make me want to learn max/msp

im so incredibly close to spending the next few months concentrating on learning max/msp. i keep hearing that "you can do anything" in max msp, but im a little skeptic because several ago a friend told me to get into fruity loops becasue it could do "anything". well i used that for a couple years, oblivious to better software available

anyway, i just want to know if im not wasting my time, so i will ask a few questions, and maybe some of you max users can tell me if i would be able to do these things, if i put in the time to learn how

can i:

make my own synths?

make my own sequencer interface?

make my own arrpegiators?

can i design all interfaces exactly how i want?

can i program a new DAW that is customized and perfect for me?

what cant it do?

is my imagination the only limit here, or is there a limit to the complexity of programming?

id also just like to say, i have almost zero experience in programming, and hardly even know what it is. im very willing to learn though! the extent of my programming experience is when i was in grade 10, my computer teacher made us make web pages at the end of the semester, and i think we were using html code, or something

it was like:

<text>\r\this is my webpage\r\<text>

?%4 - - - - r\125\ links /

is this basically what its like? imagine it to be a lot more complicated

id appreciate any input given!

thanks

You should prob use Reason...

lol

It really does depend on your patients. There is parts when it is possible to use code but u could spend a life time not even using that function. You cant run b4 you can walk, so you wont be able to say build yourself a daw and then add some synths. You will need to really start at basic sound creation and manipulation. If you can handle the developing curve then you wil enjoy it if you dont have the patients then really dont bother.

Everything in max works pretty much on logic (not the daw). You can tell it what to do and it will do it. It is possible to intergrate VST as effect into it as well.

max users with little knowledge of programing will always say that they 'programmed' a max patch, just to sound like they can program, but really it is like macarno. You are given the blocks to work with and it is up to you how you use them.

It will take quite a while to come close to making the same music that you are used to making using what ever daw you use, and it may never be the same.

For those of you who haven't realised, ET tends to 'troll' EKT by posting archetypal knob twiddling questions without any interest in the answers whatsoever. I have no idea why. As long as you're aware of this, I don't see any problem with the thread continuing as a discussion of the merits of MAX/MSP.

I don't like to bring my boorish behaviour into EKT, but there is no doubt in my mind that even ET's mum thinks he's a prick.

Carry on.

lol

  David R James said:

It really does depend on your patients. There is parts when it is possible to use code but u could spend a life time not even using that function. You cant run b4 you can walk, so you wont be able to say build yourself a daw and then add some synths. You will need to really start at basic sound creation and manipulation. If you can handle the developing curve then you wil enjoy it if you dont have the patients then really dont bother.

 

Everything in max works pretty much on logic (not the daw). You can tell it what to do and it will do it. It is possible to intergrate VST as effect into it as well.

 

max users with little knowledge of programing will always say that they 'programmed' a max patch, just to sound like they can program, but really it is like macarno. You are given the blocks to work with and it is up to you how you use them.

 

It will take quite a while to come close to making the same music that you are used to making using what ever daw you use, and it may never be the same.

this gives me hope! i understand the concept of it being from the ground up, and that to makes it easier to understand. i think im going to read the first tutorial and get started. if its too crazy, maybe ill come back later in life. thanks for the input dude! this is the exact type of answers i was looking for. it would be awesome if more people came into this thread and gave informative answers like that :)

i would just like to assure everyone that kakapo doesnt know what he is talking about, and im truly trying to decide whether or not i want to spend time out of my life learning it

anyone who spends a decent time around on watmm (geberal banter and ekt) knows im for real. kakapo, you cant just jump on the internet and try to ruin someones ekt thread just because you dont understand them. realize that you cant place people into tiny little categories of understanding. why do you think the reason is, that you cant figure out why im supposedly "trolling EKT"? it is because you dont understand my posting styles, and so your mind tries to make it into something it is not

read the rules

dont fuck up another one of my ekt threads again

lets get back to max/msp

pure data

pure dick

why pure data? ive heard supercollider is more intense than max. are you saying pure data is less intense that max?

pure data is free. Reaktor is pretty cool. Has anyone here even touched the reaktor core stuff? Thats pretty low level.

