Resources for learning Jitter
Hi,
I'm a computer science student who did a previous degree in music, have been working with Max for about 5 years, but not too deep on the MSP side. However, I'm reading a great book on synthesis using MSP written by two Italian professors(?), and eagerly awaiting the 2nd and 3rd volumes. I'm also aware of another book on Max/MSP by an American professor.
Are there any other significant resources for mastering Max/MSP I'm overlooking? I'm sure this question has been asked a million times here already.
But more importantly, are there any resources for learning Jitter of the same calibre? I'm preparing for computer graphics and animation courses later in my degree (gotta hike through the prerequisite chain of stats, calculus and matrix algebra first), and in the meantime I'd like to master Jitter so I can do a great audio visual project for the classes using Jitter if possible.
Also, if anyone also knows, is that extension of Max/MSP 6 going to output C code? Thanks!
You're best off getting familiar with the MSP objects using the tutorials, then reading DSP (Digital Signal Processing) books to understand how digital audio systems work.
Strangely, there actually are not too many good books on DSP with Max/MSP. But Max has a number of help files as part of it, so start with learning basics about filters (Biquad, Comb, Lores, Onepole etc), Feedback, System architecture, ADC/DAC, Gain etc etc
Drop us an email if you need assistance with any of them or questions answered.
Regards,
1st Creative Labs Support Team
support@1stcreativesolutions.co.uk
www.1stcreativesolutions.co.uk
Thanks, I'm actually fairly well versed in digital audio, though there's always room to improve.
What I'd really like to find is a shortcut for mastering Jitter quickly. For my computer graphics course, I would much rather do a project involving building my own audio-visual parametric integration structures using matrix correlation sets (ie audio freq. -> colour, and so on), rather than something involving strictly basic graphics alone.
This means I will have get a good head start as it will be considerably more work than what they are expecting. However it is the basis for a lot of my planned future research, so I don't think there would be a better environment for early mockups than Max/MSP/Jitter, not by a long shot!
You know, it's really amazing to think how much power there is under the hood, much more than anyone has taken full advantage of so far (I mean, in ways that differ significantly in a novel creative capacity compared to other things out there).
But I think we are on the tip of the iceberg here, with Max 6 arriving, all of the gestural interfaces becoming more accessible (a Wiimote or Kinect is a lot easier for the average person to hook up, than, say an Arduino), and so on.
Now I think the work needs to be done to integrate the three areas together: auditory structures, visual matrix textures and overlays, and gestural data.
Not sure this is exactly the answer to exactly your question, but I thought I'd share some thoughts with how I learned Max/MSP and am learning Jitter.
Learning Max, MSP, and Jitter isn't so much about learning the "program" but learning the objects. And I've found the best way to do that is with the tutorials and the help patches... until you think you know enough to get started, then continue with more help patches and tutorials (and asking here) when you get stuck. I never actually got too far in the tutorials because using the help patches taught me most of what I know.
Max/MSP/Jitter are really (basically) all just passing numbers around, so passing numbers from Max to MSP to Jitter is all possible, and it seems that just learning that will help you out quite a bit, and that depends on what the object takes as its input.
So for example to go from freq. --> color is just taking the frequency (in Hz, or MIDI #) and making a conversion (probably with [scale] or basic math functions) and inputting that number into a jitter object (however is appropriate for that object).
So looking at help files will tell you exactly where and how to input those numbers into those objects. And tutorials will help you figure out what objects those numbers need to go into. And asking here on the forum will help you figure out anything you can't find (or what is unclear) in tutorials or help files.
Also what's helped me a lot is just reading posts here and learning about objects and the different ways people are using them.
So hopefully that helps you...
Mike
..and the new Vizzie modules are great for Jitter n00bs like me