FAQ: Max 6

System Requirements, Authorization, and Purchases

How do I authorize?

Visit the authorization page for detailed instructions.

Can I use my Max 5 serial number to authorize Max 6?

No. Max 6 requires its own serial number.

Where do I find my Max 5 or 6 serial numbers?


Your serial number was emailed to you if you purchased Max 5 or 6 directly from Cycling ’74. If you cannot find it, log into your NetSuite account, choose the “My Account” tab, and click on the “Max 5 & 6 Serial Numbers” link to see the list.

I want to move my Max install from one machine to the other. How do I do it? Do I need to de-authorize?

Currently, there is no de-authorization process. You may authorize on another personal machine so long as it belongs to you and Max is not used simultaneously on the two (or more) machines. If you wish to remove Max from a machine, simply trash the Max 6 folder.

I need to run Max simultaneously on more than one machine. Can I have extra authorizations for this?

No. Instead, you may use Max Runtime or Max Standalones to run patches on the unauthorized machines.

Can I authorize Max on both my Windows and Mac machines? Will my patches work on both platforms?

Yes, you can authorize both. And, yes, patches will work on both.

If I buy Max 6, can I also install and authorize Max 4 and Max 5?

Yes

Please note that Max 4, Max 5, and Max 6 are all separate, self-contained applications and you should have no trouble using them side-by-side on a single machine.

Where do I find my Max serial number?

Your serial number was emailed to you after you purchased Max or an upgrade. If you cannot find it, contact the Sales Dept and include your full name and any alternate email address you may have used for your purchase.

Is an academic or the 30-day demo Max a different application than the regular, permanent Max?

No. There is only one installer and only one flavor of the Max application. There are no limited or ‘crippled’ versions, except for the Max Runtime. The only difference between a ‘academic’ (student, teacher, or school) and ‘permanent’ license is the amount paid for the program and/or whether or not your license expires after some period of time (e.g. the 12-month student license). The ’30-day demo’ simply refers to the fact that Max will run without copy protection for the first 30 days. There are no limitations to the program during this period.

What are the system requirements?

Visit this page for details.

Important note for Windows users regarding Pace copy protection and your CPU type: Interlok, which is the copy protection system created by Pace we employ on all of our products, does not work on all CPU types. Pace copy protection for Windows only works on Intel and AMD processors. This mean that if you have another CPU type, for example a Transmeta CPU – you will not be able to run the full versions of any of our products. You will however, be able to use the runtime versions of Max 6.

Standalones and sharing your code with others

Now that I have made something with Max, I want to send it to others. How can I do that?

If it’s a Max Patch:

  • You can send your patch to any person who owns Max and has it installed. That person can just open it directly.
  • There’s also a 30-day demo available for downloading, if the person has not installed Max before.
  • If they do not have Max installed then you can direct them to download the runtime version of Max from our website. It is free and not copy-protected. Then they may open and use your patch.

If it’s a Max Collective:

You may also build a collective out of your patch. This bundles up your patch into one file to make it easier to send. It’s especially useful if your patch contains a number of different files. Collectives are cross-platform compatible (Max/MSP 4.3 or greater).

Like a Patch, a Collective also requires a Max installation, demo, or runtime version. Refer to the documentation for more details on how to create collectives.

If it’s a Max Standalone:

You may turn your patch into a platform-specific standalone application. A standalone does not require any additional Max installation or runtime. You can give this away free.

If it’s saved as a Max 6 Project:

The project is portable and can be opened by other Max 6 users.

I would like to sell my standalone application. May I do that?

Yes. You may do this without restriction in Max 5 and 6.

Can I authorize Max on both my Windows and Mac machines? Will my patches work on both platforms?

Yes, you can authorize both. And, yes, patches will work on both.

64bit Information

Is Max 6 a 32- or 64-bit application?

Max 6 is currently a 32-bit binary application. We hope to have 64-bit binary version of Max in the future, which will address 32-bit memory limitations. This is not to be confused with MSP’s signal processing bit depth, which has been updated to 64-bit in Max 6. A future 64-bit version of Max would require re-compilation of third-party objects for 64-bit compatibility.

What is the bit resolution of MSP signals and Max messages?

As stated above, MSP signals are 64-bit as of Max 6. Max 6 will not, however, support 64-bit floating point for ordinary Max messages. This is because changing the atom message data between objects is a substantial issue that would require a complex compatibility layer for existing Max objects, or require that all objects are re-compiled for a new atom type. Since this re-compile will need to happen anyway for a 64-bit binary version of Max, we have postponed 64-bit precision for ordinary Max messages until this 64-bit binary version of Max.

Translation Information

Can Max 6 be translated easily?

In Max 6, we have introduced an architecture for the translation of the user interface. We hope to extend this architecture to the rest of Max Documentation and Max patches at some point in the future.

Max for Live Compatibility with Max 6

Is Max 6 Max for Live compatible?

If you own Max 6, you may use it as your Max for Live device editor. If you only own Max for Live, or Max for Live and Max 5, you will use Max 5 as your device editor.

Will Gen work in Max for Live?

Gen works within Max for Live with a full Max 6 license. However, to edit Gen patchers in Max 6 or Max for Live, you will need to own a Gen license, which is an affordable add on to Max 6. See Shop for details.