John

Max was used to in every aspect of this project. The raw movies were made using Xtranormal, but playback is controlled in Jitter. The sounds are Reason synths being controlled by Max. The keyboard is a kslider being added to a jitter matrix using jit.display.

triad-id-jitter-style

Triad ID, Jitter style

phillipm@ohio.edu

e-a_musicprimer6

E-A_MusicPrimer and Mar(r)xTutorials (updated 3/2013) **new versions available**

sine

It seems like everyone is changing the world these days.  Everyone has a story about how they are recycling, composting, going vegan, driving electric cars, reducing greenhouse gases, or sending free-range chickens to college so they can feed starving children who are building houses for the homeless.

So, if you were told that a teen center in Ann Arbor, Michigan was working hard to make a difference in kids' lives, you may be tempted to overlook its significance.

Because when you hear what the Neutral Zone is doing to shape the future of teenagers, you may molt that cynical husk.  You might even be moved.  Because the Neutral Zone is doing it right.

The idea began in 1998 when a group of Ann Arbor teens realized there was a strong need for an after-school center where young people could acquire new skills, express themselves freely, and gather to learn about each other.  From this simple premise, the Neutral Zone has grown from a handful of teens to a hub of creative activity that boasts 25,000 visits a year.

Many of those visits are by Alice Held, a high-school student that enriches the daily activities at the Neutral Zone as much as she benefits from them.  In her third year of involvement, Alice has done everything from assisting in the writing of grants to improve the music facilities at the center, to giving tours to interested patrons that visit, to contributing to her attended programs, to setting out snacks for hungry teens.

“That's what I like about the Neutral Zone so much:  there are opportunities for every person that comes in due to our diversity in program areas.”

The Orpheum Recording Studio at the Neutral Zone

The Neutral Zone offers several different programs in music, writing, and the visual arts.  Teens at the Neutral Zone learn how to hone their creative efforts in settings like the DJ Workshop and Beatmaking class; the Short Story Workshop and VOLUME Youth Poetry Project; and the NZ Visual Arts Council's multitude of workshops including painting, sculpture, and photography, to name but a few.

One such program is run by Alvin Hill.  Alvin is a cross-medium performer, composer, DJ, and educator.  Currently a Lecturer and Media Support Specialist at the University of Michigan’s Residential College and an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Alvin’s “jit.NZ” program explores multimedia performance using Max from Cycling ’74.

Firmly nestled at the nexus of art, music, and engineering, Max is a software mainstay taught at universities including UC Berkeley (CNMAT), Columbia, and NYU.  A suite of multimedia programming tools packaged in a graphical interface, Max is used by everyone from artist/engineer Daito Manabe, to avant-electronica musicians like Autechre, to rock band Radiohead.

Max is praised for its quick customization, extensive interconnectivity, and superior adaptability.  It is no wonder it has found a home at the Neutral Zone.  Alvin thinks Max and the teen center are an obvious fit.

“Ever since I started using Max I have wanted to pair it with teenagers because they are both boundless.  Teens have boundless imagination and Max has boundless possibilities.  It is up to me to help them find the connection -- that perfect patch cord to connect the two.”

Alvin’s program, “jit.NZ”, provided live visual accompaniment for several acts at the teen center’s “Breakin’ Curfew” concerts.  Several acts performed at a 1300-seat venue called the Power Center, where a live camera feed of the performances was fed into Max during the show.  Some of the visuals were then affected and influenced by the audio from the groups performing.  The pairing of Max’s open-ended nature with the teeming imaginations of the teens at the Neutral Zone has paid off.

“The biggest advantage [of using Max] is that Max is flexible and adaptive and allowed the teens to perform visuals and create types of interactivity in realtime that no other software would,” Alvin reported.

But the Neutral Zone doesn't just foster teens' love of creative endeavors by helping them refine their skills in a particular art form.  The NZ works hard to educate teens in the ancillary areas that orbit their craft.  Classes are offered in music business, sound engineering, computer music, and promotion.  There is an onsite recording studio, a youth-operated record label, publishing house for writing, regular art shows to display the teens' work, and a full stage equipped to handle elaborate performances.  There is even mentorship in navigating the college application process, and programs that provide work opportunities.

