Graphical Programming Environments for Sound & Media:
A Beginner’s Guide to Max/Msp/Jitter

Week 1 - Sept 9th:

Meet and greet, introduction to the course, review syllabus.
A look at some of my interactive artwork I created using Max & Arduino
Handout: Introduction to Max

Max Artists:
Laetitia Sonami: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYTrNOmSRSo
Monome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1tTABS_Ugs

Review MSP tutorials:
001: How digital audio works
002: How MSP works: Max patches and the MSP signal network
003: Audio I/O: audio input and output with MSP
004: MSP Tutorial 1 - test tone

Review Max tutorials:
005: Hello - creating objects and connections
006: Bang! - the bang message
007: Numbers and lists - types of data in MAX
008: Metro and toggle - creating automatic actions
009: Message ordering - debugging program flow
010: Simple math - performing calculations
011: Numerical user interfaces - sliders and dials
012: Keyboard and mouse input - working with standard input interfaces

- How Digital Audio Works, a look at Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/
- Overview of Max/Msp interface: key, menus, objects, views, inspector palette, text pallette
- Audio inputs and outputs
- Cycle~, amplify~, gain, (create a test tone)
- Number box, floating number box
- Metro, and toggle box

Practice:
build a simple patch that generates sound and can be controlled on/off and via volume control.

Week 2 - Sept 16th:

Max Artists:
Stretta: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax7AbXoMgnk
Kevin Blechdom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daGuU2O0Nw4

Review MSP tutorials:
013: MSP Tutorial 2 - adjustable oscillator
014: MSP Tutorial 3 - wave table oscillator
015: MSP Tutorial 4 - routing signals
016: MSP Tutorial 5 - turning signals on and off
017: MSP Tutorial 6 - A review of fundumentals

Review Max tutorials:
018: Mouse drawing - introduction to drawing
019: Random drawing - working with random numbers
020: Procedural drawing - creating procedural code
021: Movie playback - introduction to video playback
022: Movie sequencing - working with multiple media files
023: Encapsulation - patchers inside of patchers
024: Abstractions creating libraries of re-usable code

- Sound modeling
- Adding random elements
- creating abstractions: input/outputs

Practice:
build your own abstraction that embeds 1 patch inside another.

Week 3 - Sept 23rd:

Max Artists:
Barney Haynes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWtFdS5YJZM
John DeKron: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlUdmdEU8ak

Review MSP tutorials:
025: MSP Tutorial 7 - Additive Synthesis
026: MSP Tutorial 8 - Tremolo and Ring Modulation
027: MSP Tutorial 9 - Amplitude Modulation
028: MSP Tutorial 10 - Vibrato and FM
029: MSP Tutorial 11 - Frequency Modulation
030: MSP Tutorial 12 - Waveshaping

Review Max tutorials:
031: Remote Messaging — Sending messages without patchcords
032: Data Structures and Probability - Working with histograms and lookup tables
033: Data Collections — Using databases
034: Timing — Scheduling events
035: Presentation Mode — Creating a presentation interface for a patcher
036: Controlling Data Flow — Routing messages

- FM Synthesis
- send/receive
- wave shape: attack, decay curve

Practice:
build simple FM synthesizer that sends and recieves data from one patch to another.

Week 4 -Sept 30th:

Bring in USB keyboard, mouse, or game controller (cheap at thrift stores, salvage * must have usable USB connection)

Max Artists:
Paul Dresher, Steven Schick, and Alex Stahl:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdK-eK_MmG8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psKsJVN1wBY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7brW1sWk4l8

Review MSP tutorials:
037: MSP Tutorial 13 - Recording and Playback
038: MSP Tutorial 14 - Playback with Loops
039: MSP Tutorial 15 - Variable-length Wavetable
040: MSP Tutorial 16 - Record and Play Audio Files
041: MSP Tutorial 17 - Sampling Review

Review Max tutorials:
042: Designing Equations — Creating complex mathematical statements
043: Data Viewing — Visualizing data streams
044: Data Scaling — Mapping and scaling numerical information
045: Gesture Capture — Recording and playing back captured input
046: Cellblock — Working with a visual spreadsheet interface
047: List Processing — Manipulation of lists of data
048: Human-Interface Devices — Working with game controllers

- Sampling: groove~, sfplay~
- hi~ (demo a human interface hack)
- remapping an hi device (zmap)

Practice:
build a simple sampler that can trigger an audio file, manipulate its speed, direction, and playback areas.

