Max for live

[Toets]

How usefull is max for live?

I watched some video’s and it seems more like a huge modular toolbox then programming..

So how hard is it to get something usefull?
Or do most people stick to the preprogrammed Max devices?

So far it seems a tool that could be used to do the things people do in reason racks or to copy things from other daws like bitwig.

Seems the real advanced trick is in creating your own objects with java code...when you want to create something special..

So my question is simple, what does Max add to live for you?

[V0RT3X]

How usefull is max for live?

I watched some video’s and it seems more like a huge modular toolbox then programming..

So how hard is it to get something usefull?

If you mean programming wise, then I don't really know as I've never tried to program with it. I imagine you can get lots of **Very** useful stuff out of it because you can make it yourself if you have the know-how.

As for the sound quality of MAX, I think it's up there with the best. I say this with a bit of knowledge as I *own* licences for products from U-he, Native Instruments, Fxpansion, and quite a few other top plugin makers.

Max has been used in Universitys to teach DSP for a long time, so it's got a very rich history.

Or do most people stick to the preprogrammed Max devices?

I can't speak for most people, but I personally find there is a HUGE library of preprogrammed devices totally worth buying or finding for free. Some of the better ones are payware, but you can find them on the Ableton site such as http://maxforcats.com/

So far it seems a tool that could be used to do the things people do in reason racks or to copy things from other daws like bitwig.

Well not really, because if you program the device yourself using the Max library, you are effectively "Creating" the device from scratch. So far Bitwig doesn't have this ability *yet* and when they do release version 3 with the modular playground, it still won't have anywhere near the amount of stuff that Max has. Max has been developed for a looong time.

As for Reason well you are limited to the rack devices and have no real way to program them yourself unless you use the Reason SDK and know a DSP programmer.

Seems the real advanced trick is in creating your own objects with java code...when you want to create something special..

Not so, you can still make a ton of great things without using Java.

So my question is simple, what does Max add to live for you?

Well the Maxforlive package for Live10 offers a LOT of new devices that I am enjoying quite a lot. Here is a listing of all the available Maxforlive patches you can purchase and get for free listed on Abletons site. This is really just scratching the surface as you can find a ton more in other places.
https://www.ableton.com/en/packs/#?item ... x_for_live

Max gives me a lot of weird and great sounding tools to mangle sounds with that I would often pay a lot for in a stand alone VST/AU made by a developer.

One thing I should probably point out before you jump into the wonderful world of Maxforlive, is that you need to approach it with a bit of knowledge beforehand to really get anything out of it. It isn't something you *have* to know, but it will help you when navigating through the libraries.

I think lots of people jump into these type of environments and expect tons of musical presets and detailed tutorials with each device like you might get with commercial plugins. This is often NOT the case and there is usually a decent learning curve involved. If you can keep an open mind and be patient you will be well rewarded with a whole new world of sound design at your finger tips.


That said you might want to check out the BEAP tutorial after you get M4L

https://cycling74.com/tutorials/beap-an ... um-outline

[colonel_mustard]

I don’t know if I’ll get into it. I think it might take me over if I did. Music (and video) responding to any information that your computer can be ‘aware’ of... The whole thing stinks of Skynet if you ask me.

[dave dove]

how far do you want to go?
I love max for live

Dave

[cron]

While I haven't really got into Max4Live, I did use Max quite a bit at university (back in the days when it was called Max/MSP) and I barely touched the audio side of it. I pretty much exclusively used it to generate/transform MIDI, where the bar of entry in terms of skill and study required is IMO much lower.

I also found Max a great toolbox for 'solving problems', and I imagine the tighter integration with Live is really helpful there. That side of it really shouldn't be underestimated. I can't remember where I saw it or what it was called, but I saw a Max4Live tool that simply allowed you to control multiple parameters anywhere in Live simultaneously with one knob, like a DAW-wide extension of Live's 'macro' concept, and I'm not being sarcastic when I say it's probably the most exciting M4L device I've come across. Didn't buy it because I resolved to make it myself. It seemed like something that someone with my very rusty skills could pull off. Naturally I haven't bothered yet.

