we have to know Max to use RNBO
Hello
I'm a web developer
And a big user a of ableton live ( not MaxForLive )
And i would like to knwo if i have to learn MaxForLive before RNBO ?
Or maybe the Audio or Midi Javascript API ?
Before to start to learn RNBO
Do you have a roadMap th share to know the prerequite before to start to learn RNBO ?
Thanks
You can start out trying to learn RNBO, look on youtube for some tutorials there are some good ones, if you get stuck, start learning max, a lot of objects in max can be used in RNBO, and theres much more info on normal max vs rnbo
Hello WILONWEB,
RNBO and Max are very similar. If you think of them in terms of spoken languages they are a bit like British English and US English. So learning one of them will get you a very long way of understanding the other one.
RNBO is focused on sound generation and does not contain the Max-parts that deal with graphics and video processing (aka Jitter). On the other side RNBO allows to automatically transcode your patches to make them work on other platforms, like AU/VST plugins, websites, Raspberry Pi.
That said, there are vastly more resources available to start to learn Max than RNBO at this moment. For this reason I think it is a good approach to start going through the Max build-in tutorials for a start. Once you have a bit on a grip on how it works, and you may have created your first project try to reproduce it inside RNBO.
Also, in order to develop a RNBO patch it needs to be embedded in a Max patcher, even if its a very simple one.
As you are a web developer, it's similar to learning a new framework: It usually helps a lot to know your way around vanilla Javascript, before diving into Node.js, or AngularJs, and to build up complexity step by step.
Thanks guys.
RNBO is like a framework from Max ?
That was probably a not so lucky comparison. It's not a framework, it a visual programming language very similar to Max, that can be used inside Max.
What I try to express was: if you are new to Max and you start with RNBO right away, you'll have more complexity because the steps of exporting the patch for another platform and making it work there is added.
Ok thanks
So i start with Max and after i will try RNBO
These explanations are very unclear.
RNBO only works inside of Max. Which means you cannot use or learn RNBO without Max.
Which means you have to open a max patcher window first, then add RNBO inside of it.
RNBO is similar to gen~, but has more export possibilities. But like gen~ you send max messages into RNBO -- such as params to control the inner workings.
So its not really cut and dry that you should learn Max first -- it's more about what you want to do with RNBO and how you will use max messaging to achieve it.
I do not currently know of any RNBO use that does not have messages or controls connected to it (externally). So if you are building for web, plugin, external, etc, your functionality lies within RNBO, but controlling the functionality will come from Max.
unless...
As a plugin your controls will come from MaxForLive (or other). But it's the same thing. For example: if you build a basic amplitude control in RNBO, you can connect a dial or slider to it to control it in Max-- your audio signal will go through RNBO. If you export the RNBO as a plugin, then you can open it in MaxForLive and use a slider or dial to control the amplitude. (very simple basic example)
Also - (I don't know Ableton Live) but one of the points of RNBO that makes it special is that you can export your RNBO as plugin and open it in Ableton. Then I am guessing all your messaging will show up in Ableton (?).
Taking one step backwards, MaxForLive means you can write functionality in max and sort of slip your messaging into MaxForLive. There was once a time without RNBO!
To summarize:
RNBO lives inside of Max.
There is no reason to only learn Max first. Although understanding messaging (controls) will be helpful.
RNBO is like an engine that you can use inside of Max, or export as plugins to use in other programs.
MaxForLive is different in that you write in max, but the messages (controls) reside in MaxForLive.
Sorry for the long explanation - school starts soon and I need to get my mind out of the summertime creative gutter. haha, or, school starts soon and I need to practice explaining some the tools necessary to get into the creative gutter.
Very simple 101 patch of what I just said:
If you export the RNBO as a plugin, then you can open it in MaxForLive
max4live is just a max patch… no need for rnbo to create max patches that only exist within ableton as max4live devices(this is why they’re called ‘devices’ more officially than ‘plugins’…)…this talk of Max4Live in relation to rnbo doesn’t make sense. you can make max4live without rnbo, that would be a waste to buy rnbo in order to make max4live devices(you can export to au and vst which can be used as plugins beyond Ableton; this is the best way to understand rnbo: cycling74 made a business decision to join up with ableton to create max4live in order to keep making a certain amount of money, now that that decision is proving shortsighted as not everyone wants to use Ableton forever, Cycling74 is finally waking up and realizing it needs to offer more ways to keep max/msp relevant, so it’s now offering rnbo as a way to extend the algorithms you develop in max, to usages that fall outside of max; people have been asking for this for years because both PD and SuperCollider have proven more relevant in the way they offer reusable source code that can even be used on Linux… rnbo allows max to exist on a similar level of relevance and applicability now).
by offering a newer level of source code, rnbo also helps you learn and experiment in environs outside of max more fluidly and quickly(without paying for rnbo, i’ve used it to output quick vst/au to try in renoise, and to see examples of code i can learn from… you can get away with alot without ever having to save your rnbo patch(the paid version of rnbo allows you to save the rnbo patcher), if you know what you’re doing in max).