TR-909 recreation as maxforlive Device using gen~ and code

Hey everyone,

I've been working on a full Max for Live recreation of the TR-909 over the past months – built entirely in Max/MSP and gen~. The goal was not just to emulate the sound, but also the workflow and live feel of the original machine.

Some key features:

- All drum voices synthesized with gen~ (no samples), hats/cymbals from original EEPROM data

- True 909-style shuffle, flam, and accents – also sent over MIDI Out

- Standalone sequencer with individual track lengths (up to 64 steps)

- Track probability, flam variation, velocity accents

- Pattern and kit switching in real time (kits can be assigned per pattern)

- MIDI Out to drive external gear with full expression

- Master saturation/distortion + 6 group audio outs

- Mute groups, solo, and live-oriented layout

- Fully MIDI-controllable for integration into performance setups

This was built with live use in mind – minimal GUI, fast hands-on access, and instant switching. Would love to hear your feedback – especially from anyone who performs live with hardware or does hybrid setups in Ableton.

If anyone’s curious, I also made a short demo video –

happy for comments!