The seventh issue in August
The publisher : Shigeto Wada
[email protected]
http://www.geocities.com/ swmusicstudio/
Contents
About
mergers and acquisitions of Opcode by Gibson.
Basic
usage of MAX (6)
A
consideration of enlightenment of MAX (1st part)
At
the starting of MAX i MUM
What
MAX is.
The
imprint
Next issue will be on 22nd February.
You
are able to download
this magazine from hear
to read after disconnecting.
' MAX i MUM ...E version... The seventh issue in August '
About
mergers and acquisitions of Opcode by Gibson.
The homepage and e-mail support address of Cycling'74
www.cycling74.com
[email protected]
Basic
usage of MAX (6)
So, it can be said that you don't need synthesizers,
samplers, mixers, effects.... any instrument concerned with sound. Because
you can made them on your computer virtually!!!
Just you shouldn't forget that very heavy calculation
may give a severe load to a computer, also there is no accident like an
unexpectable result on a connection of cables and parts of an actual musical
instrument.
Computer based signal processing technology has been
often using in software synthesizers or virtual mixers well.
Though sounds like a game music has been used, its
quality was quite inadequate. Now, we can produce computer sound as a musical
instrument truly, according to the dramatic development of processing speed.
You can check them out by demo version softwares.
Here are the links to some popular softwares, so
if you are interested in, please listen them.
Please note that some software requires VST2.0 introduced
into Cubase and so on. You can get demo version of Cubase.
NativeInstruments : REAKTOR, GENERATOR, TRANSFORMER, Pro-FiveAdditionally, Fast Tracker II is very suitable for techno or dance music. You must check it!! A superb product!!
Steinberg : LM-4, Model E, ReBirth RB-338
KOBLO : Vibra9000, Stella9000, Gamma9000
BITHEADZ : Retro AS-1, Unity DS-1
Interval Music : Sound Hack
Then, how MSP can be differentiated from these softwares.
It is freedom. It means that you can control everything
compared with other softwares. Almost all softwares that I mentioned above
is specialized to a particular function.
It imposes a burden on computer more, or even make
a computer overloaded, if you make the same function to one of the above
software on MSP. (You would have no problem if you use 1GHz Pentium or
500MHzG4 CPU which will be introduced until the end of this year. Anyway,
efficiency decreases.) However, you can choose what you need and make a
limited function software. So you can save your money a lot.
But, for example, Reaktor is far better only for
making a similar software to above mentioned softwares. Drum machines,
synthesizers, samplers or mixers can be produce in surprisingly simple
programming operation.
After all, the advantage of MAX+MSP is that "you
can make anything".
Moreover, only MAX+MSP can reproduce, more, convert
non-musical factors or data into music by using mathematical or physical
idea.
Then, what is the procedure to produce sound by only
computer.
Sound is an idea that a brain recognized it when
a pair of ear receive a continuous difference of density of air. Why we
say that sound is wave? Because, it shows various wave shapes when the
changing value of density is recorded as a graph along a particular time
axis........ isn't it ?? Well, I learned them in high school but I am not
sure, sorry.
Anyway, this changing numerical value is produced
by computer, and machines, such as a pair of speaker, convert them into
actual physical sound wave which can be recognized by our ears. So, signal
processing is a process that making digital sound data (which is represented
by a series of numerical number) and converting into analogue sound data
(which is represented by actual air vibration or voltage). Computer is
working as a D/A converter (Digital Analogue converter).
......(to knowledgeable people : please don't say
that actual processing is done by sound card or D/A external hardware not
by CPU. (^_^;) Because story is confusing.
CD and MD is a media to record this converted recorded sound data (from analogue to digital). Players read these data and convert numerical number into actual physical actions.
When you convert sound into numerical numbers, you
freely change the numbers with addition and so on.
MSP programming is a sort of environment for realizing
this "changing numbers".
Then, there are enough and plenty of tools in MSP
for creating or modifying numbers.
MSP is a kind of plug-in objects which are put into MAX's toolbox.
I have told everything of this issue. It is the brief
idea of MSP.
In next issue, let us start the practical usage
with studying some simple patches as we did for getting to know MAX.
For me, Reaktor has been very useful to understand the idea of signal
processing.
So, please try it! There are various demo files of ready maid instruments.
It is so fun.
Soon, my instruments comes from Japan. I must organise
not only software environment also hardware one.
In this connection, I am making speaker stands.
I bought some wood pieces from Homebase. (^_^;)
Having a argue with an electric drill and an adhesive
agent.
Additionally, I will continue the last issue bit.
I have already explain how we can send MIDI information
from virtual keyboard on MAX to a particular instrument. More, here is
the patch for receiving MIDI data (pitch, velocity and MIDI channel) from
a particular instrument. Notein is used and it has the opposite function
to noteout.
