MAX/MSP tutorials?

[esaias]

Hey!

I decided that need to learn MAX/MSP! :P

I was trying to look for some tutorials but it was difficult to get a hang of them, I am just looking for some thing that would give a nice hands on introduction to the software.

Do you guys have experiences with good MAX/MSP tutorials?

and ofcourse if there is any goods books for beginner MAX/MSP user, I'd be glad to hear, real books are always more fun

-Tomi

[yakobb]

Hey I reckon the built in tutorials (help -> max tutorials) are pretty awesome - maybe you've already tried them though? I did some uni subject that was pretty much based around these tutorials, and I found them really helpful.. Enjoy! This software is so addictive!

I'd just learn enough max to feel pretty comfortable, then start adding msp...

[patrickg]

did you go on cycling '74's website yet? go to 'learn'

[The MPCist]

+1 on the builtin tutorials -- they have the basics that you'd need to know to use MAX/MSP. Their forum is also good as well, check that out, I think it's on their site...

[the_man361]

the tutorials will teach you the basics, if you go to the forums you will likely get referred to the tutorials unless your need is specific and not addressed by the tutorials, as they really are a good source of help, so i'd try and do most of the max tutorials, then the msp ones. the forums are great though if you have a problem or question outside of the scope of the tutorials.

the articles are a good source of learning how to implement ideas when you have got the basics down, such as this one
Max 5 Guitar Processor, Part 1 - Cycling 74

sadly there are not really any books on max/msp right now, i found one in our fairly extensive library about programming digital interactive installations, but it was very specific. there is a book which has been written in italian about electronic music and sound design theory and practice in max/msp. it is currently awaiting translation to english
Benvenuto in Virtual-Sound.com

peter elsea has written a number of documents detailing uses of max, you might find interest in some of these, though they are a little outdated and use max 4.6, though the concepts are the same.

[dotl]

1.) Built-in tutorials
2.) YouTube - BazTutorials's Channel
3.) Cycling 74 - Forum
4.) Amazon.com: Composing Interactive Music: Techniques and Ideas Using Max (9780262731393): Todd Winkler: Books

...and Tomi...DON'T GIVE UP!

[patrickg]

Originally Posted by the_man361

peter elsea has written a number of documents detailing uses of max, you might find interest in some of these, though they are a little outdated and use max 4.6, though the concepts are the same.

Wow, what a mention! Peter Elsea used to be my teacher. I forgot that he made waves in the max world!

[esaias]

OK I admit, guilty as charged.

I was just too damn lazy and I suffer from "nah-who-needs-manuals"-syndrome.
I am reading the built in tutorials and cycling's website now

anyways, this whole Max/MSP/Jitter looks super fun, hopefully I have enough time to learn this well.

Thanks for the links everyone!

It is going to take some time before I can show off any work, I promise if I get anything exciting done

-Tomi

[teletype1]

i teach max/msp to undergrads, and i've found that having some kind of external MIDI controller motivates you a lot ... drop the $50 on a Korg nanoKONTROL and it will inspire you to do stuff with Max/MSP... i think having the physical correlate to the on-screen "circuit" is helpful too.

one of my private students learned a TON when i had him build a calculator for homework.

[sleestack]

I used to use Jmax from Ircam on linux way back in the day. It was almost as difficult to install Jmax as it was to use it.


Supercollider is made for the left brain individual. Ie,..not me.

Now, CDP(composers desktop project) is just right. The interface is bonkers when it comes to logically working, but its all very cool as its tons of audio manipulation programs in a very scientific manner. You just select from a drop down list your effects and sound manipulation. I recommend it for the person that can't program a computer but wants high end sound manipulation

Im using the soundloom interface which is free once you buy CDP. The only negative is the manual is spotty and its all kind of confusing getting started

[claesbjo]

Originally Posted by esaias

OK I admit, guilty as charged.

I was just too damn lazy and I suffer from "nah-who-needs-manuals"-syndrome.
I am reading the built in tutorials and cycling's website now

anyways, this whole Max/MSP/Jitter looks super fun, hopefully I have enough time to learn this well.

Thanks for the links everyone!

It is going to take some time before I can show off any work, I promise if I get anything exciting done

-Tomi

I´m in the same process right now, started learning a couple of weeks ago, and now i feel that my knowledge is starting to grow exponentially. I can give you a tip : Do ALL tutorials (especially the ones that are looking really boring, they are the most important ones), start with MAX, and then move on to MSP. Also, equally important; when you have read thru a tutorial, construct one or more patches similar to the ones in the current tutorial. That will help you alot.

Soon you will be doing crazy sequencers an sound manipulators, believe me!

Good luck

Claes

[the_man361]

Originally Posted by patrickg

Wow, what a mention! Peter Elsea used to be my teacher. I forgot that he made waves in the max world!

cool, small world!

[patrickg]

Originally Posted by the_man361

cool, small world!

To tell you the truth, he is a very unprepared teacher. He knew max, but there were days where he would be showing us logic and protools and didn't know hardly anything! He would forget how to arm a track, change the i/o, or really anything that someone who has done one complete project would have down. You could definitely tell that he didn't open it up by himself for 20 minutes before class, to figure out what he was going to teach and how he was going to teach it. Very disappointing, imo...

[the_man361]

Originally Posted by patrickg

To tell you the truth, he is a very unprepared teacher. He knew max, but there were days where he would be showing us logic and protools and didn't know hardly anything! He would forget how to arm a track, change the i/o, or really anything that someone who has done one complete project would have down. You could definitely tell that he didn't open it up by himself for 20 minutes before class, to figure out what he was going to teach and how he was going to teach it. Very disappointing, imo...

haha yes you get professors that know a lot about one thing they teach, and nothing about anything else at all