Start building first project..

Week 5 - Oct 7th:

Bring in MIDI controller if possible. USB connected MIDI id useful, otherwise you need external soundcard with proper MIDI cable inputs

Max Artists:
Daito Manabe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWmhmuHwv8g
AGF: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsNXtvejRQI

Review MSP tutorials:
049: MSP Tutorial 18 - Mapping MIDI to MSP
050: MSP Tutorial 19 - MIDI Synthesizer Control
051: MSP Tutorial 20 - MIDI Sampler Control
052: MSP Tutorial 21 - Using the poly~ Object
053: MSP Tutorial 22 - MIDI Panning

Review Max tutorials:
054: Basics — Getting MIDI input and output
055: Note Management — Generating and managing note events
056: Parsing — Decoding and encoding MIDI streams
057: Basic Sequencing — Playing back MIDI sequence data
058: Advanced Sequencing — Recording and manipulating MIDI sequences
059: Serial Communication — Using standard serial devices
060: UDP Networking — Passing messages over a network

- Midi objects overview
- Akai MPD drum pad example
- Alesis keyboard example
- reversing a hi object to become MIDI controller.

Practice:
build a simple patch to remap a midi instrument.

Q&A / Review project 1 progress

Week 6 - Oct 14th:

Bring Arduino, and solderless breadboard to class

Max Artists:
Matthew Lewis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2UL-FJMDE0
Christopher Wilits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL4fzWIuJ4c

Review MSP tutorials:
061: MSP Tutorial 23 - Viewing Signal Data
062: MSP Tutorial 24 - Oscilloscope
063: MSP Tutorial 25 - Using the FFT
064: MSP Tutorial 26 - Frequency Domain Signal Processing with pfft~

Review Max tutorials:
065: Bpatchers — Working with inlined patchers
066: Picture UI Elements — Designing user interfaces with custom image elements
067: Pattr Basics — Introduction to state management
068: Autopattr Bindings — Advanced patcher storage

Review Jitter tutorials:
069: Jitter Tutorial 1 - Playing a QuickTime Movie
070: Jitter Tutorial 2 - Create a Matrix
071: Jitter Tutorial 3 - Math Operations on a Matrix
072: Jitter Tutorial 4 - Controlling Movie Playback
073: Jitter Tutorial 5 - ARGB Color
074: Jitter Tutorial 6 - Adjust Color Levels
075: Jitter Tutorial 7 - Image Level Adjustment

- viewing signals
- Filtering sound
- A look at Arduino: http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Software
- Arduino to MAX sketch, max arduino patch
- remapping arduino input

Practice:
build a simple patch that uses input for Arduino to alter a sound or video in max.

Look at first projects created
Start brainstorming for final project..

Week 7 - Oct 21st:

Bring in sketch or written plan for your final project idea(s)

Max Artists:
North Pitney: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9KPgUzNcNk
Matt Wright: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dTcSeDTq84

Review MSP tutorials:
076: MSP Tutorial 27 - Delay Lines
077: MSP Tutorial 28 - Delay Lines with Feedback
078: MSP Tutorial 29 - Flanging
079: MSP Tutorial 30 - Chorus
080: MSP Tutorial 31 - Comb Filter

Review Jitter tutorials:
081: Jitter Tutorial 8 - Simple Mixing
082: Jitter Tutorial 9 - More Mixing
083: Jitter Tutorial 10 - Chromakeying
084: Jitter Tutorial 11 - Lists and Matrices
085: Jitter Tutorial 12 - Color Lookup Tables
086: Jitter Tutorial 13 - Scissors and Glue
087: Jitter Tutorial 14 - Matrix Positioning

- a look at some different sensors and what they do
- audio effect objects
- simple video mixer patch

Practice:
modify an existing patch with audio effects or a video patch with scissors or color changes.

Indiviual help for final projects. Suggestions for ordering sensors.