[Toets]

how far do you want to go?
I love max for live

Dave

I did quite a lot of programming in my life
So when i found this video, i was trigered..
witouth any prior Max experience i was able to follow every step



Leaves me however with another question. Is Max for live the same version as the stand alone version of Max8, but then integrated in live with some live specific objects added? Or can de stand alone version do things(music related) that Max in live can’t?

[Winstontaneous]

Leaves me however with another question. Is Max for live the same version as the stand alone version of Max8, but then integrated in live with some live specific objects added? Or can de stand alone version do things(music related) that Max in live can’t?

The answers are yes and yes - M4L has a bunch of objects that show up with the familiar native Ableton device interface, and standalone Max has extra features detailed here:
https://cycling74.com/products/crossgrade

[Toets]

Leaves me however with another question. Is Max for live the same version as the stand alone version of Max8, but then integrated in live with some live specific objects added? Or can de stand alone version do things(music related) that Max in live can’t?

The answers are yes and yes - M4L has a bunch of objects that show up with the familiar native Ableton device interface, and standalone Max has extra features detailed here:
https://cycling74.com/products/crossgrade

Thank you..
Very helpfull..

Being able to directly access audio hardware and midi ports, is probably a requirement for some of my ideas.. saw there is also a monthly sub, might aswell start there to sea if those ideas work..

[Tj Shredder]

So my question is simple, what does Max add to live for you?

For me Live did not add anything to Max/MSP so I don’t own Live, but MAX/MSP is still the core of my music making since 25 years. If Live is valuable for you, M4L should open a universe...

[Kinh]

I'm interested in this too and would like to know which max devices do you use and why. Personally, I dont use any of them. Can they do anything great?

[WasteLand]

can the objects in m4l be compared to objects in OO, objects that expose there parameters, can be extended with functions, a new class can be created? my experience in OO isn't that bad, but more an a theoretically level, no also a practical level, but never used programming language with classes. ow well, yes java.... i was of the prototype... C i knew/know, C++ no experience.

but i am trying to implement my knowledge about programming (and i a reputation once, a long a time ago, so a lot is forgotten) into programming in M4L, and reaktor. i own both (live 10 suite, komplete 11 ultimate).

if i compare to reaktor 6.3, the primary, or user primary, or is it allready at another abstract level, i see a chip, with pins, i am from the old generation, programmed assembler on a z80A, i see a comparison to the cpu and an object, in an object, functions do process, the incoming parameters, and send them to the appropriate outputs.

[colonel_mustard]

I'm interested in this too and would like to know which max devices do you use and why. Personally, I dont use any of them. Can they do anything great?

LFOs on everything is nice. Well, I usually don't go above 3 or so, but they sure do come in handy when you want a bit more movement in a patch, or synchronised movements across a project. I don't mean to be obtuse here - it's actually a m4l device (i.e. not stock Ableton).

Still, I'm not so interested in playing somebody's mediocre synth when there are all of the other synths that we have nowadays. For me, the appeal (if I do go there, which I haven't) is the lego-ness of it all.

Are there any good resources out there? I saw a tutorial on LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda) where a guy set up a playstation game pad as a midi device, but most of it (about an hour of videos) was just trawling through other people's presets, which made me skip ahead.

[Toets]

I continued by study of Max today..

Most objects are pre prepared, seems sound qualitty is very much dependend on whats pre-prepared.. for example if the saw oscilator underperforms or is not up to time, the result will be audible.

[generaldiomedes]

I use max a lot for extra modulation that live can’t do such as lfos, envelopes, envelope followers. If max didn’t enable this I probably would have given up and moved to bitwig

[dave dove]

how do i use m4l?
click my signature

dave