showstack / software / max-msp
Max
Dataflow programming environment where a patch is built from objects joined by cables. Max is the message layer, MSP the sample-rate audio layer, Jitter the video and matrix layer — and being able to move between an event and a continuous signal in one patch is the whole reason it stayed the standard in music technology and interactive installation.
Protocols it speaks
| Protocol | Direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| midi | bidirectional | Core to Max since the beginning. |
| osc | bidirectional | Via widely used objects rather than as a built-in. |
| ableton-link | bidirectional | Through Max for Live and Link-aware objects. |
What to watch for
Patches do not diff. Version them by hand and write down what each version changed, because the usual "what changed?" safety net does not exist.
The tilde matters: objects ending in ~ run at audio rate, the rest run on messages. Mixing the two mental models is the classic beginner fault.
A show machine needs its licence sorted before the tour, not after — check what an unattended install is allowed to do.
Typical use
- Interactive installations and generative content
- Custom show tooling where an audio signal and a control message need to meet
- Max for Live devices inside Ableton Live
Sources
- Cycling '74 Max — Cycling '74 primary
Understand the mechanism
Something wrong, or missing?
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