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Multimedia Programming Using Max/MSP and TouchDesigner

By : Patrik Lechner

4.9 (8)

Multimedia Programming Using Max/MSP and TouchDesigner

4.9 (8)

By: Patrik Lechner

Overview of this book

Max 6 and TouchDesigner are both high-level visual programming languages based on the metaphor of connecting computational objects with patch cords. This guide will teach you how to design and build high-quality audio-visual systems in Max 6 and TouchDesigner, giving you competence in both designing and using these real-time systems. In the first few chapters, you will learn the basics of designing tools to generate audio-visual experiences through easy-to-follow instructions aimed at beginners and intermediate. Then, we combine tools such as Gen, Jitter, and TouchDesigner to work along with Max 6 to create 2D and 3D visualizations, this book provides you with tutorials based on creating generative art synchronized to audio. By the end of the book, you will be able to design and structure highly interactive, real-time systems.

Preface

Preface

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Free Chapter

1. Getting Started with Max

1. Getting Started with Max

Understanding the basic concepts of Max

Modular basis for expressions

When to use Max

Summary

Exercises

2. Max Setup and Basics

2. Max Setup and Basics

Setting things up

Basic Max patching and GUI

Creating our Hello World program

A quick overview of GUI

Summary

3. Advanced Programming Techniques in Max

3. Advanced Programming Techniques in Max

Introducing the synthesizer example

Initializing a patcher

Excursus of microscopic timing and message ordering

A bpatcher for MIDI input

Sending and receiving data

The #n notation

Collections of data

More message box magic

Structuring our patches

Timing in Max

The event priority

Debugging

Scripting and the this patcher

Summary

4. Basic Audio in Max/MSP

4. Basic Audio in Max/MSP

Basic audio principles

Audio synthesis

Sampling and audio file playback

Mixing and signal routing

Summary

5. Advanced Audio in Max/MSP

5. Advanced Audio in Max/MSP

More sampling

FX

FFT

Sample-accurate sequencing

Summary

6. Low-level Patching in Gen

6. Low-level Patching in Gen

Introducing Gen

The Gen workspace

Examples

Further reading

Summary

7. Video in Max/Jitter

7. Video in Max/Jitter

Inputting and outputting Jitter data

Getting started with the Jitter matrix

Using OpenGL in Jitter

Summary

8. Max for Live

8. Max for Live

Introducing the fundamentals of Max for Live

Parameters and saving

The Live API

An example device – a parameter modulator

Summary

9. Basic Visualization Using TouchDesigner

9. Basic Visualization Using TouchDesigner

The need for TouchDesigner

How to get help

Basics and UI of TouchDesigner

Summary

10. Advanced Visualization Using TouchDesigner

10. Advanced Visualization Using TouchDesigner

The basic audio-reactive video

A 2D composting example

Replicator COMP

Connecting Max and TD

A component for lots of movies

Converting between OP families

Dealing with time

Introducing 3D rendering

Summary

11. 3D Rendering and Examples

11. 3D Rendering and Examples

Interactive and non-procedural tools

The Geo COMP

Camera, light, and shading

Summary

12. Connecting Our Software to the World

12. Connecting Our Software to the World

Analog synths and control voltage

Arduino and microcontrollers

Multi-touch screens

Interfacing other programs

Multispeaker setups

Exporting an application

Collaborative work

Summary

Index

Index

Initializing a patcher

Initializing means to set up parameters of our patch at startup. There are a couple of ways to initialize values. Look at the following screenshot that depicts the initialization.maxpat patcher:

In the patch, you can see 5 differently initialized versions of the same. The [noise] patch is a white noise generator, and [onepole] is another lowpass filter (from left to right) and can be explained as follows:

No or rather default initialization (not recommended)
Initialization using initial attributes (through the inspector)
The [loadmess] object that fires out its argument when the patch is opened
The [loadbang] object that fires a bang when the patch's open end is connected to a messagebox object, which in turn contains our initial value
Initialization of the processing part using an argument but no/default initialization of the GUI object

The last one is particularly interesting; it can actually be considered as a bug (a bug we built, not Cycling'74). It has been taken up...

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