New In Max

Max 9 was released October 2024. Discover what's new in Max 9 by visiting the Max 9 release page.

For the complete list of updates, see the Max 9.0 release notes. To get the latest version of Max, visit our Downloads page.

Max 8.6 Release

Max 8.6 was released January 2024. For the complete list of updates, see the Max 8.6 release notes. To get the latest version of Max, visit our Downloads page.

Sampling

Play SFZ Instruments

Load SFZ-format sampler instruments in Max and play them with simple MIDI messages using the new sfizz~ object. Learn more…

Create Your Own Samplers

With full support for both SFZ-formatted text files and dictionary input, sfizz~ lets you define your own sample-based instruments. With just a few opcodes you can define and experiment with your own sampler or drum machine. Learn more…

New Data Types

Max Arrays

At their simplest, arrays are like lists, with the added ability to include other arrays, strings, and dictionaries as members. This addition expands the flexibility of what can be done with data in Max, with over 40 new objects to manage and operate on arrays. Learn more…

Max Strings

Work with text in Max without the performance impacts and character limits associated with symbol usage. Over 30 new string objects provide ways to create, manage and manipulate strings. Learn more…

Max Updates

New Gamepad Object

Connect Max with any game controller using the new gamepad object, which provides fast, easy, and cross-platform connections to gaming hardware and outputs data in meaningful ways. Learn more…

New Color Themes

Max 8.6 introduces a collection of 18 new Max themes that let you extend the colors of the Max environment beyond light and dark grey. You can find these themes in the Max Preferences window.

Max for Live

MIDI Tools

Create custom Max patches that generate and alter MIDI data in a Live Clip.

live.modulate~

Use a signal or float value to alter Live parameters in realtime without changing the stored parameter value. Live modulation is an alternative to using live.remote~ to modify controls with Max for Live in realtime.

Previous Max Updates

Below are some highlights from recent Max releases. See the downloads page for more detailed notes.

Music with Signals

Objects for Signal-Based Music

Explore using signal ramps and pulses as the basis for generating musical sequences, with a suite of new objects like subdiv~, ramp~, table~, shape~ and phasegroove~. Learn more…

MC Snow

The new mc.snowphasor~ and mc.snowfall~ offer the ability to generate and modulate musical events based on a particle system approach borrowed from graphics. Learn more…

Modular Routing Made Simple

The new crosspatch UI object works similarly to the matrixctrl object, visualized as patchcords with optional attenuators for extra control over the mix. Learn more…

Signal-accurate MIDI Events

The mc.midiplayer~ object interprets a multichannel signal as MIDI events that can drive VSTs, AUs, Max Devices, and sfizz~. Learn more…

Jitter

Physically Based Rendering

The new jit.gl.pbr object lets you create and use PBR materials to render any jit.gl object. This offers a more realistic visual effect than the typical rendering pipeline.

Jitter Tools Package

Including abstractions for video-warping and projection mapping, loading multiple movie files, and generating gradients, the Jitter Tools package offers a small set of useful Jitter add-on features.

Max 8 Highlights

For a more detailed description of Max 8 features, see the Max 8 release page.

MC

MC introduces multi-channel signal patching in Max, allowing you to create more complex sound processes with fewer objects and patchcords. Learn more…

Node for Max

The node.script object brings the full range of modern NodeJS and NPM features to Max. Add a simple web server and integrate NPM libraries into a patch, with an API that allows for communication between a node script and the patcher.

VIZZIE Updated

With Max 8, the entire VIZZIE library has been rebuilt to run on the GPU, bringing greater performance and flexibility to this modular video processing collection. Learn more…

Mappings

MIDI and keyboard mapping of UI objects is now easily accomplished using the Mappings window in Max. Learn more…