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    The list of what we're discovering about Max and our users grows each day. We tackle everything from hardware reviews to re-reading books from decades past.


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    Book Review: Broken Music - Artists' Recordworks

    by Gregory Taylor on
    December 4, 2018

    Sometimes, a really amazing book will go out of print and increase in cost to ridiculous prices on the secondhand market owing to scarcity and demand. All one can do is to watch the prices rise and continue to regret that point at which you passed on the chance to pick up a copy. But sometimes, Fortune smiles. One of those books for me is back in print at popular prices - the single most essential go-to listing/discography of records created by visual artists.

    An Interview with Gregory Taylor

    by Darwin Grosse on
    December 4, 2018

    Cycling '74 and author Gregory Taylor published a book that takes the creation of step sequencers using Max as its subject: Step by Step: Adventures in Sequencing with Max/MSP. We invited our friend Brad Garton for a spoiler-free chat with newsletter wrangler Gregory Taylor about the new book - where it came from, what it’s for, and more.

    Searching in Max 8

    by Gregory Taylor on
    November 21, 2018

    All of us who check the Forum with any regularity run into “help request” postings that assume a variety of forms, from a student reaching to extend their project to the hopeful new user with a really big idea and no idea of how to start (and nearly everything in between). I expect that everyone can identify with both of them, upon a moment’s reflection. The arrival of the new search features in Max 8 will really change the game for new users - and more seasoned Max programmers, as well.

    An Interview with Kevin Kripper

    by Gregory Taylor on
    November 7, 2018

    While I'm sure that many of you have already downloaded the Vsynth collection of modules for Jitter via the Max Package Manager (if not, I highly recommend it), I'll wager that many of you - like me - have wondered about the person who made it. Kevin Kripper, the creator of the Vsynth package, was kind enough to sit down for a brief chat about himself and his work.

    Announcing Expo '74

    by David Zicarelli on
    October 25, 2018

    Cycling ‘74 invites you to join us at Expo ‘74 2019. It will take place April 26-28 at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts, USA.

    Software/Hardware Overview: Let Us Praise the Mellotron

    by Gregory Taylor on
    October 23, 2018

    Beyond things like the Stradivarius or the Les Paul, there are iconic electronic sounds, too - and perhaps no sound quite so iconic as the Mellotron. Here's a rundown of the instrument in its current forms, along with resources for the stage, studio, or bedroom-based Max user.

    If you are in Tokyo this weekend (October 20-21, 2018)

    by Darwin Grosse on
    October 16, 2018

    Check out a Hackathon dedicated to design and coding for the ROLI Blocks: October 20-21, 2018!

    An Interview with Jessica Rodriguez

    by Gregory Taylor on
    October 9, 2018

    Sometimes, an interview occurs at a near-perfect time and place, and the conversation doesn’t just stop at pieces and tools - it moves on to wider vistas and other questions that inform the narrower set of questions we usually ask and answer. Jessica Rodriguez was, I think, in one of those places, and I think you’ll enjoy her take on identity, choices of tools and self-identification, and the kinds of reflection we engage in at points of transition.

    Max 8 is here

    by David Zicarelli on
    September 25, 2018

    On behalf of our co-workers at Cycling ’74, we’re pleased to announce the release of Max 8, our first major upgrade to the software in four years.

    On The Road: KnobCon 2018

    by Gregory Taylor on
    September 11, 2018

    I've added a new gathering to my list of sprawling, aurally/visually assaultive, and thoroughly addictive annual treasure hunts alongside Superbooth, NAMM, and the Musikmesse- KnobCon. Although I knew about the buzz about the show and its particular vibe, I’d never had the chance to attend. This year, the stars aligned, it was a short drive from my geolocality, and the ticket price was wonderfully right. So off I went. Here's some of I saw and heard....