g.centauri

I am new to this forum, as well as to computer music in general. I have known about max/msp for sometime now, I have seen people use it and seen some of what it is capable of. I am definitely interested in learning it, as my musical and artistic ideas seem to involve more and more things i imagine MAX to be useful for.

SO, I recently inherited an old iMac that happened to have MAX/MSP version 4.0.5 on it (i think it was MSP2). So far it seems that it is pretty close to the newer versions, at least in the basics, and i am just wondering whether or not i'll miss out on anything important using an earlier version. Also, are there any compatability issues with patches or other software using older versions? (i'm sure there probably are..)

Going even deeper into my ignorance of computer music, does anyone have any good resources for learning about MIDI, basic synthesis, and all that good stuff i should probably learn? Where were your own beginnings? Starting in our current technological age are there things obsolete that i needn't learn? Basically right now i have 2 old analog synths, only one has MIDI, and a casio from the 80's with MIDI. I have just an intuitive and slighlty technical understanding of how analog synthesis works, and the components that go into that, and i am just marvelling and overwhelmed at what i've heard people doing with MAX patches and digital synthesis... heck, i don't even know what grainular synthesis is, but it sounds cool.

So if anyone can provide some helpful guidance, i would greatly appreciate it. i've been glad to see so much support on this board in the posts i've read so far. thank you.

I am new to this forum, as well as to computer music in general.  I have known about max/msp for sometime now, I have seen people use it and seen some of what it is capable of.  I am definitely interested in learning it, as my musical and artistic ideas seem to involve more and more things i imagine MAX to be useful for.

SO, I recently inherited an old iMac that happened to have MAX/MSP version 4.0.5 on it (i think it was MSP2).  So far it seems that it is pretty close to the newer versions, at least in the basics, and i am just wondering whether or not i'll miss out on anything important using an earlier version.  Also, are there any compatability issues with patches or other software using older versions?  (i'm sure there probably are..)

Going even deeper into my ignorance of computer music, does anyone have any good resources for learning about MIDI, basic synthesis, and all that good stuff i should probably learn?  Where were your own beginnings?  Starting in our current technological age are there things obsolete that i needn't learn?  Basically right now i have 2 old analog synths, only one has MIDI, and a casio from the 80's with MIDI.  I have just an intuitive and slighlty technical understanding of how analog synthesis works, and the components that go into that, and i am just marvelling and overwhelmed at what i've heard people doing with MAX patches and digital synthesis... heck, i don't even know what grainular synthesis is, but it sounds cool.  

So if anyone can provide some helpful guidance, i would greatly appreciate it.  i've been glad to see so much support on this board in the posts i've read so far.  thank you.


new-user-old-version-a-few-questions

You're welcome to all of the documentation and examples from this website - and you may be able to update to the most recent version for OS9. Check out the downloads pages.

If you wish to obtain support and upgrades you will need to organise the transfer of the license from the original license holder if you have not done so already.

> SO, I recently inherited an old iMac that happened to have MAX/MSP 

> version 4.0.5 on it (i think it was MSP2). So far it seems that it 

> is pretty close to the newer versions, at least in the basics, and 

> i am just wondering whether or not i'll miss out on anything 

The main things which come to mind are the Java and JavaScript 

support (including the OpenGL JavaScript graphics stuff, which is 

certainly nice to have if you don't have Jitter). You haven't said 

which OS you're using, but I suspect it's OS 9(*), since Max made the 

A lot of the cool stuff happening at the moment is tracking the 

latest Max/MSP releases (4.5 and up, since 4.5 was a major feature 

bump) so it's worth investigating the upgrade. Since you say that you 

have "inherited" an earlier version, you should probably talk to C'74 

> Going even deeper into my ignorance of computer music, does anyone 

> have any good resources for learning about MIDI, basic synthesis, 

> and all that good stuff i should probably learn? Where were your 

If you've got MSP, then it's probably not worth worrying too much 

about the MIDI side of things; just go through the MSP audio 

(Having said which, I started with Max back around 1991 when MIDI was 

about all it could do - and MIDI was about all my Mac SE/30 could do 

as well - and I still make a lot of use of MIDI hardware. It is 

possible to ignore the MSP side and use external boxes for all the 

audio, but sooner or later you'll start tinkering and get drawn into 

(*) I'm wondering what support there would be for a "Max Retro" 

community working in 4.1 and OS 9 - I still have a couple of licences 

at that level. Patcher feature pollution would be a bit of a 

nick rothwell -- composition, systems, performance -- 

> SO, I recently inherited an old iMac that happened to have MAX/MSP  
> version 4.0.5 on it (i think it was MSP2).  So far it seems that it  
> is pretty close to the newer versions, at least in the basics, and  
> i am just wondering whether or not i'll miss out on anything  
> important using an earlier version.

The main things which come to mind are the Java and JavaScript  
support (including the OpenGL JavaScript graphics stuff, which is  
certainly nice to have if you don't have Jitter). You haven't said  
which OS you're using, but I suspect it's OS 9(*), since Max made the  
OS X jump between 4.1 and 4.2 (I think).

A lot of the cool stuff happening at the moment is tracking the  
latest Max/MSP releases (4.5 and up, since 4.5 was a major feature  
bump) so it's worth investigating the upgrade. Since you say that you  
have "inherited" an earlier version, you should probably talk to C'74  
about the state of that licence.

> Going even deeper into my ignorance of computer music, does anyone  
> have any good resources for learning about MIDI, basic synthesis,  
> and all that good stuff i should probably learn?  Where were your  
> own beginnings?

If you've got MSP, then it's probably not worth worrying too much  
about the MIDI side of things; just go through the MSP audio  
tutorials and help patchers...

(Having said which, I started with Max back around 1991 when MIDI was  
about all it could do - and MIDI was about all my Mac SE/30 could do  
as well - and I still make a lot of use of MIDI hardware. It is  
possible to ignore the MSP side and use external boxes for all the  
audio, but sooner or later you'll start tinkering and get drawn into  
it...)

(*) I'm wondering what support there would be for a "Max Retro"  
community working in 4.1 and OS 9 - I still have a couple of licences  
at that level. Patcher feature pollution would be a bit of a  
nightmare...

   nick rothwell -- composition, systems, performance -- http:// 
www.cassiel.com


Actually - I have been diggiing around a bit about the whole issue of license transfer. It may be that you are out of luck

https://cycling74.com/twiki/bin/view/FAQs/PoliciesFAQ

In order for the transfer of a license to occur, at the very least we would need to know all of the details of the original license holder.

i am new to this planet and to life in general, 

can anyone here please tell me everything i need 

i am new to this planet and to life in general, 
can anyone here please tell me everything i need 
to know to survive around here?


keep on maxin', you'll die anyway, at least you'll have fun till then... ;-)

-- 
Stefan Tiedje------------x----
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----------()-----www.ccmix.com


new user, old version. A few questions.