Overwhelmed, M4L maybe NOT for me?

[Filch]

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

This is a GREAT youtube channel for Max tutorials. It starts out very basic and works its way up in complexity. I learned a lot from these videos.

[33tetragammon]

I was pretty overwhelmed too, to the point where even though I knew it was going to be like this, I decided that M4L is likely not for me. I'm interested in seeing what other people come up with, but I can't see myself going down the rabbit hole of creating my own devices (at least in the foreseeable future).

same here.
i wouldn't even know WHAT i would build,let alone HOW...
this reminds me of Reaktor 5,have it for 3 years now.at first i was like :
"i'm going to build virtual electribes and stuff.how hard could it be?"

uh,yeah right....

"too hard" i thought.
no,not the case.

this just wasn't (and still) isn't my thing.

i'll focus on producing/mixing/mastering.
i'll leave tech-stuff like this to the experts and potential experts.

cheers!

[Nightrider]

just google for video/written tutorials

i guarantee you'll be hooked once you've completed your first patch

[33tetragammon]

just google for video/written tutorials

i guarantee you'll be hooked once you've completed your first patch

ok,just thought of something that would make Live perfect :

-to create custom (intelligent) controlmappings for my controllers(axiom pro 49 and Kore and future stuff) with visual feedback of parameternames+values on their lcd displays.
-being able to focus and LOCK a controller to the Live browsers,with "load" buttons on every track to load clips(in the first empty clipslot available)

is this possible with MFL?

if so,then yes i'm sold!

[Martyn]

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

This is a GREAT youtube channel for Max tutorials. It starts out very basic and works its way up in complexity. I learned a lot from these videos.

Good tip, thanks, these are really useful tutorials.

[arachnaut]

Mike's (technog0d) web site:

http://www.max4live.info/

is about to become my new home page.

This is a great place to start!

[leonard]

you know theres online documentation, right?
http://www.cycling74.com/docs/max5/vign ... intro.html

[andrewbenson]

Rest assured that you aren't the first person to have difficulty getting started with Max. One thing that often helps new Max users is to start with a very simple goal and build it, and slowly work up to more complex systems. Give yourself time to soak up each tutorial patch and try changing them as you go. Building Max patches is something that you develop a feel for through practice, and getting to know what different things do. Before diving too much into Live API topics, try to get a feel for how messages get passed through patcher cables and how audio signals are processed. Look at the help patches of different objects to see what each one is used for, keep the clue window open, and make good use of the documentation browser in Max. Feel free to skip around and cherry pick through the tutorials, but make sure you know the difference between a message box and an object box.
Pitch-tracking and other audio analysis objects are available, but mainly as third-party externals at this moment. Try searching maxobjects.com. In addition to the resources available specifically for Max for Live, you may also enjoy the many resources for Max available at various locations online. On the Cycling '74 site there are several quick-start type tutorials for specific topics, like guitar effects and LFOs (look for articles by Darwin Grosse or Gregory Taylor to start). Also, CNMAT at UC Berkeley has been running week-long Max workshops for years, and they keep an online database of all of their teaching patches. In fact, Max is taught all over the place, so a google search might turn up more material if you look for it. If you run into any big conceptual stumbling blocks, post a question here. There are some really smart long time Max users lurking around this forum.

Best,
Andrew B.

[Surreal]

I have max...so i don't know if this is available for everyone...but if you open max and then look in the help menu...the tutorials offered there are thorough and well done.

i had a little difficulty with the live lessons, but i think so much of that has to do with the fact they technically have to teach; max, msp, dsp theory, and how it all integrates with Live.

[Flea3]

Hi All

Just to say that Max is what Max is - it has always been for people who want to roll their own. If there is a great EQwhatever plug out there, use it! If it doesn't do what you want, then use Max to make your own. I always think that one should use whatever is easiest to accomplish one's desires. Sometimes that is Max ~ sometime a you-buy-it plug. Nobody can make thinking about the internal structures of a sound device simple. One has to learn much and in so doing, one learns about oneself.

FWIW, I have been using Max for years... and still don't know how to do some simple things... I spend lots of time making a clear path to my goal(s) then cut and paste parts of the many max patches out there into my patch. And I have always arrived at an exciting solution!

Peace, John

[ardisson]

So far how do you convert Audio to MIDI?
I have found an ftom objects that gets frequency as input so now
what I have is how do I get a frequency from a monophonic audio source (i.e. my guitar)?
I found no object capable of that...

Try fiddle~
http://www.maxobjects.com/?v=objects&id ... d_format=0

[davepermen]

It's quite hard. but i still hope to get my stuff done one day with it.. but i'm not sure anymore.. we'll see. back to 'ordinary music creation' for a while

[alex.the.forge]

I was pretty overwhelmed too, to the point where even though I knew it was going to be like this, I decided that M4L is likely not for me. I'm interested in seeing what other people come up with, but I can't see myself going down the rabbit hole of creating my own devices (at least in the foreseeable future).

I'm the same. I really like the concept and sincerely hope they provide a free or cheap runtime version so that the rest of us can use what others come up with.

I don't need more things to stop me making music.

Thing is there are probably loads of things I'd like to do that you can do with it, but I just can't see me being the one to build them.

Maybe one day, but not for now.

[tsutek]

Honestly, what did you expect? Max is not meant for instant-gratification make-me-the-plugin-of-my-dreams-in-1-click-or-less. The same applies for M4L.

Try getting to grips with Max first. Max comes with wonderful tutorials, that once finished from lesson 1 to the end, will give you a solid knowledge for patching in Max. It will not solve your algo design problems for you, but a lot of cool things can be done in max with subtle rewiring of patches alone. Also I have to give props to the Cycling 74 forum community - they've saved my ass with Max patching so many times already, a bunch of wise and friendly people!

To the folks who find Max too daunting to get into, just give it some time. Pretty soon the live share network will be crammed with all kinds of exotic M4L devices that you can happily use without ever pressing the edit button.

REAKTOR would never be as popular as it is if there weren't such a vast library of ready-made devices for people to use. Most people just find DIY-DSP too daunting.

(And actually, synths like Zebra/Zebrify usually offer easier solutions for things like designing custom delays / guitar synths.. No need to turn towards M4L for that IMHO)

[Martyn]

Well, video tutorials are helping greatly, I'm off the starting blocks. Gave my soundcard a good kick in the nuts with it last nite, it's got teeth!