“The Neutral Zone has a teen internship for seniors, where they work several hours a week and also volunteer.  I think it is a great opportunity for seniors to gain work and volunteer experience before they head off to college,” said Alice.

Yet, the development of self and creativity cannot thrive unless a young artist has an environment within which they feel safe to explore.  The Neutral Zone is well aware of this, and offers several different leadership programs to give teens a safe place to discuss the issues they face as artists, and as people.  There are programs like North Star, an open discussion group for young women; Riot Youth, a space for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered individuals to network and socialize; and SEED, a community designed to further teens’ understanding of diversity.

“The first day I went [to the center], I immediately felt accepted and included,” Alice explained.  “The Neutral Zone provides a base for teen artists and leaders to really progress, not only as students, artists, musicians, and writers, but also to develop as young adults.  The Neutral Zone community has always helped me through my tough times, and it’s basically my second home.  A lot of teenagers feel the same way.”

Alvin agrees that the Neutral Zone’s open invitation to all who want to become involved is a major contributor to the center’s success.

“The Zone is an inclusive space.  Many organizations have to recruit to make their spaces diverse.  The Zone is diverse because it is welcoming to all,” he said.

And here's the real kicker -- a majority of the board of directors at the Neutral Zone is comprised of teens who lead the charge in how the NZ operates.  Talking about a project is fine, but it must be cleared by the youth-driven leadership before it becomes a reality.  This isn't merely an afterthought.  It's the core belief behind the Neutral Zone's operation, and it is no doubt a major reason why the NZ is so successful.

“The Neutral Zone is all youth-led and youth-run,” Alice explained, “which is very rare to find anywhere else. We have adult advisors that oversee the program meetings, but the teen facilitator is in charge and every teen in their program has a say in how to run the program.  All the teens here get a chance to share their voice on how we could improve the Neutral Zone, which is something I don't think you could find anywhere else.”

Alvin agrees that the Neutral Zone’s operating procedures are quite rare.

“I have spent many years working and volunteering at several teen centers in the Detroit area and it is clear that the character and atmosphere of the Zone would not be what it is without teen involvement at all levels,” Alvin explained.

This ability of the center’s teens to steer not only their own trajectories, but the path of the Neutral Zone itself, is a key component in the center’s overwhelming success, according to Alice.

“If we had a teen center that was developed only for specific people and we [just] had formal programs, it wouldn't be as inclusive.  We are allowed to customize our programs and make them our own.”

This customization makes the Neutral Zone’s inherent mode of operation as unique as the very people who attend its myriad programs and shape its future.
 “The Neutral Zone is not for a specific person, it is for a diverse group of people, you can customize it to make it your own individual experience,” Alice continued.

One of the reasons the Neutral Zone works so well, Alice explained, is because young people are given the respect they deserve by allowing them room to grow in their own way.

“[The staff] expects you to be honest and responsible, and when you have that trust you feel good. The staff treats us like the young adults we are, not like children.”

Those that are lucky enough to be involved at the Neutral Zone find themselves fostering a life-long affinity for the organization.  It is the type of place people do not want to leave.

Says Alvin, “As long as the teens let me, I will continue to offer this program.  The Neutral Zone teens inspire me and keep my own ideas fresh as a performer.”

And even though college is just around the corner for Alice Held, she still plans to maintain her connection to the center that gave her the structure she needed to develop, and gave her the community she loves.

“It is a great feeling to know that I participated in something that is changing so many teens' lives. When I graduate high school, I know I will be visiting to see the progression we have made.”

With education in their areas of interest, access to the means of creation, the ability to present their work to a wide audience, and the opportunity to be themselves among their peers, the Neutral Zone is everything a young creative person could hope for.  It’s the whole package.

The Neutral Zone actually is changing the world, one teen at a time.

For more information, visit http://www.neutral-zone.org.


