Joey

I'm rather new to Max as a standalone; I've been using patches in Max for Live, and of course everything interfaces just fine using Live's browser and sample library. I recently came across this wonderful step sequencer:

http://www.audibleoddities.com/twerk/?p=44

Which raised a further question. The file downloaded as a folder with .maxpat, .pct, and .mxo files inside.

I'm unfamiliar with these types of files as of yet, and with them all being of the same type, I'm not sure which one to open as it is supposed to be a single device. Would opening any single .maxpat in max 5 reference all other files in the base folder? Or am I opening just a "section" of the entire patch I want to use?

A second question I have is interfacing with Ableton Live. How would you, as the enduser, go about interfacing this max patch with a piece of software like Ableton? I of course would like to use Max for Live, so I copied the patch and pasted it as a max device inside live, but the graphics didn't copy over and the majority of it is disfunctional.

I was just curious as to the workflow you would implement to "use" this device hand in hand with another piece of software.

a-quick-question-about-file-formats-also-how-would-you-interface-this

They're different types of file, all used by Max/MSP (or the MaxMSP Runtime).

You want to open the .maxpat, the others are auxiliary files used by the main patcher (.maxpat file). If there is more than one .maxpat, you'll need some documentation to know which one is the main one.

I see that there is a note on the Audible Oddities page saying it "may require some editing of paths" to work. You may well need to spend some time with the Max documentation reading about the Max search path to get the full functionality. Sorry not to have an easier answer.

I plant to dive pretty heavily into Max and MSP in the near future, so I certainly don't shy away from complexity.. It's just nice to clear up a few uncertainties.

I'm still a bit curious as to how one would exactly use the patcher with third party software; would it be easiest to make an AU or VST out of the patch and open in third party software? Would it be best to simply use the patch as a stand alone device and work completely from within Max? What method do you think is most "standard"?

A quick question about file formats.. also "How would you interface this?"