Project Focus: Kadenze Coursework

Not all important Max projects exist in the Cycling '74 project gallery. Sometimes they are done by and hosted by third parties. One of the most significant of these has been coursework that is becoming a must-view for Max users of all experience levels.

This project is by the company Kadenze, which has lit up our Max learning options with the Matt Wright’s “Programming Max: Structuring Interactive Software for Digital Arts”. This is a comprehensive training course, spanning 10 sessions, that covers everything from patching and patch locking all the way through interface with external devices. The sessions each include between one and three hours of video, example content, exercises, forum threads and other resource connections to help you get up to speed on the material in play.

Kadenze has a unique way of presenting these classes: while the program is initially running, you interact with the group of students, turn in assignments and compare your work with others. The course, however, has just ‘finished’ - and this might seem like you’ve lost the opportunity to learn from Matt. However, all of the course material (including videos) and forum threads remain active, and you can ‘attend’ the class (or revisit it in order to sharpen you skills) at any time.

You can access Matt’s Programming Max class through this permalink.

I reached out to Kadenze to discuss the availability of the course for the future, and talked to course producer Sarah Reid. She confirmed that the course content would be available in the future, and also described their excitement in creating the class: “We were all really excited to make this course, and make it helpful to users at all levels. Half of us are Max users ourselves, which is why we're so proud to have it in our catalog.”

Regardless of your Max programming skills, you will find something of value by following Matt through his teaching - he is an awesome instructor, and has put together a focused and organized way to learn Max. If you, or someone you know, needs to learn Max (or learn more about Max), there may not be a better way to get it done. And as an added bonus, David Zicarelli makes a guest appearance to describe his perspectives in the developments of Max.

Enjoy!