Learn more about the Neutral Zone: http://cycling74.com/2012/11/27/teens-shape-their-future-at-the-neutral-zone/

The Jitter Project at the Neutral Zone

The Neutral Zone empowers teen creativity.

teens-shape-their-future-at-the-neutral-zone

Teens Shape Their Future at the Neutral Zone

Enrico Gazzetto

VisualMIX is an educational software developed in Max for my bachelor thesis.  

The software provides users with simple audio-mixing functionalities such as panning, EQ and volume control in a visually intuitive way. Its user interface represents the stereo field as a semicircle and each of the audio tracks as draggable icons. 
With a videogame-like structure, it offers three different multitracks to manipulate in order from the easiest to the hardest (difficulty given by the amount of audio tracks). 

VisualMIX aims at getting young people interested in the mixing and music production world; it could be a useful tool for music teachers in secondary schools and  high schools to give their students an introduction to these topics.

Link for the standalone version: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Cd5xXCZ9ueQyA8Y6mGs9VTUUjmVmjxow?usp=sharing 

VisualMIX is an educational software developed in Max for my bachelor thesis.  
The software provides users with simple audio-mixing functio

visualmix

VisualMIX

Brian H.

A demonstration of how a virtual directional pattern can be created and controlled by the combination of 2 different mics...Or, how to roll-your-own polar patterns.  I wrote an article on this for Electronic Musician magazine.Select the type of audio source to use– Live mic inputs or an interleaved-stereo wave file.  In either case, the omni (pressure) element should be in the L channel and the fig8 (gradient) element in the R channel.Because you probably don't have one of these files lying around, one is included to demonstrate– A flute/piano duet, recorded on opposite ends of a room with the mic array in the middle (see the picture). The link downloads a 23 MB Zip file containing the Max patch as an application (Mac OS only), short audio file, and photo of the setup used for the audio file.  If you take it for a spin, please leave a comment.

polar-pattern-creator

Polar Pattern Creator

Luis

Sim-AV develops and promotes the use of audio equipment simulators for pedagogical use in arts education.

sim-av

Sim-AV

bodsiin

The aim of the project itself is to reduce the learning curve for Max novice users.

practical-starting-guide-to-maxmspjitter

Practical starting guide to Max/MSP/Jitter

Martin Olavarria

MaxZine es un fanzine digital sobre Max/MSP en español. Un fanzine educativo en un patch de Max. En el vol. 1 exploramos los diccionarios, una estructura de datos muy importante para proyectos de todos tamaños.
Empezaremos con las definiciones básicas, mensajes get y set, un ejemplo práctico de uso y finalmente como guardar la data de nuestro diccionario en un archivo JSON.

MaxZine es un fanzine digital sobre Max/MSP en español. Un fanzine educativo en un patch de Max. En el vol. 

maxzine-vol-1-un-fanzine-en-español-sobre-max

MaxZine vol.1 - Un fanzine en español sobre Max

Lilli Wessling Hart

First Five Max Certified Trainers Introduced 

Today, Cycling ’74 announces their new Max Certified Trainer Program by introducing the first five Max Certified Trainers. This program enhances the Max community by offering more independent learning opportunities.

These Max Certified Trainers or Max CTs are a group of diverse independent educators who are not only knowledgeable but can instruct others to become better Max programmers. The Max CTs have strong general knowledge and will bring their experience of specific areas of Max's offerings, whether it be topics like advanced MSP, Jitter, or I/O interactions.

Melody Loveless - Brooklyn
Melody Loveless is an artist, musician, performer and educator who works with creative and interactive technologies. Her expertise includes teaching first-time users and programmers, consulting other educators on curriculum, and showing artists how to incorporate Max into their practice to create interdisciplinary projects. She believes in technology’s potential to empower others to create art and enjoys sharing techniques and ideas with others. 

Phelan Kane - Berlin
Phelan Kane is a Berlin and London based music producer, engineer, artist, developer and educator. For over twenty years, he has been active in both the music industry and the contemporary music education sector, with a focus on electronic music and alternative bands.

Kyle Duffield - Toronto
Kyle Duffield is a Toronto based Interactive Experience Artist and Designer who makes immersive installations and brand activations. His decade-plus teaching and consulting expertise spans audio, video, creative coding, electronics, interaction design, and spectacle creation in the form of university courses, workshops, and tutoring sessions.

