default-settings

I just stumbled upon this very interesting file inside the Max.app package (precise location: Right-click on Max.app, select "Show package contents", go to Contents/Resources/C74/ )

It seems we can control all the objects' default color from here:

{
    "defaults" :     {
        "jpatcher_boguscolor" : [ 0.73, 0.62, 0.52, 0.35 ],
        "ezadc~_offgradcolor1" : [ 0.666667, 0.698039, 0.717647, 1.0 ],
        "message_gradient" : 0,
        "slider_bgcolor" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ],
        "umenu_arrowcolor" : [ 0.301961, 0.337255, 0.403922, 1.0 ],
        "button_outlinecolor" : [ 0.494118, 0.556863, 0.607843, 1.0 ],
        "dial_outlinecolor" : [ 0.494118, 0.556863, 0.607843, 1.0 ],
        "ezdac~_ongradcolor2" : [ 0.666667, 0.698039, 0.717647, 1.0 ],
        "flonum_tricolor" : [ 0.666667, 0.698039, 0.717647, 1.0 ],
        "gain~_knobcolor" : [ 0.301961, 0.337255, 0.403922, 1.0 ],
        "number_tricolor" : [ 0.666667, 0.698039, 0.717647, 1.0 ],
        "panel_grad1" : [ 0.666667, 0.698039, 0.717647, 1.0 ],
        "toggle_bordercolor" : [ 0.494118, 0.556863, 0.607843, 1.0 ],
        "umenu_bgcolor2" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ],
        "jpatcher_default_matrixplcolor" : [ 0.5, 0.9, 0.5, 1.0 ],
        "flonum_htextcolor" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ],
        "panel_bordercolor" : [ 0.415686, 0.454902, 0.52549, 1.0 ],
        "umenu_arrow" : 1,
        "dial_bgcolor" : [ 0.568627, 0.619608, 0.662745, 1.0 ],
        "ezadc~_ongradcolor1" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ],
        "number_bordercolor" : [ 0.494118, 0.556863, 0.607843, 1.0 ],
        "textedit_textcolor" : [ 0.101961, 0.121569, 0.172549, 1.0 ],
        "umenu_textcolor2" : [ 0.101961, 0.121569, 0.172549, 1.0 ],
        "jpatcher_bgcolor" : [ 0.666667, 0.698039, 0.717647, 1.0 ],
        "ezadc~_ongradcolor2" : [ 0.666667, 0.698039, 0.717647, 1.0 ],
        "message_bgcolor" : [ 0.568627, 0.619608, 0.662745, 1.0 ],
        "number~_bgcolor" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ],
        "panel_mode" : 0,
        "umenu_arrowframe" : 0,
        "umenu_framecolor" : [ 0.494118, 0.556863, 0.607843, 1.0 ],
        "button_fgcolor" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ],
        "dial_fgcolor" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ],
        "flonum_bordercolor" : [ 0.494118, 0.556863, 0.607843, 1.0 ],
        "gain~_bordercolor" : [ 0.494118, 0.556863, 0.607843, 1.0 ],
        "number_htricolor" : [ 0.921569, 0.94902, 0.05098, 1.0 ],
        "textedit_bgcolor" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ],
        "jpatcher_edit_framecolor" : [ 0.294, 0.0, 0.509, 0.15 ],
        "ezdac~_ongradcolor1" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ],
        "message_bgcolor2" : [ 0.568627, 0.619608, 0.662745, 1.0 ],
        "number~_bordercolor" : [ 0.494118, 0.556863, 0.607843, 1.0 ],
        "umenu_togcolor" : [ 0.984314, 0.819608, 0.05098, 1.0 ],
        "ezadc~_offgradcolor2" : [ 0.568627, 0.619608, 0.662745, 1.0 ],
        "flonum_htricolor" : [ 0.921569, 0.94902, 0.05098, 1.0 ],
