The fifth issue in November
The publisher : Shigeto Wada
[email protected]

http:// www.geocities.com/Vienna/Studio/5919/

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Basic usage of MAX (4)
A counselling
"Serial Pincermovement" ~An example of passive composition~ (4)
At the starting of  MAX i MUM
What MAX is.
The imprint

Next issue will be on 12th December.

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Moreover, if you had an opinion, a wish or a contribution, please send me a mail.

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    Well, we tried to make "echo" on before the previous issue, and it is carried now.
    I've told that echo is one of styles of delay.

    The patch made before was so simple such as only one note is repeated. This time, I will explain a way making more practical echo.

    Functions I attached are:

        ･ adding three more reverberated sounds -- so totally, four delay sounds;
        ･ to be able to set each 4 delay sound volumes individually (Feedback);
        ･ to be able to set each pitch differences between an original sound and the reverberated sound. (Depth)

    Then, I show you the patch. Boom!

    Then, I may can expect a contribution or a patch from a reader. (^o^)

    Yes. This is a good aspect of *GUI programming on MAX. Everything can be understood at a glance.

    I stop explaining everything in order today, but of cause I am happy to have any question. Vigorously send me your opinion such as "It doesn't work!?" or "You should make it simple like this!".

    Hum? How can I explain this patch now then? ..... Mmmn. I haven't planed it.

    Well...

    Let be going on the objects firstly appeared in this issue for the present. (He might be going to think during this (^_^;))

xbendout is for producing pitch bend information of MIDI.
    Pitch bend is used for changing pitch from a pitch to a different pitch very smoothly. For example, as you know, sound of car engine changes from low to high sound smoothly. It is prepared to make such expression.

    According to MIDI, the width of a semitone are divided by 16383. So playing from 0 to 16384 without disturbance make sound smoothly rising.

    xbendout receives 0 to 16384 in the upper left inlet, and MIDI channel in the upper right inlet, then changing them into MIDI information and sending from the lower left outlet.

Therefore, midiout is connected below. midiout transmits MIDI information to specified musical instrument or software etc. when it receives MIDI information in the upper left inlet. It is so wide use than noteout, isn't it? You can send anything.

    In this patch, they are used to change a pitch of each delay sound slightly to an original sound.

int is the abbreviation of integer. After receiving an integer in the upper right inlet, bang! in the upper left inlet is a trigger of sending the integer from the lower left outlet. In this patch, it take a purpose to get a timing which pitch information sending should be delivered just after velocity information transmitting. I suppose it may be no problem without this but it just be to satisfy myself (^_^)

    Well, the most different aspect of this patch is that there are more than one line of objects nor one.
    Until now, we think only one sound then it showed a line between a place of sound producing (or coming in) and going out, however, now we need 4 individual factors for delayed sounds so there are 4 lines.

    Though there are 4 of them, it is not so hard work cos the patch were made by copy and paste. Rather than this, flexibility and all-purposeness as a widely applicable idea can be used any line is notable point. You might think it as a troublesome job because you may need to use mathematics...... but it is very efficient way of making or developing an applicable patch.

    For this, a very typical advice is making your aim clearly, also guess and determine what you will need.
    The functions of the patch are (things you need are) :

    1. Making an instrument for playing
            (using keyslider)
    2. Applying echo on the original tone
            (an original tone and the 4 echoes are replied in an individual time lags or in an even ones.)
    3. Able to set volumes of 4 delayed sound. (Feedback parameter)
            (the replayed tones are determined by multiplication in proportion to an original input tone)
    4. Able to set the difference of pitches between an original tone and the delayed tones. (Depth parameter)
            (proportional numerical numbers between 0 to 16384 are given to 4 delayed tone as pitchbend information)
    5. Sound them.
            (using noteout)

    About third statement and fourth, due to the fact that the purpose is "echo", a possibility, that the fourth echo is louder than forth echo, is ignored. I don't care if it is louder, it will be nice but. (^_^)
    Then we know what we need.

　１．keyslider
　２．pipe , * >> time lag parameter * 4
　３．* >> velocity, volume reduction parameter * 4
　４．xbendout >> pitchbend parameter * 4
　５．noteout

    Then, make satisfactory order and numerical expressions.

