shaun dos santos

New to the Max world but I've been tackling patches here and there at a [slow] but gradual pace :)

I've recently created an Arduino controller with 3 potentiometers. Using some of the maxuino patch and a tutorial on youtube for a stereo delay I've got everything working fine in max standalone, but when I open the project in M4L it no longer works, with some objects I have defined no longer being recognised within the max console. I'm very stuck with what to do instead of these objects, I believe it is perhaps interfering with the port or perhaps I need to include a serial object but I just cannot work it out for the life of me.

I would really appreciate a nudge in the right direction so If anyone has any suggestions please fire away,

I've included my patch for anyone to have a look at [just don't be too harsh please haha]

I would really appreciate a nudge in the right direction so If anyone has any suggestions please fire away, 

I've included my patch for anyone to have a look at [just don't be too harsh please haha]


trouble-interfacing-my-arduino-controller-through-m4l

What is that "arduino 0" patcher which is missing ?

Probably that subpatcher is missing in your m4l device.

So if You can't find a way to include it properly, place serial object directly

Avoid using premade maxuinos, or whatever they call this arduino sketches together with complicated

max patches which most arduino and max learning folks just don't understand.

Code for 3 pots and corresponding max patch would need much less code than the text I am just writing.

Just not to be too harsh ...
What is that "arduino 0" patcher which is missing ?
Abstraction containing serial object ?
Probably that subpatcher is missing in your m4l device.
So if You can't find a way to include it properly, place serial object directly
in the main patcher.
And now to get too harsch...
Avoid using premade maxuinos, or whatever they call this arduino sketches together with complicated
max patches which most arduino and max learning folks just don't understand.
Arduino is simple to learn.
Code for 3 pots and corresponding max patch would need much less code than the text I am just writing.


I'm not exactly sure what it is doing, I believed it was passing information between the port and the route analog object at first ( within max standalone)

But within the M4L patch as you could see it doesn't understand what it is. I'm a bit stuck where to place the serial object, I'm thinking of scrapping most of the maxuino stuff, been nothing but headaches. I will let you know if I can figure it out.

I'm not exactly sure what it is doing, I believed it was passing information between the port and the route analog object at first ( within max standalone)
But within the M4L patch as you could see it doesn't understand what it is. I'm a bit stuck where to place the serial object, I'm thinking of scrapping most of the maxuino stuff, been nothing but headaches. I will let you know if I can figure it out.
thanks again Source :)


I'll be glad to help You with that stuff.

As first it is sure that "arduino 0" missing patch

You can check that in original patch which You used to

If this all is too complicated for You, just upload original patch

Also code that is uploaded to Your arduino.

If You want to develop own arduino to max analog pot,

no problem, I can upload some sketches and maxpatch to it.

I'll be glad to help You with that stuff.
As first it is sure that "arduino 0" missing patch
contains serial object.
You can check that in original patch which You used to
create m4l patch.
If this all is too complicated for You, just upload original patch
and I will check it for You.
Also code that is uploaded to Your arduino.
If You want to develop own arduino to max analog pot,
no problem, I can upload some sketches and maxpatch to it.


If I had to make a 3 potentiometers interface, I would use a Teensy as USB MIDI instrument. Particularly to use with Live. One would not even need Max, or M4L, just MIDI.

If MIDI wasn't an option, as I would like my potentiometer being 6 meters long and the 128 values of MIDI would not be enough, [serial] would be the way to do. And as Source Audio says, best to make it from scratch, as it would be lighter. Learning Arduino (Teensy is Arduino IDE compatible, BTW) is a nice skill to have.

If I had to make a 3 potentiometers interface, I would use a Teensy as USB MIDI instrument. Particularly to use with Live. One would not even need Max, or M4L, just MIDI. 

If MIDI wasn't an option, as I would like my potentiometer being 6 meters long and  the 128  values of MIDI would not be enough,  [serial] would be the way to do. And as Source Audio says, best to make it from scratch, as it would be lighter.  Learning Arduino (Teensy is Arduino IDE compatible, BTW) is a nice skill to have.


I agree totaly with MUSINOU - Teensy is also my preferable choice,

and oposed to serial and midi which sometimes can cause troubles, using

I have here Arduino sketch which reads 6 analog inputs and sends them

with prepended adresses 0 - 6, and a simple maxpatch to receive the 6 Values.

Pots have adjustable threshold so that values get sent only if pot value

exceeds the threshold, and so reducing jitter.

I agree totaly with MUSINOU - Teensy is also my preferable choice,
and oposed to serial and midi which sometimes can cause troubles, using
HID USB implementation is rock solid.
I have here Arduino sketch which reads 6 analog inputs and sends them
with prepended adresses 0 - 6, and a simple maxpatch to receive the 6 Values.
Pots have adjustable threshold so that values get sent only if pot value
exceeds the threshold, and so reducing jitter.


And as it seems impossible to upload zip file ?????

// connect 6 pots on first 6 analog pins, short any unused pin of the 6 to ground

byte currentPot[6] = {0,0,0,0,0,0}; byte pot[6] = {0,0,0,0,0,0};

int THRESHOLD = 5; // threshold for "Value Changed" recognition, change as needed

if(abs(currentPot[i] - pot[i]) > THRESHOLD)

Serial.println(currentPot[i], DEC); pot[i] = currentPot[i]; delay(10);}}}

// prints pots that changed value prepending pot number (0 - 5) for corresponding pots

// in max use route 0 1 2 3 4 5 to output 6 Pot Values

And as it seems impossible to upload zip file ?????
Here arduino sketch :

// connect 6 pots on first 6 analog pins, short any unused pin of the 6 to ground
// output range 0 - 255

byte currentPot[6] = {0,0,0,0,0,0}; byte pot[6] = {0,0,0,0,0,0};
int THRESHOLD = 5;  // threshold for "Value Changed" recognition, change as needed
void setup() { Serial.begin(57600); }

void loop() {
for(int i=0; i
if(abs(currentPot[i] - pot[i]) > THRESHOLD)
{Serial.print(i); Serial.print(" ");
Serial.println(currentPot[i], DEC); pot[i] = currentPot[i]; delay(10);}}}

// prints pots that changed value prepending  pot number (0 - 5)  for corresponding pots
// in max use route 0 1 2 3 4 5 to output 6 Pot Values


Trouble interfacing my Arduino controller through M4L