Max MSP Musings

Tutorial 2
Line object In left inlet receives a target value and a time in ms. Creates a
smooth gradation.
Tutorial 3
Buffer storage place for data. Must be sent read message, to load a soundfile.
Cycle only uses 512 samples from the waveform, no matter the length.
Using Line to create and ADSR envelope.
Phasor Produces a signal that ramps repeatedly from 0 to 1.
Tutorial 4
Sub Audio frequencies are equal to the difference of two audio signals. Binaural
Beats!
Cycle~ - right inlet supplies phase value.
Use Set message in combination with receive objects.
One can read through the waveform of a cycle~ at any speed using an argument
frequency of 0 Hz and using Phaser to continually change the amplitude from 0
1. Line~ can also be used for this function.
Tutorial 5
Startwindow only turns on audio in opened patch!
Selector~ - signal routing device. A number sent into the left inlet will determine
which signal gets sent out.

- A sawtooth wave contains all harmonic partials, with the amplitude of

each partial proportional to the inverse of the harmonic number (ie, if the
fundamental has amplitude A, then the second harmonic has amplitude
A/2, A/3, etc. The square wave has only the odd harmonics of the
sawtooth spectrum, and the triangle has only odd harmonics of the
fundamental

Begin~ placed at the beginning of a signal network, saves computation

time. All calculations will be shut down if gate or selector is ignoring the
signal.
Mute~ - when sent to a subpatcher, mute~ silences it. Mute actually stops
the processing in the subpatch. 0 turns audio on, 1 turns audio off.

Pass~ - objects are needed above any outlet of a patcher that may need
muting. It silences the output of a subpatcher when muted.
Pcontrol can disable/enable all MIDI/Audio activity in a patch! Enable 1 /
Enable 0.
Example line function

O, 1. 100 1. 800 0. 100

Go immediately to 0, then go to 1 in 100 ms, stay at 1 for 800 ms, then go to 0 in
100 ms.
Tutorial 13
To Record, we need a buffer to store the sound, and a record~ object with the
same name as the buffer. The sound to be recorded goes into record.
Arguments specify name and number of channels. Like record~, buffer~ must
contain the name, length in ms, and number of channels. Record~ takes non
zero ints and begins recording, where 0 ceases the action. We dont have to
stop the recording explicitly, because when the buffer fills, it will automatically
stop.
Review: Buffer functions read an existing audio file with the read message,
write saves to audio file, and one can use it as a wavetable for cycle~
Count ~ when count receives a bang, its When count~ receives a bang or a
number in its inlet, its signal output begins increasing by 1 each sample. Count~
can be used to do sample playback. Arguments can set initial limits or start point
for count~.
Index~ - Reads from a buffer with a specifying sample index.
Combination of Count~ and Index~ serve to provide a precise starting point in the
buffer where one can begin playback.
Play~ - one can use play~ in conjunction with line~; a linearly increasing or
decreasing signal. (Remember how the list must be composed in order for the
line~ to function
0, 2000 2000 = read from 0 to 2000 ms in a space of 2000 ms. )
(The temporal position always refers to the time position in the buffer..)
Tutorial 15
Wave~ can use any section of a buffer~ as a wavetable. As signal goes in left
inlet from 0 - 1, wave~ sends out the contents of the buffer~ from the specified

start point to the end point. The phasor~ object, ramping repeatedly from 0 - 1 is
the obvious choice as an input signal for the left inlet of wave~. Message box
"range" sets the amplitude of 'phasor' so it effectively determines what fraction of
the wavetable will be used. Frequency is self explanatory.