　１．"keyslider" -> "makenote"
　　　(producing pitch and velocity)
　２．X * Yt or Xt -> "pipe"
　　　(producing delayed sounds brought about by a constant or  an individual variable)
　３．velocity * (X * Yv) -> "*"
　　　(producing reduced velocities come from a proportional constant)
　４．X * Yb -> "xbendout"
　　　(producing pitchbend information arisen from a proportional constant)
　５．the pitch & velocity (made by procedure 3. and 4.) -> noteout
　　　(playing by MIDI)

    Finally, we start making each part of patch step by step. A variable, which is not affected by performance, is X, also five constants are Xt(delay), Yt(delay), Yv(reduction), Yb(pitchbend).
    Now, let's compare with the sample patch.

　X >> 
　Xt >> 
　Yt >> 
　Yv >> 
　Yb >> 
 

    X and Xt are looks same but actually they got individual margins of value which can be set.
    For example, the upper left inlet value of Yv which comes from X is between 0 to 10. In case X is 10, velocity which secondly echoes is the same velocity as the original value. Of cause, it is all right if second one is louder.
    Moreover, the upper left inlet value of Yb coming from X is between 0 to 100. If it exceeds 100, the value between 0 to 16484 that xbendout should receive also is over. This is... problem.

    Each Yb is set 8.2 or 16.4 etc. but, many "9" are attached due to a kind of number on computer. It is no problem, there is no big difference.

    I didn't do this time, however, the patch would get more wide use if an object which can change a constant, such as dial, is attached above the right hand side of *, now it is vacant.  We can set various complex establishment. For example,

    The above patch shows that values which are in the right hand side, in other words, multiplying numbers, can be freely changed by dials. When dial is represented by 1, the most left hand side value is "input *0.05", moreover, if it is 2, the same object shows "input * 0.1" likewise.

    Like this, when a multiplied number can be fixed, numbers out from input are changed as the below diagrams show. The diagrams are brought about by the result of 20 *s calculation. All values of input (X) are 1 but the fixed number of Y is able to change. So Y of the right hand side diagram is larger number than the left one.

    Using this in a feedback or bend function, you can modulate strength of effector.

    The rest of matter is the next time. It's  so long description, isn't it. I'll explain why there are a lot of noteouts. Incidentally, the difficulty of making echo on MIDI will be mentioned..... (^_^;)

    Anyway, grasping how many constants and variables do need, and a component made with * and dial by copy and paste is practically useful.

    By the way, the above diagram was brought about by the right patch.
    If you like, please examine how values though the patch.

    After writing the issue in December, I am going to go back JAPAN  immediately! The flight on 19th! KLM! Sushi! Gin-Syari, beautiful white rice! Sashimi, sliced raw fish! Daikon-Oroshi, grated Japanese white radish! Mochi, rice cake! Soba, buckwheat noodles! Lamian, chinese noodles in soup, Japanese carry with rice!

    Finally I unite with Japanese Foods!! |(ToT)| BANZAI

    Still it is quite hard to eat chips every day. My body required soul food. Why Japanese rice is so expensive... pardon me!?

    Then, see you in the next issue. Whoopee! Japanese Food! (Shut me up!)

    "I am so greedy."

    "I am grateful to publish a magazine called MAX i MUM."
    "Yes, it is. I attempted to start a  new thing. I used to want to find friends who operate MAX."

    "Readers? It is thanks to everybody, it is read by quite many people. However, a number of readers hasn't changed so much since start of distribution."

    "I advertised, not so a lot, I registered with some famous search engines."

    "Well, no, I actually registered with quite a lot of them."
    "There is Japanese version, then I also did with Japanese search engines."

    "I am not, well, so good at advertising. About my works, homepage too."

    "Of cause,  I do have confidence that I want to diffuse. Of cause, I do."
    "Whenever I received letters from readers, saying "interesting" or "Stick to it!", yes, I think it."
    "Such a important-looking head, "At the starting of MAX i MUM", is also connected with."

    "I wish many people get to know about MAX."

    "How can I explain, MAX is, bit minor."

    "There may not be magazines adopting the regular tactics for MAX."
    "When I went a shop and said I looked for MAX.... He tell me where Virgin Megastore is."
    "No result with searching books."
    "Yes, www. amazon.com nor W.H.Smith."
    "The version upgrade is so rare. Staying 3.5.9 for a long, long time. The homepage looks hasn't renewed, as I checked."

    "But, but, I will be happy if somebody starting music think MAX as one of tools they choose..."

    "No, I never......"
    "For example, My primal software is Cubase for composition."

    "Cubase is excellent. Brilliant."

    "MAX? Well, could be better. Worse in some case. For one thing, they got different purposes."
    "But Cubase or Performer like can be made, maybe."

    "In a sense, I may be a freak. (^_^)"

    "My anguish is not covetousness."
    "If anything, I come here to beg a more greedy advice."