I got one friend who will sit there and build some bizarre reverb for 6 months straight and then use it in a few songs and then makes it a tool in his live set arsenal afterwards.

I got another friend who sits down on a V-Drum set every night and bangs out beats a melodies and then will just arrange the recorded takes over the course of the next hour or so and call it a song.

If you sound more like the first chap I mentioned, then I'd say Max is the way for you. If you are the former, I say avoid Max at all costs.

Fruity Loops totally isn't a waste of time - in my opinion it's the one of the best DAWs on the market. people slag it off to "fit in" and sound like they know what they're talking about.

it sounds like you're looking for a magic program to make all your music amazing and i'm afraid there's no such thing.

MAX/MSP is powerful yes, but i think you would only find it frustrating and confusing. If you want to start building your own soft synths etc then maybe try Reaktor.

personally i think you should stick with and master the program you know - i bet there's a bajillion things FLoops can do that you're not even aware of....

  David R James said:

It really does depend on your patients. There is parts when it is possible to use code but u could spend a life time not even using that function. You cant run b4 you can walk, so you wont be able to say build yourself a daw and then add some synths. You will need to really start at basic sound creation and manipulation. If you can handle the developing curve then you wil enjoy it if you dont have the patients then really dont bother.

 

Everything in max works pretty much on logic (not the daw). You can tell it what to do and it will do it. It is possible to intergrate VST as effect into it as well.

 

max users with little knowledge of programing will always say that they 'programmed' a max patch, just to sound like they can program, but really it is like macarno. You are given the blocks to work with and it is up to you how you use them.

 

It will take quite a while to come close to making the same music that you are used to making using what ever daw you use, and it may never be the same.

Its patience man, PATIENCE!

  ET said:

why pure data? ive heard supercollider is more intense than max. are you saying pure data is less intense that max?

supercollider is more text intense than max. the windows port of it is called psycollider

Rebirth > Max/MSP

PD is free and is the original MSP, but Max/MSP would be much more easier to learn because there is more help content. Its best to learn max then move to PD but there really isnt any point because its pretty much the same thing. Dont even bother with super collider if you dont understand code. Although it is very gratifiying to be able to create even just a sine wave in super collider.

  BCM said:

Fruity Loops totally isn't a waste of time - in my opinion it's the one of the best DAWs on the market. people slag it off to "fit in" and sound like they know what they're talking about.

 

it sounds like you're looking for a magic program to make all your music amazing and i'm afraid there's no such thing.

 

MAX/MSP is powerful yes, but i think you would only find it frustrating and confusing. If you want to start building your own soft synths etc then maybe try Reaktor.

 

personally i think you should stick with and master the program you know - i bet there's a bajillion things FLoops can do that you're not even aware of....

Yes.

  David R James said:

Dont even bother with super collider if you dont understand code. Although it is very gratifiying to be able to create even just a sine wave in super collider.

This is true. Before I started working with max/MSP, I tried to accomplish something in sc and I remember how long it took me to use properly the ugens.

ok. i think im going to get into it, ill post my findings over the coming weeks to show my progress. thank you to to everyone who came in here and helped

ya max and PD are really much more intuitive than normal text programming. If you can use a patchable synth then you already understand the principal.

I did think that Max used a dongle though right? I couldn't find any 'non-paid' versions. lol.

  slightlydrybeans said:

ya max and PD are really much more intuitive than normal text programming. If you can use a patchable synth then you already understand the principal.

 

I did think that Max used a dongle though right? I couldn't find any 'non-paid' versions. lol.

No dongle is required.

When you install the program, it generates a string of words based on your computer specs. Then you send that string with your detalis to C74 and in a couple of days you receive an answer string which activates max/MSP.