Enlightenment !? (the first part)
To put it into practice, we have to change the public
requirement for MAX.
Most of the buyer use it for making a pure electronic
music, or its materials like Buzzz or Gryorialililipi or Piiiiiiiii.
These sound tends to be found in works of minority's
taste. And these sound is thought as a synonym of MAX sound.
This leads the fact that latent buyers make a biassed
choice.
To tell the unknown usage should be the effective
advertisement of MAX now.
MAX has fundamentally different function against
the instruments that is developed according to the categorized sound, such
as techno or hip-hop.
The idea of MAX is more functional.
Knowledge of engineering science is required for
MAX, but
"engineering scientific sound" does not have to
appear in its work as the point of sound.
MAX should be advertised as a development tool rather
than an instrument for performance.
It does not need to make distinguishable sound,
in other words, its usage is too limited.
MAX is a toolbox to make tool.
There should be a choice that a guitarist buys MAX
to make an ordinal feedback effects.
There would be few people who buy MAX, if its development
concept is taken as instrument and advertised.
Because, the sound coming from MAX performers would
not be generally accepted.
If I can say about advertisement, even I am not
professional
advertiser,
There are two approaches, which should be done together,
to advertise a commodity:
1. to narrow an advertisement down to the latent consumer who has a particular
special interests;
2. Advertise all potential of a commodity without put any discrimination
to the consumer.
The MAX advertisement does not take the latter issue
importantly.
Therefore, like once macintosh users used to be, "the user of MAX" attracts special interests from others.
On the other hand, there is a endless problem.
Propagating MAX idea equals propagating the idea
that you "can" make your own sound.
That means, "you should try hard to make sound.".
And it can be turn into a sort of swearing, "are
you really satisfied with your ready-maid instruments?"
Then some people think "I can make a special sound
that nobody can make!" according to this arrogant attitude.
This sound attracts a tendency that MAX is used
among particular people, and stop using MAX by anybody.
I use MAX very much, but I almost never listen a
sort of music must be with scientific consideration(!?) which I fascinate
with its theory not sound.
On the contrary, I contradict these kind of masturbation
music.
If we think what kind of sound is used for the music
broadly accepted by society, it is a certain thing that most electronic
music is minor.
No theory, but it is interesting sound, so everybody
accepts them.
"minor but original" is negative meaning.
Nothing good impression.
Music should be enjoyed by sound itself, not by hidden
(not expressed by sound) technology, logic, theory or ideas.
Of course it is OK that the sound is coming from
complicated academic idea, but the sound must be enjoyable by anybody.
Any tools can be used for this.
Surgeon is popular, isn't it? It is not minor sound.
Their electronic sound has theory etc. in it.
Well, I will be embarrassing if somebody ask "So, how about your sound?". But anyway, I think so.
I would like to spread MAX idea.
It comes from very simple thought, like I use a
car because it is easy to go anywhere.
A strolling folk guitarist, who can not solder on
his own electronic circuit, is whom I hope him to use MAX.
MAX is mysterious software, like advertiser does
not know how he can advertise it.
But I think, things are easier.
If you laugh at me because I mentioned a matter of
course, I will be happy.
But the actual situation makes me desolate.
(To be continued)
At
the starting of MAX i MUM
Thus the content includes quite basic usage of each object and description of terms, also introduces the interfaces which are provided by MAX and the optional software or hardware of it.
Moreover, it would be really welcoming that applications of readers which agree the above purpose.
MAX is a rare and excellent software which gives chance of making up musical works with well thought of logic and mathematics of creators, in other words, without concerned with special skills such as reading scores or playing musical instruments, to the persons who want to approach music actively.
I do hope at the starting of MAX i MUM
that a lot of readers would be interested in composition, arrangement,
also sound engineering, furthermore, here would be a place that we exchange
enjoyable information each other because of this magazine.
What
MAX is.
" Max is a graphical music programming environment for people who have hit the limits of the usual sequencer and voicing programs for MIDI equipment." (Miller Puckette, Max reference manual, 1988)
based on Pd by Miller Puckette, (c)1997 The Regents of
the University of California
MSP and Pd are based on ideas in Max/FTS, an advanced
DSP platform (c)IRCAM. Used by permission.
pluggo, Plug-in Manager, and this manual are copyright
(c) 1999 Cycling'74.
pluggo uses the runtime environment for MSP.
Cycling '74
1186 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA 94103 USA
[email protected]
http://www.cycling74.com
The
imprint
The publisher and distributor : Shigeto Wada
The publishing office : Shigeto Wada Music Studio
e-mail address : [email protected]
Published on 30th August, 2000 as "MAX i MUM, the seventh issue in August"