Toxic Synth (Max 5)
Here’s another of my Max 5 patches – this time an 8 note polyphonic synthesiser.
(CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE)
This synth is divided into 10 main sections – Carrier, Partials, FM (level1), FM (level 2), AM, Envelope, Delay, Distortion, Filters and Reverb. 3 minor sections allow for access to presets, selection of input device, and control of dac and master output volume.
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Rewire – Max 5 and Logic.
I have recently built a Max/Msp patch that I was hoping to use in Logic 9. The patch is a 16 Voice Polyphonic AM/FM Synthesizer, and I wanted to send MIDI information from Logic to Max and the audio from Max to Logic. Since Cycling74 saw fit to remove the Pluggo capability from Max I had to find an alternative method for using my patch in Logic. After searching the internet and help files I found out how to do this. (more…)
APC40 Step sequencer video
As promised here’s a demo of my Max/Msp patch in action. Still a couple of glitches, but pretty happy with it so far.
Max/MSP APC40 Step sequencer
Having not written a post for so long i felt an update was needed. All my time recently has been devoted to university work, specifically a project for ‘Introduction to Creative Music Programming’. I have recently bought an Akai APC40 Ableton controller, which I love to bits. As an Ableton controller it is fantastic, but i have felt the need to use it in other ways. For my final ICMP project i originally wrote a patch for Max/Msp that was an FM Synth with several buffers to record to allow layering of sounds, all controlled by an XBOX gamepad. As much fun as this was my previous task was an FM synth controlled by a midi keyboard, so i decided to do something different this time. I saw the potential in the APC40 and couldn’t resist. Through Max/Msp this controller has now been adapted to act as an 8 step sequencer, primarily designed as a drum machine, but any sample can be used. It makes use of the controllers matrix of clip launch buttons as the step sequencer with BPM control, and the clip stop buttons as trigger pads, for live input. The five rows of clip launch buttons allow for 5 samples to be sequenced at a time, each with it’s own dedicated filter (filter type, cutoff, gain and ‘q’ value all controlled with rotary knobs), volume slider and level meter. They can all also be routed through a delay (with variable delay time , quantized or by millisecond, and variable feedback), and/or a reverb, both controlled using the rotary knobs. Output from the sequencer has a master volume slider and level meter. It also provides 4 timesynced buffers to record your loops to, and keep layering up. The buffers are all synced to the sequencer, so recording and playback is all in time. The live trigger pads all have independant volume control (rotary sliders) and level meters – they can be routed through delay and reverb too. The buffers all feed into a master buffer volume control too. The 2 master volume controls then output through the controllers crossfader allowing ease of switching between sequencer and buffer outputs, or playing both simultaneously. All the LED’s are working too (after lots of experimenting). The record arm row of buttons light up in order following the position of the step sequencer, the matrix lights up to indicate which triggers are active, the activator and solo rows are used to control routing to the delay and reverb (and light up accordingly) and all the rotary knobs use LED’s to indicate the output value.
This patch has been a lot of hard work to produce, but i have enjoyed experimenting along the way, and been having fun playing with the finished patch (i have some amendments i like to implement at a later date). I came up against some infuriating problems along the way, other wise it would be a 16 step sequencer with time variable buffers, although i did manage to get these features up and running (to some degree), but with the 16 step sequencer i couldn’t get the LED’s working properly when switching views (The APC40′s matrix of clip launch buttons is 5 x 8). Also i did try setting the buffers to playback at different speed (Full speed reverse, half speed reverse, half speed, full speed and double speed, but because of the way i set the ‘sfplay’ object to record the loops would gradually slip out of time. I will get these problems fixed and working fully, but i have other uni projects i should be concentrating on.
Once i have some video i’ll upload it so you can see what this looks like and how it works more easily than reading this post, and i’ll also upload the code here for anyone to check out if they have Max/Msp (an APC40 would probably be handy too!!)
Here’s a screen shot of the presentation view.
If you don’t know what an APC40 is this is what one looks like, including the controls midi values.
If you want a copy of the patch then please leave a comment, and i’ll send the patch to your email address. Be aware that I am unable (due to copyright laws) to distribute the drum samples i have used, and therefore the pull down menus for selecting drums will be redundant. You could however rename your own samples to match the names on the pull down menus and store them in the same folder as the patch.
