random loop build questions

daemo79's icon

I am new to Max/msp excited and daunted even with its user-friendlies.
First is there a guide of how too's rather than the really useful tutorials ( i can't seam to get my ideas into the patch format )
eg when i want to build a pitch shifter,or delay pedal all the help info comes up with object description's, but not in a way(for a noob) to use them.

Basically i know what i want to build i just don't know how to do it , even copying the tutorial patches is no help , and i experience lots of signal time lag.

If anyone can give me some direction much welcomed.

The concept has probably been done already, but here it is

Like a real time looper but rather than looping it sends out a manipulated sample to an external looper, so i guess its a sample generator that loops its samples or sends samples to be looped.

In real time, i want all parameters to be random within defined ranges, and to be user overridden , presets as well.
i want to record an external signal, its duration and start rec are random defined, this is then effected and warped , it is then sent to an external app most likely a channel in live.
Once it has been sent a bang is sent to start the process once again , or the start bang can be controlled to start at intervals.

So far i was thinking Using a transport that sends bangs at certain times, yet what is the easiest way to randomise all these parameters.
I cant figure the best rec option , as i dont want to record to hd ( do i?)
oh damn i am just confusing myself, i have absorbed to much information the last week, i cant even press go .

help?

ComfortableInClouds's icon

If you're looking for "how to's", take a look at the help files. They'll give you very basic uses of objects - but it's up to you to combine the objects and think about them in larger contexts.

Here's some objects for you to take a look at to realize what you want to do. Some are abstractions (this means, they are objects that are actually patches, just in object form. Take a look at the objects "inlet" and "outlet").

pitch shifters:
[transposer]
[gizmo~]
[freqshift~]

sample playback:
[grooveduck]
[groove~]
[play~]
[wave~]

recording:
[record~]
[poke~]

a good idea before you start working on a project in Max is to plan out how you can accomplish what you want to do. Draw it on a piece of paper. Write down the objects you think you might use. Perhaps right now you don't know how to - that's OK, that will come with time. My advice would be to take a long, hard look at all the objects related to your idea. Start building patches with them. If a patch doesn't work, post it on this forum and someone will fix it. Things will come together, I promise. Just takes time.

Also, you can search the documentation for keywords. And helpfiles give a list of related objects (this can lead to hours of fun surfing through objects).

Let me just conclude with this: there's a hump in the Max learning curve. At first you just poke around and are like "what? people make actual music with this?" but as you start to build more things, the beautiful ease and simplicity of the program unveils itself and you become addicted. This leads to learning more and more, so that your Maxing ability kind of snowballs.

DF's icon

ComfortableInClouds wrote on Tue, 10 March 2009 04:38the program unveils itself and you become addicted.

Ha, BE PREPARED FOR THIS ASPECT.....

Worse than crack (apparently)

Have fun (patient fun)
DF