super6

Ok first off im gonna say I don't know how much of a community there is here but im hoping there is at least a sign of one.

I have just jumped right in and purchased this program and have no idea where to start. Without wishing to turn this post into a very uninteresting life story,If you could just bare with me for a bit it should make sense.

I first heard about max after Jonny greenwood said he made a certain guitar effect in the program. having dabbled a bit in C++ and been scared stupid by it previous. The thought of programing put me off.

Being a bit older now and working alongside projects that have run off max, I have been amazed at the things people have produced.

If you have followed me this far then thank you im sure this could have been put across alot quicker!!!

Basically I just need to know a good 101 guide to Max. main things being Projection mapping, so i presume video manipulation is the basis of this?

interactivity with audio and video being another interest.

This may sound vague and stupid I know,but any help would be much appreciated.

I really want an understanding of the language and programing of max.

That is why I have paid the money instead of cracking it and just need a bit of guidance.

If you have followed me this far then thank you im sure this could have been put across alot quicker!!!
Basically I just need to know a good 101 guide to Max. main things being Projection mapping, so i presume video manipulation is the basis of this?
interactivity with audio and video being another interest.

This may sound vague and stupid I know,but any help would be much appreciated.
I really want an understanding of the language and programing of max.
That is why I have paid the money instead of cracking it and just need a bit of guidance.

sorry-im-a-newb-and-dont-know-where-to-start

just go to the help menu and there should be an item 'max tutorials'-- go through these one at a time, without skipping anything.* Do the same thing with the msp tutes and the jitter tutes.

If you get bored with this then you can supplement this trajectory with resources such as Baz tutes--

http://www.youtube.com/user/BazTutorials?feature=watch

http://www.youtube.com/user/dude837?feature=watch

or the hippy petchang guy for slightly obscure max secrets:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEbyGLkVnrk&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL71A2325EEEFC1923

there's a 'hard-copy' (pdf file) of the max tutorials here:

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ali/arts3603/C74_Tutorials/Max46Tutorial.pdf

the guy who wrote that document also authored this web page of max examples:

http://music.arts.uci.edu/dobrian/Music215S12/examples.htm

if you need to know more about specific audio synthesis techniques, psychacoustics etc (ie Waveforms, Harmonics, Additive Synthesis, Clipping, Masking, Beats, Filters, FM, AM) using max then this might be of use:

https://cycling74.com/project/e-a_musicprimer5/

that should keep you going for the next year or so ;-)

*btw this might sound condescending but it is intended as salient advice

 If you get bored with this then you can supplement this trajectory with resources such as Baz tutes--
http://www.youtube.com/user/BazTutorials?feature=watch

or dude837:
http://www.youtube.com/user/dude837?feature=watch

or the hippy petchang guy for slightly obscure max secrets:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEbyGLkVnrk&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL71A2325EEEFC1923

and there's a zillion videos here:
https://cycling74.com/videos

there's a 'hard-copy' (pdf file) of the max tutorials here:
http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ali/arts3603/C74_Tutorials/Max46Tutorial.pdf
it's for max 4, but still relevant

the guy who wrote that document also authored this web page of max examples:
http://music.arts.uci.edu/dobrian/Music215S12/examples.htm

if you need to know more about specific audio synthesis techniques, psychacoustics etc (ie Waveforms, Harmonics, Additive Synthesis, Clipping, Masking, Beats, Filters, FM, AM) using max then this might be of use:
https://cycling74.com/project/e-a_musicprimer5/

*btw this might sound condescending but it is intended as salient advice


Peter Batchelor has an excellent series of videos on youtube:

I watched most of them when I was just getting started and they were very helpful.

Floating Point condescending was anything but what i thought from what you wrote. Even though I would expect it from such a newb post lol. Thank you so much mate Likewise Kjelgaard much appreciated im gonna dive right in now very excited about what people are doing with the software.

Good to know there is a community going and i will keep you posted.

what ? what seemed condescending in Floating Point's post ? the max built-in tutorials are more than probably the best resource there is out there for a beginner, and it is often overlooked because it is built-in, and there is so much indispensable sutff in it... you should not overlook them...

hey vichug, super6 was saying the opposite -- i just stated that it might be read as condescending (i said:"go through these one at a time, without skipping anything.") as a footnote, and he was saying that he didn't find it as such ;-]

* but i was being a little cheeky about New Zealand accents (hippy pecheng)

hey vichug, super6 was saying the opposite -- i just stated that it might be read as condescending (i said:"go through these one at a time, without skipping anything.") as a footnote, and he was saying that he didn't find it as such ;-]
* but i was being a little cheeky about New Zealand accents (hippy pecheng)


The Christopher Dobrian and Peter Bachelor stuff will get you started quicker. But they will need underpinned by the built in tutorials. And buy Maurizio Giri's MaxMSP book. You'll be patching in no time.

I'm just starting out too... but I've been full immersion from the get go. I have to say.. this little program has changed my life. My only regret is that I didn't get involved sooner.

The specifics listed above are great advice. Just keep in mind that there is an initial barrier that you need to break through.. so don't give up. Don't be afraid of a little brain melt. It happens. What seems impossibly complicated now, won't be before long.

 more than anything. You will never know all there is to know about Max.. nor will anyone. But if you know how to think like Max.. you can figure out what needs to be done.

Above all.. whether you want to do music, video or whatever.. it's about 

. I don't mean that you use data to do this or that. I mean it's ALL data... which is a good thing.. because it means there is only one thing to learn... the flow of data. Learn to manipulate numbers, lists, floats, symbols, messages.. and eventually signals and matrices. That will allow you to do whatever you want. And then when you are doing all the fancy stuff - projection mapping, sound synthesis,whatever.. you will realize that it's still all data.

I'm just starting out too...  but I've been full immersion from the get go.  I have to say..  this little program has changed my life.  My only regret is that I didn't get involved sooner.

The specifics listed above are great advice.  Just keep in mind that there is an initial barrier that you need to break through..  so don't give up.  Don't be afraid of a little brain melt.  It happens.   What seems impossibly complicated now, won't be before long.  

It really all comes does to a way of thinking more than anything.  You will never know all there is to know about Max.. nor will anyone.  But if you know how to think like Max.. you can figure out what needs to be done.

Above all.. whether you want to do music, video or whatever..  it's about data.  I don't mean that you use data to do this or that.  I mean it's ALL data... which is a good thing.. because it means there is only one thing to learn... the flow of data.  Learn to manipulate numbers, lists, floats, symbols, messages.. and eventually signals and matrices.  That will allow you to do whatever you want.   And then when you are doing all the fancy stuff - projection mapping, sound synthesis,whatever..  you will realize that it's still all data.


( aaaah, my bad then........ english is so difficult :/ happy maxing everyone. )

Sorry I'm a newb and dont know where to start