Starting Points in Max pt. 4
How do you get started when you begin a project in Max? We asked 3 artists working with Max to share each of their personal starting points. The results are each a unique view into Max…
Lime68k
L68K: "The goal of this patch is to generate weird FM synthesis metallic textures and intricate variations, I've been using MC a lot for sound design and using simple interfaces like [nodes] and [multirange] are a good way to provide quick simple controls for different variations. This patch uses a simple [gen~] FM synth with 4 modulators which take advantage of the 'deviate' feature of MC to generate 16 different variations of the FM synth, which can be filtered and then goes into a comb filter which has its delay lines modified by 16 different constant signals that can be tweaked with the 'harmonics' feature. For extra layers of modulation and weirdness, the multichannel signal is spread out to get individual voices placed on the 2D space object [nodes] to be either a make dense sound by bringing the points closer or make a softer, wider sound and "events" by setting the points apart. Since we're still in the MC land, the output then gets an envelope with the [mc.evolve~] object, controlled with a [multirange] object. The envelope is driven by a [phasor~] that can have its rate modulated by a sinusoid. The patch can be used for sampling purposes and texture exploration in general. Since the input is a single point, you can replace the FM synth with any other sound source, but don't forget to make it multichannel!"
Lewis Keller
LK: "This patch is more of a collection of starting points which I´ve assembled into an almost fully fledged audio-visual generative system. When I started thinking about my starting point with Max, I came up with a list of little ideas that I gravitate towards when patching generative systems. There are two parts to the patch. The first is the fully fledged patch that you see when you open the project. Turn on audio and click the big toggle button and it will start spitting out chaotic jams. Explore a few presets to see/hear a bit more of what the patch can do and then uncheck the toggle to dig deeper. Take the patch out of presentation mode and follow the flashing comment to the button that opens the second part of the patch. This second part contains these ideas from my list distilled into their simplest forms. There are lots of other little nuggets of ideas and techniques spread throughout the main patch too. I hope you find something useful for your own patching!"
Marko Prsa
MK: "This patch demonstrates how, by using some of the most basic building blocks alongside readily available resources, you can start creating these really interesting bits of patching that, when combined, yield all sorts of fun and surprising results. This was one of my first patches, I started developing it a while ago when I began using Max, and I keep revisiting it to add and modify features. Over time, I’ve implemented a variety of functions—ranging from phasor/time manipulation and swing to alternate tunings and several ways of advancing through the sequence. All of these are very simple implementations that lend themselves to additional improvements and development. There’s also a simple FM synth I built for this patch—it’s a bit rough, but it produces some cool bleeps and blops! Hope you enjoy exploring it!"
by Andrew Benson on October 15, 2024
