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Max/MSP combines the Max graphical programming environment with MSP audio extensions. Together you'll have close to 400 objects, the building blocks of a complete audio application development environment. This page contentrates on the audio (MSP) side of Max/MSP; for basic information about the Max environment, please see our Max product information page. Max/MSP costs only a little more than Max alone, so if you're at all interested in audio processing, we think you'll want to consider purchasing the combined package. Our newest version, Max 4 + MSP 2, is a substantial upgrade over previous versions. If you're familiar with the software, you can read more about the features of new version. In Max, you build programs by connecting graphical objects together. Some of these objects perform calculations and others make up the user interface of your program. MSP adds a large set of objects that you connect together to make audio patches where signals flow from one object to the next. The concept may be familiar to you from modular synthesizers, either the real ones or the software imitations. But MSP lets you work at a level of detail that is unmatched by other software synthesizers. At the same time, its intuitive interface is far easier to learn than text-based software synthesis programs. For instance, the filtergraph~ object shown below allows you to design seven different types of filters graphically. Max Features • Create and run an arbitrary number of applications and tasks, depending on the memory and processing speed of your computer. • Design cross-platform programs and user interfaces interactively using hundreds of modular objects and UI widgets. • A series of over 40 interactive tutorials teach you to use Max step-by-step. • Interactive on-line help gives you a working demonstration of every object and its features. • A fast and easy way to use your computer to control hardware (or vice versa) using systems such as Teleo from Makingthings or the iCube from Infusion Systems. • Built-in support for an unilimited number of MIDI input and output streams (using MME on Windows and Core MIDI on Macintosh). Plus support for serial devices and mouse tracking. • Quicktime movie playback. • Interactive program editing and debugging features, such as foreground/background, message tracing, object inspectors, intelligent copy and paste. • An easy-to-use cross-platform SDK for extending the software that’s been adopted by a large community of users letting Max do everything from networking to statistics. (Check out the Max/MSP Resource Guide for some examples.) MSP Features • Over 150 objects covering all the basic elements of synthesis, sampling, and signal processing. • MME, DirectSound, and ASIO audio hardware support on Windows, and Core Audio support on Mac OS X. Customize and save hardware interface setups to optimize for low latency or greater CPU efficiency. • Over 25 interactive tutorials present a complete course in digital audio. • Full-featured waveform display and editing object. • Unlimited simultaneous hard-disk recording and playback streams using files from 1 to 32 tracks. • File playback includes varispeed, looping, backwards play. • Graphical filter design and envelope/function generator interfaces. • Support for AIFF, WAV, Sound Designer II (Macintosh only), AU, MP3 (requires Quicktime) audio files. • Support for building polyphonic MIDI-controlled synthesizers and samplers, or polyphonic anything. • Hosts VST plug-ins and synths (in any configuration you can imagine). • Tons of cool examples showing techniques such as FFT-based filtering and convolution, 5.1 spatial surround processing, crossovers, audio-rate sequencing, and vocoding. For more info about any Cycling74 please click here. Requirements For Mac OS X: • A PowerPC Mac OS computer with System 8.1 or later, including OSX. • 64 MB of total memory. Virtual memory is not recommended. • 35 MB of disk space. Requirements For Windows: • Windows XP (Home or Pro) • 500 Mhz P3 or better processor • 256 Mb of total memory • A full install of Quicktime for Windows is required for MP3 import, movie playback, and use of image files other than PICT • An ASIO-compatible sound card is recommended for optimium audio performance
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