    "Would you tell me an idea...... about effective advertisement? Also for my homepage, please...."

    So, then, I am waiting your opinion or advice. (^_^;)

    Anyway, I easily introduce how to play pincermovement. Let us apart from the subtitle.

    I start again. This issue is about an introduce to the bitter end.

    Then, serial pincermovement can not be played until a seri� defined. Because velocity parameters are 0 due to the preference. No sound comes out. It is boring.
    So, I will give shapes of velocity in two existing styles.

    For example, bossanova.
        60-00-30-20-40-50-00-20-40-50-00- 25-30-20-40-20
    Another one, rock.
        90-10-10-40-80-10-10-40-10-50-60- 10-70-10-10-60

    Of cause, they are not so simple, but as a brief structure.

    In short, this does taking out *downbeats and upbeats from rhythm pattern. As a way that this beat and that one is the same and this is the loudest one..., realisation becomes better when a group of proportional numbers that brought about by ordering, get near to the original. Somehow you make a patch, and finely adjust with playing.

    So how can we do this order is, for example, mixing them.
    There are 8 squares in a line, then, let us divide them into 2 parts and put them in 4 lines together.

        60-00-30-20-40-50-00-20
        40-50-00-25-30-20-40-20
        90-10-10-40-80-10-10-40
        10-50-60-10-70-10-10-60

    Already, quite strange, fringe sound is come out of.

    How about an order which beat will not be clearly recognized until the end of sequence.

　　90-80-70-60-60-70-80-90
　　80-70-60-50-50-60-70-80
　　70-60-50-40-40-50-60-70
　　60-50-40-30-30-40-50-60
　　60-50-40-30-30-40-50-60
　　70-60-50-40-40-50-60-70
　　80-70-60-50-50-60-70-80
　　90-80-70-60-60-70-80-90

    In this kind of game, a man who possesses the corner. So, if loud notes are put at the corner, he may strongly feel his victory. Because they may be appeared in an end game, moreover, his piece can not be ignored. Well, it may feel good.

    We can treat a pitch likewise.

    It is good to finish with beautiful harmonic conclusion by careful consideration. If you love jazz, it is a lovely idea to put *9th and 11th etc. as long as you like. The column has 8 squares also, therefore 13th is actually possible.
 

    As you see, it is an irresponsible version of Beethoven symphony number 9. It will be well done.

    It is also fun to mathematically set them. How do you find endless scale.
 

    What do you think of geography?
    Altitude of land is represented by pitch with octaves, and its specification is expressed by velocity.
    To put it simply, I coloured them.
 

    It is experimental rather than for having fun of them. It may be interesting to find a place which represents the most beautiful sound by strictly copying actual map.

    Then, this issue is easy and lovely poor. Sounds like "A chips together?".

    In the next issue, I will make a personal answer to the questions mentioned since the first, and finish this serialization accompanied with 1999.
    I have no idea on the next subject matter. However, I will prepare.

downbeat and upbeat (E)

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: Downbeat is a beat which is enhanced within a bar or a time in performance. Normally it is the first beat. Upbeat is the opposite.

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9th = ninth

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: A chord which is composed by the third, fifth, seventh and ninth note from the bottom note.

      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.
 

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What MAX is.

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      Beginning in late 1986, MAX for Macintosh was developed in IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et de Coordination Acoustique- Musique) by Miller S. Puckette, and was put on the market by Opcode Systems, Inc. in 1990. Later, it has further being developed by David Zicarelli. Originally a non graphical language intended to control IRCAM's powerful 4X synthesizer. Additionally, original Objects can be made in C-language because MAX has been written in C-language, also Patches can be programmed by Text editor.

      " 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)

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Program written by Miller Puckette and David Zicarelli, �1990-1999 Opcode Systems, Inc. / IRCAM.
Opcode Systems, Inc.
365 East Middlefield Road
Mountain View, CA 94043
http://www.opcode.com

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      MAX can control only musical instrument with MIDI. But there are an optional software, "MSP" from Cycling'74, which real sound will be added to be dealt with MAX, in addition, whose original system is ISPW (IRCAM Signal Processing Workstation).

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MSP(c)1997 David ZicarelliﾜAll rights reserved

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.
Cycling '74
1186 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA 94103 USA
[email protected]
http://www.cycling74.com

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The imprint

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All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage
and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

The publisher and distributor : Shigeto Wada
The publishing office : Shigeto Wada Music Studio
e-mail address : [email protected]
Published on 11th November, 1999 as "MAX i MUM, the fifth issue in November"

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