max/msp

[the_antagonist]

starting to think about max. but it seems like an exspensive way to not make any music.

am i wrong?

[leonard]

yes.

[UKRuss]

I'm with you, while some results will no doubt be musically entertaining, IMO it's just another way for computer geeks to pretend they're making music when in fact they're fiddling with programming.

[the_antagonist]

I'm with you, while some results will no doubt be musically entertaining, IMO it's just another way for computer geeks to pretend they're making music when in fact they're fiddling with programming.

but can i not make use of the apc40 enhancements. monomulator, step seq, changing the colours?

[slatepipe]

aye.
depends what you want to do with it i guess
i spent the best part of a year making a patch that played samples in relation to how people interacted with distance sensors for my final year degree thing, so consequently i didnt use it to make much (or any) music. and the music i would have otherwise made in ableton suffered too

now thats over i want to use it to make sounds and make synths and things. i find it a bit of a struggle though - i guess my brain isnt wired up for learning max easily. i spend a lot of time just looking at a nearly blank screen wondering what the fruck to do next. and i have looked at the tutorials/examples and all that stuff

slowly slowly though - i should get it together. i got the full version on student licence before i finished college so it wasnt that expensive, very good value really

[zenke]

I have done a couple of introductory courses on max and still find I stare at the screen and wonder what to do next !!
However I am aware that it is a fantastic tool and can be used for making really interesting music.
I think it depends n what you want todo. Of you want lovely synthy sounds with good FX and mastering then Max is not probably what you want. just buy some good ready made stuff. Of you want to do off the wall, experimental, different, samply, live interactive work, work including visuals. then max/msp is going to be great ut it does require a steepish learning curve. and don't do what i did, a course and then nothing for a few months and then try to remember what you learned.
j

[UKRuss]

I'm with you, while some results will no doubt be musically entertaining, IMO it's just another way for computer geeks to pretend they're making music when in fact they're fiddling with programming.

but can i not make use of the apc40 enhancements. monomulator, step seq, changing the colours?

I guess, but these are things you either need for your music or don't need for your music, if the latter then no point. but I guess I will be proved wrong and it willno doubt throw up some amazing stuff. It's just not for me. I have enough of a hard time thinking outside the box anyway musically....I am a sheep not a sheperd.

[the_antagonist]

good point. changing the colours would be good tho

[3dot...]

Max is ridiculously expensive...(being a development tool)
and you cannot re-sell the license...even if you say please
they've got a portion of the market (ever growing)by the balls
(like some other sw company I know)...
(let's face it... it's an excellent development environment for multimedia guys)
I've been tempted many a time to buy it...
there seems to be a great community and very innovative people over there...
when M4L comes out I'll think about making the leap..(depends mainly on bugs/price)
in the meantime I'm learning some 'real' programing...

[elementv]

Max is more then just for making music, you can write complete programs in it. I personally can't wait for max for live, wish I could have been in the beta list. There are a lot of other good options though, check out processing, or pure data, they are both open source and free. max has a awesome community and a lot of examples. The people that run it seem to be good people too.

[Bagatell]

I keep trying to like Max but can´t. Everything I´ve seen for Max seems like a hard way to do what Nicfit has already programmed into a vst. Is there a Max patch for Live that would blow away the doubts?

[Tone Deft]

I keep trying to like Max but can´t. Everything I´ve seen for Max seems like a hard way to do what Nicfit has already programmed into a vst. Is there a Max patch for Live that would blow away the doubts?

techno~

[SubFunk]

I'm with you, while some results will no doubt be musically entertaining, IMO it's just another way for computer geeks to pretend they're making music when in fact they're fiddling with programming.

+1

[chapelier fou]

I'm with you, while some results will no doubt be musically entertaining, IMO it's just another way for computer geeks to pretend they're making music when in fact they're fiddling with programming.

but can i not make use of the apc40 enhancements. monomulator, step seq, changing the colours?

Wrong, you can use max/MSP runtime !
You can use anything done in max, but not edit it.

[chapelier fou]

I'm with you, while some results will no doubt be musically entertaining, IMO it's just another way for computer geeks to pretend they're making music when in fact they're fiddling with programming.

I don't agree. Of course, thinking that you'll do everything in max would be a total mistake. I use max, for very simple things (I am not good at programming huge things), such as MIDI special routings and sequencers for installations, and I got to say it is very, very nice.
Also, remember such programs as MLR for monome (and all the other apps).