I need some advice for using Max/MSP

I'm an absolute n00b at this. As in, cannot do a single thing. So I need your help.

Back in the day, I taught myself to use FL Studio (yeah yeah...) by just dicking about; clicking random buttons and moving switches that I didn't know the use for. And I figured this would be the same.

But... no; I am thick. So help a brother out, please.

I've been adding objects and connecting them randomly. Nothing has happened. How does this work? What am I doing wrong, aside from everything?

I've checked on some forums but it's like they're speaking another language.

Break this down in the most basic way possible for me.

xxx

you just gotta go thru the tutorials. I mean, I assume. I couldn't get it at all, but it seems like if you're going to get it, the only way is by understanding whats going on in those tutorials.

  End said:

it's like they're speaking another language.

you literally have to learn the language.

I'm just gonna go ahead and move this to the right forum.

Turn it off, wait 10 seconds, then turn it on again.

No need to thank me.

  telikan said:

  End said:

it's like they're speaking another language.

 

you literally have to learn the language.

Shit... that actually sounds hard.

*retreats back to fruity loops*

Man, stick with it. You'll learn a lot of fun shit if you do. And be able to make some cool stuff.

Just make sure you're workin' on your math skills.

http://www.amazon.com/Engineering-Mathemat...7799&sr=8-1

And just look for some beginner tutorials. If you don't understand some of the stuff it talks about, look that up too!

I'd say, do the tutorials. It learned me a lot of stuff. Also, open premade patches and take a good look at them, how is everything connected and what triggers what etc. It just needs some learning but possibilities are endless.

try synthedit, it's much easier to create vsts with that program.

Reaktor is a good place to start if you want to understand how to build synths, fx, samplers, and generative algorithms.

As for MAX/MSP, I'd suggest starting with the tutorials unless you plan on taking a class on it.

Max isn't really something you can just "go on" if you've never had any experience with it. Same goes for Supercollider or C-Sound.

  Jonas said:

RTFM!!!

tutorials, there's no way to do it if you're not a programmer.

if you r a programmer, then go ahead and references for everything.

someone mentioned supercollider above, its even harder to get then maxmsp... dont try it if you cannot deal with max though. it'd just be fruitless

i thought max/msp was a version of MSPaint for Apple users

i too wanna learn this but im afraid

about how many hours of reading tutorials and looking at patches would it take to make music that ableton live cant?

50? 500? more?

I made some shit with puredata last year or so. I learned from the tutorials and picking apart other peoples constructions.

There's no way around it. Looks like you can do a lot of cool shit with it. Unfortunately math irritates me and to do clever shit that helps a lot. As stated before though if you don't mind that or are already a whiz then just spend some time with tutorials.

puredata is similar and there are some good docs for that.

To make first sounds use a 'cycle~', 'phasor~', 'noise~' etc which are all msp synthesis objects. Simply connect them to a signal level fader which is connected to an audio output object. The best way to learn is to go in to the help files.

there's only like 7 types of signals in max

Bang

Interger

Float

Symbol

Video

Audio

List

ok you've learned it all, done.

Bump on an old thread.

Ive been using FLStudio for like 18 months now and I am beginning to think about buying a new PC and investing in new software - im very intrigued by MAX so im gonna watch some youtube vids / troll the max forums and see if its the right way for me to go.

Need some watttum opinions on this software, do you get on well with it once you get past the intial "omfg its maths" stage (i used to do a lot of HP Vee programming and I must say that the interface really reminds me of that).

Chiz watttem

  On 5/24/2011 at 6:18 PM, feltcher said:

Bump on an old thread.

 

Ive been using FLStudio for like 18 months now and I am beginning to think about buying a new PC and investing in new software - im very intrigued by MAX so im gonna watch some youtube vids / troll the max forums and see if its the right way for me to go.

 

Need some watttum opinions on this software, do you get on well with it once you get past the intial "omfg its maths" stage (i used to do a lot of HP Vee programming and I must say that the interface really reminds me of that).

 

Chiz watttem

It's a little too low level for my liking (Jeskola Buzz is about as modular as I can go) but if you want to give it a go I highly recommend this set of tutorials -

http://www.youtube.com/user/BazTutorials

(start at the bottom and work your way up)

my advice: don't get stuck in the mentality of only mimicking tutorials. use them to get your bearings, definitely, but once you are confident using a few key objects, let your creativity guide your problem-solving.

if you already know the basics, you'll learn a lot more from building your own flawed version of something than from copying a perfect one.

also, make little subpatches to do anything you end up having to program over and over again.

I tried to get into modular programming environments like MAX and Reaktor a few years ago and initially gave up when I found the learning curve way too steep. Then, a few months later I had to take a programming class for my degree and learned the basics of how to program. I also took a digital logic circuits class that covered a lot of the same stuff from another perspective. When I finally came back to the modular stuff the second time, it was a hundred times easier. The programming and logic classes made all the difference even though they were completely unrelated to audio. It's all just a certain way of approaching problems that you have to get in sync with. I definitely recommend learning the basics of digital logic and programming. If you have a really good knowledge of the fundamental concepts, then you can start doing really advanced stuff very quickly after only a few tutorials. It completely demolishes the steep learning curve.

That being said, if you are more the type who just twists knobs until something sounds good rather than the type who really likes to dig into the underlying way things work, then MAX is probably not for you. It's definitely more for people who like to geek out about the technical side of music creation.

im suprised more stuff for expert sleepers and analog synths combined with max/msp environments haven't appeared.

  On 6/3/2011 at 2:30 AM, Mesh Gear Fox said:

incidentally, patching while you're high is a double-edged sword. on one side, you get lots of new ideas for patches flowing but you also have to deal with logic while you've got a THC haze in your head. luckily weed also gives me the patience to sit at a computer all day until something works.

haha word

i'm always high while patching. it usually helps but i have to check myself to keep from sliding into ridiculous tangents sometimes.

which reminds me of an obvious tip: back up your shit all the time! i've lost tons of progress by trying to implement crazy new features and ruining the original patch in the process.