        "gain~_bgcolor" : [ 0.94902, 0.94902, 0.94902, 1.0 ],
        "number_hbgcolor" : [ 0.094118, 0.113725, 0.137255, 1.0 ],
        "textedit_bordercolor" : [ 0.301961, 0.337255, 0.403922, 1.0 ],
        "umenu_textcolor" : [ 0.101961, 0.121569, 0.172549, 1.0 ],
        "jpatcher_editing_bgcolor" : [ 0.666667, 0.698039, 0.717647, 1.0 ],
        "newobj_color" : [ 0.494118, 0.556863, 0.607843, 1.0 ],
        "comment_bgcolor" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 0.0 ],
        "dropfile_bordercolor" : [ 0.568627, 0.619608, 0.662745, 0.0 ],
        "ezdac~_offgradcolor2" : [ 0.568627, 0.619608, 0.662745, 1.0 ],
        "number~_textcolor" : [ 0.101961, 0.121569, 0.172549, 1.0 ],
        "panel_bgcolor" : [ 0.666667, 0.698039, 0.717647, 0.0 ],
        "rslider_bordercolor" : [ 0.494118, 0.556863, 0.607843, 1.0 ],
        "toggle_bgcolor" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ],
        "umenu_discolor" : [ 0.666667, 0.698039, 0.717647, 0.501961 ],
        "jpatcher_locked_iocolor" : [ 0.301961, 0.337255, 0.403922, 1.0 ],
        "number_htextcolor" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ],
        "slider_knobcolor" : [ 0.494118, 0.556863, 0.607843, 1.0 ],
        "umenu_bgcolor" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ],
        "jpatcher_unlocked_iocolor" : [ 0.301961, 0.337255, 0.403922, 1.0 ],
        "newobj_textcolor" : [ 0.101961, 0.121569, 0.172549, 1.0 ],
        "comment_textcolor" : [ 0.101961, 0.121569, 0.172549, 1.0 ],
        "dial_needlecolor" : [ 0.301961, 0.337255, 0.403922, 1.0 ],
        "ezdac~_bgcolor" : [ 0.494118, 0.556863, 0.607843, 1.0 ],
        "flonum_textcolor" : [ 0.101961, 0.121569, 0.172549, 1.0 ],
        "gain~_stripecolor" : [ 0.666667, 0.698039, 0.717647, 1.0 ],
        "number_textcolor" : [ 0.101961, 0.121569, 0.172549, 1.0 ],
        "rslider_bgcolor" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ],
        "toggle_checkedcolor" : [ 0.301961, 0.337255, 0.403922, 1.0 ],
        "umenu_hltcolor" : [ 0.984314, 0.819608, 0.05098, 1.0 ],
        "jpatcher_default_plcolor" : [ 0.101961, 0.121569, 0.172549, 1.0 ],
        "ezadc~_bgcolor" : [ 0.494118, 0.556863, 0.607843, 1.0 ],
        "flonum_hbgcolor" : [ 0.094118, 0.113725, 0.137255, 1.0 ],
        "message_textcolor" : [ 0.101961, 0.121569, 0.172549, 1.0 ],
        "panel_grad2" : [ 0.301961, 0.337255, 0.403922, 1.0 ],
        "slider_bordercolor" : [ 0.494118, 0.556863, 0.607843, 1.0 ],
        "umenu_arrowbgcolor" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ],
        "jpatcher_default_sigplcolor" : [ 0.854902, 1.0, 0.513726, 1.0 ],
        "newobj_bgcolor" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ],
        "button_bgcolor" : [ 0.568627, 0.619608, 0.662745, 1.0 ],
        "ezdac~_offgradcolor1" : [ 0.666667, 0.698039, 0.717647, 1.0 ],
        "flonum_bgcolor" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ],
        "number_bgcolor" : [ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ],
        "rslider_fgcolor" : [ 0.494118, 0.556863, 0.607843, 1.0 ],
        "umenu_arrowlink" : 0
    }

}