Andrew Robinson - Tempe
Andrew is an Interactive Experience Designer with a focus on creating real-time audiovisual animations and lighting installations. His design work has been featured in live experience settings such as music performances and museums across the country. He also has a passion for learning and sharing knowledge of design and Max MSP and runs a Youtube channel where he documents his installation builds and shares Max programming techniques.

Chloe Thompson - Brooklyn
Chloe Alexandra Thompson is an interdisciplinary artist and touring sound designer whose works and workshops have been featured in galleries and performance spaces domestically and internationally. Using Max, Thompson creates unique sonic environments and interactive performance tools.

“It has been a dream for many of us at Cycling '74 to see the Max Certified Trainer Program realized. We're excited to see what the first 5 Max CTs and the program as a whole will do to empower Max users.” said Josh Weatherspoon, Cycling ’74 Certified Trainer Program Lead.

“We have been working with the first cohort of Max certified trainers to curate online courses and meetups. They are a group of diverse, talented and passionate teachers who can support beginners with their first steps with Max, as well as teach advanced users.” said JB Thiebaut, Music Hackspace founder and CEO.

**********

If you would like to set up a one-on-one lesson or hire a Max CT for a workshop, please head over to our Certified Trainer page .

Cycling ’74 creates software for the specialized needs of artists, educators, and researchers working with audio, visual media, and physical computing. Our visual programming tool Max serves as the creative engine behind thousands of innovative projects. Its iPad app Mira allows the user to expand beyond the Max environment for increased flexibility. 

More information about Cycling ’74 and its product line available here:
https://www.cycling74.com
https://www.facebook.com/cycling74
https://twitter.com/cycling74
https://www.instagram.com/c74connect/
https://www.youtube.com/user/cycling74com

Download the press images here, and contact Lilli Wessling Hart (pr@cycling74.com) with specific graphics requests.

MaxCertifiedTrainers-Cycling74-feature.png

First Five Max Certified Trainers Introduced

cycling-’74-announces-new-max-certified-trainer-program

Cycling ’74 Announces New Max Certified Trainer Program

Luke Woodbury

[gallery ids="324620,324637,324639,324636,324638,324621,324626,324627,324622"]

The Pop Up Play project explored how immersive digital technology can be used to create learning opportunities for children and young people, in order to enhance their creativity, language and communication skills. The project was funded by the Digital R&D Fund for the Arts andwas a joint project between The Spark Arts for Children,De Montfort University and Dotlib Ltd (Luke Woodbury).

The Pop Up Play system is comprised of three parts - a video system, audio system and a lighting system. Each of these systems have a bank of selectable settings and media that can be linked together to provide one button scene changes. Accessible iPad controls enables the person using the technology to be mobile whilst running the session, and also for the young people themselves to be able to take control.

The visual system makes use of a 3D depth sensor, namely a Kinect camera, which can bring the participants into the screen, whilst cutting out the background. From here elements of the digital and real world can be mixed together and, due to the body tracking capabilities of the Kinect camera, it is also possible to track items onto a user's body or do full body digital puppetry. A further alpha enabled video layer allows environmental/ weather effects to be overlaid on the main visual and a USB camera can be used to bring real world items into the digital environment.

The audio system gives a bank of ambient background sounds and two further banks of sound effects that can be used, as well as microphone input. As with all parts of the system, all that is required to change or add to media is to simply add or remove things from a folder structure. The system will simply pick up new files at the press of a button. For example, users of the system could create their own body parts for a digital puppet and just copy them into a folder.

The lighting system is designed to work with 4x6 channel RGB DMX fittings, though by setting up the DMX devices with the same addresses you could have any number with four individual output colours. The lighting system is very simple to use; using a single finger a user can scroll through all the colours of the rainbow effortlessly.

Go to the Github link for the Max files, or the main website for the Windows exported application, the software is free and licensed under the MPL open source licence, though it does have some third party requirements. The main website also has some additional resources and details of the research that accompanied this project.


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