MAX 5
Perhaps the most anticipated software development this spring was the release of the MAX/MSP/Jitter version 5 from Cycling 74, which came out last week. For those of you who don’t already know, MAX is object oriented programming environment for sound, music, video applications. Wikipedia has a very good overview and history of the program listed under Max (software).
A MAX/MSP Patch
While updates over the years have focused on, new objects and support for new OS technologies, the basic look and feel of MAX hasn’t changed much since it’s initial commercial release from Opcode. (Does anyone remember them?) MAX 5 addresses this with a complete rewrite of the entire underlining code, aligning it with current hardware and OS software platforms. A revised user interface includes a variety of on-screen de-bugging tools. Some of these, like a visual display of signal level at any connection, easily translate into powerful ways to learn about signal flow and processing. Visually, objects are much easier to look at, and a new user interface view separates the underlying patch structure from how it appears to a user/performer. Last year Cycling 74 announced an alliance with Ableton, makers of Live, and entire look of the new release of MAX looks a lot like its German cousin.
A MAX/MSP patch in presentation view
While many cutting edge artists and researchers are using MAX, people often ask about the difference between it and other "modular" sound synthesis tools, specifically Native Instrument’s Reaktor. Why would you use one and not the other? You can think of Reaktor as a greatly expanded software version of Alessandro Cortini’s Buchla 200e, which I talked about in an earlier entry. It’s a really great tool for building all sorts of software instruments. One of it’s strengths is the capability to design control panels that clearly display the parameters and functions you build into an instrument. You only see the controls you are going to use, and depending on the instrument, that can be a few, or many. While MAX 5 addresses this with its new presentation view, there’s more to MAX than building synthesizers.
The real power of MAX is that it’s a complete programming environment with objects to process, store and retrieve data input. These expanded capabilities make it a great to build all sorts of cool, interactive performance systems. Best of all, it includes Open Sound Control and Rewire capabilities, which means you can use it with a variety of other software, including Reaktor and even Reason. Got a Nintendo Wii? Your Wii controller sends all sorts of data about position and acceleration that the game receives via Bluetooth. Got Bluetooth on your laptop? You can program a simple interface using MAX that will take the data coming into your computer from your Wii controller and translate it into MIDI data that you can use to control Reaktor or Reason.
Pretty cool… That said, MAX (or Reaktor for that matter) isn’t for everyone. If you’ve got some hacker instincts, you’ll be able to get around MAX after working through the excellent tutorials that come with the program. Plan on a few weekends of focused study and experimentation and you’ll be on your way. Cycling 74 has a very good video introduction that will give you a taste of what the program is all about.
