FAQ: Max 6

1. If you haven't already installed the software, please do so by downloading Max 6. (If you own Max for Live, see Important Notes below.)
2. Launch the Max 6 application.
3. Click "Authorize".
4. UNcheck "Use my iLok smart key" and click "Next".
5. Leave "Internet activation" selected and click "Next".
6. Enter the serial number in the prompt of your web browser.
7. Click the "Authorize" button and your computer is authorized.

Important Notes

• If you get a new computer that you'd like to install this software on, you may do so by following the same steps listed above.
• If you need multiple authorizations, while Cycling '74 limits the total number of computers a user can authorize, our single-user license agreement does allow multiple authorizations, as long as the software is only running on one personal computer at a time.
• If you do not have internet access on the machine being authorized, or Internet Activation fails because of connectivity issues with our authorization server, you may attempt Manual Activation instead, and submit your Challenge string to the Challenge/Response Authorization Form
• In order to authorize Gen, you must have Max version 6.1.8 (or later) installed.
• If you own Ableton Live or Max for Live, you must also own Max if you want to authorize it. Max is a different product from the Max for Live editor (included in Live 9 Suite or purchased separately as "Max for Live"), but the Max installation is still necessary to run the Max for Live editor. There is no need to separately authorize the Max for Live editor, as Live 9 Suite or Max for Live is authorized by Ableton.

If you have followed the instructions and still cannot authorize, please email the details to auth@cycling74.com.

• If you do not own an iLok and would like more information, please visit the iLok website.
• iLok authorization is not available for Student 12-month Max.

1. Review the iLok FAQ.
2. Go to the iLok Authorization Form.
3. Enter the required iLok information.
4. As soon as your iLok account has been verified, an asset will be deposited, and you will be notified.

No. Max 6 requires its own serial number.

Your serial number was emailed to you if you purchased Max 5 or 6 directly from Cycling '74. If you cannot find it, e-mail your full name and any alternate email address you may have used for your purchase to serialnumber@cycling74.com.

There is no de-authorization process. You may authorize on another personal machine so long as it belongs to you and Max is not used simultaneously on the two (or more) machines. If you wish to remove Max from a machine, simply trash the Max 6 folder.

No. Instead, you may use Max Runtime or Max Standalones to run patches on the unauthorized machines.

Yes, you can authorize both. And, yes, patches will work on both.

No. Max is a different product from the Max for Live editor, but the Max installation is still necessary to run the Max for Live editor.

If you have Max 6.1.7 (or older), follow these instructions:

If you have Max 6.1.8 (or later), separate authorization for Gen is not necessary.

No. There is only one installer and only one flavor of the Max application. There are no limited or 'crippled' versions, except for the Max 6 Runtime. The only difference between a 'academic' (student, teacher, or school) and 'permanent' license is the amount paid for the program and/or whether or not your license expires after some period of time (e.g. the 12-month student license). The '30-day demo' simply refers to the fact that Max will run without copy protection for the first 30 days. There are no limitations to the program during this period.

Visit this page for details.

Important note for Windows users regarding Pace copy protection and your CPU type: Interlok, which is the copy protection system created by Pace we employ on all of our products, does not work on all CPU types. Pace copy protection for Windows only works on Intel and AMD processors. This mean that if you have another CPU type, for example a Transmeta CPU - you will not be able to run the full versions of any of our products. You will however, be able to use the runtime versions of Max 6.

If it is a Max Patch: You can send your patch to any person who owns Max and has it installed. That person can open it directly, edit and save. If they do not have Max installed then you can direct them to download the runtime version of Max from our website. It is free and not copy-protected. Then they may open and use your patch.

If it's a Max Collective: You may also build a collective out of your patch. This bundles up your patch into one file to make it easier to send. It's especially useful if your patch contains a number of different files. Collectives are cross-platform compatible (Max/MSP 4.3 or greater). Like a Patch, a Collective also requires a Max installation, demo, or runtime version. Refer to the documentation for more details on how to create collectives.

If it's a Max Standalone: You may turn your patch into a platform-specific standalone application. A standalone does not require any additional Max installation or runtime. You can give this away free.

If it's saved as a Max 6 Project: The project is portable and can be opened by other Max 6 users.

Yes.

Max 6.1 is available in both 32- and 64-bit versions. The MacOS download contains both versions as a FAT bundle; you can change whether it runs in 32- or 64-bit mode using "Get Info" in the finder. There are separate 32- and 64-bit downloads for Windows. Third party objects will not work with 64-bit versions of Max 6.1, as they will need to be recompiled for 64-bit compatibility. Max 6.0.8 is a 32-bit binary application. The version of software does not affect MSP’s signal processing bit depth, which was updated to 64-bit as of Max 6.0.

MSP signals are 64-bit as of Max 6. The bit resolution of Max messages is dependent on the version of software that you are using. Version 6.0, and the 32-bit versions of Max 6.1, use 32-bit numeric data. The 64-bit version of Max 6.1 uses 64-bit numeric data for all message contents.

This being our first 64-bit release, we will not have all of the features of the 32-bit version, especially regarding Jitter and Quicktime support. We will be continuing to work on Jitter video playback and other QT features in the 64-bit version, but many features won't be in our initial release. Max and MSP should have nearly all the same features, except where it relies on QT. Please see the version 6.1 release notes for more information.

All Max externals need to be ported and recompiled. An SDK will be forthcoming. In the meantime, we would suggest you try rewriting patches to use standard objects and abstractions if you want to run them in 64-bit, until specific 3rd party objects are ported to 64-bit.

Go to the Download SDK page.

In Max 6, we have introduced an architecture for the translation of the user interface. We hope to extend this architecture to the rest of Max Documentation and Max patches at some point in the future. For Max 7, we have partnered with MI7 for a Japanese translation, and CMMAS for a Spanish translation.

Yes, it is compatible with Ableton Live 8.

Gen works in Max for Live. However, to edit Gen patchers in Max for Live, you will need to own a full Max license. There is a discounted Crossgrade to Max for owners of Max for Live. If you own Max 6, you can purchase an upgrade to Max 7. See Shop for details.