Week 8 - Oct 28th:

Bring in materials to work on final project

Max Artists:
Luke DuBois: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfrWL8v9n4I
Jaime Lidell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc6g4rySFqI

Review MSP tutorials:
088: MSP Compression Introduction - What is Compression?
089: MSP Compression Tutorial 1 - Peak Limiting
090: MSP Compression Tutorial 2 - Basic Compression
091: MSP Compression Tutorial 3 - Tweaking Compression
092: MSP Compression Tutorial 4 - Compression on Real Instruments

Rebiew JItter tutorials:
093: Jitter Tutorial 15 - Image Rotation
094: Jitter Tutorial 16 - Using Named Jitter Matrices
095: Jitter Tutorial 17 - Feedback Using Named Matrices
096: Jitter Tutorial 18 - Iterative Processes and Matrix Re-Sampling
097: Jitter Tutorial 19 - Recording QuickTime movies
098: Jitter Tutorial 20 - Importing and Exporting Single Matrices
099: Jitter Tutorial 21 - Working With Live Video and Audio Input

Practice:
build...

Indiviual help for final projects.

Week 9 - Nov 4th:

Bring in materials to work on final project

Max Artists:
Angela Lorenz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVAc7kxA3fA
Ali Momeni: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NISbJT0na8E

Review MSP tutorials:
100: MSP Compression Tutorial 5 - Multiband Compression 1
101: MSP Compression Tutorial 6 - Multiband Compression 2
102: MSP Compression Tutorial 7 - Keying
103: MSP Compression Tutorial 8 - Microsounds
104: MSP Compression Tutorial 9 - Ducking
105: MSP Compression Tutorial 10 - Controlling Feedback

Review JItter tutorials:
106: Jitter Tutorial 22 - Working With Video Output Components
107: Jitter Tutorial 23 - Controlling Your FireWire Camera
108: Jitter Tutorial 24 - QuickTime Effects
109: Jitter Tutorial 25 - Tracking the Position of a Color in a Movie
110: Jitter Tutorial 26 - MIDI Control of Video
111: Jitter Tutorial 27 - Using MSP Audio in a Jitter Matrix
112: Jitter Tutorial 28 - Audio Control of Video
113: Jitter Tutorial 29 - Using the Alpha Channel

Practice:
build...

Work on final projects in class.

Week 10 - Nov 11th:

Bring in materials to work on final project

Max Artists:
David Tinapple: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pudznKV3LJE
Owen Grace: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxzPCt7Pbds

Review Jitter tutorials:
114: Jitter Tutorial 30 - Drawing 3D text
115: Jitter Tutorial 31 - Rendering Destinations
116: Jitter Tutorial 32 - Camera View
117: Jitter Tutorial 33 - Polygon Modes, Colors and Blending
118: Jitter Tutorial 34 - Using Textures
119: Jitter Tutorial 35 - Lighting and Fog
120: Jitter Tutorial 36 - 3D Models
121: Jitter Tutorial 37 - Geometry Under the Hood
122: Jitter Tutorial 38 - Basic Performance Setup
123: Jitter Tutorial 39 - Spatial Mapping
124: Jitter Tutorial 40 - Drawing in OpenGL using jit.gl.sketch
125: Jitter Tutorial 41 - Shaders

Practice:
build...

Work on final projects in class.

Week 11 - Nov 18th:

Bring in materials to work on final project

Max Artists:
Robert Heneke:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO8TMZCGYDc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmLvjRmulAM

Review Jitter tutorials:
126: Jitter Tutorial 42 - Slabs and Data Processing on the GPU
127: Jitter Tutorial 43 - A Slab of Your Very Own
128: Jitter Tutorial 44 - Flash Interactivity
129: Jitter Tutorial 45 - Introduction to using Jitter within JavaScript
130: Jitter Tutorial 46 - Manipulating Matrix Data using JavaScript
131: Jitter Tutorial 47 - Using Jitter Object Callbacks in JavaScript
132: Jitter Tutorial 48 - Frames of MSP signals
133: Jitter Tutorial 49 - Colorspaces
134: Jitter Tutorial 50 - Procedural Texturing & Modeling
135: Jitter Tutorial 51 - Jitter Java
136: Jitter Tutorial 52 - Jitter Networking
137: Jitter Tutorial 53 - Jitter Networking (part 2)

Practice:
build...

Work on final projects in class.

Week 12 - December 2nd:

Bring to class one food or one drink item please.

Present your final projects, performances, party! :)