did get it to work in a scriptlet :slight_smile:

10

Yes that does work, thanks