Level: Beginners curious about programming

Get started with interactive audio and MIDI, and discover the possibilities of the Max environment. In this series of recorded videos, you will learn how to manipulate audio, MIDI, virtual instruments and program your own interactive canvas.

Connect together Max’s building blocks to create unexpected results, and use them in your music productions. Through a series of exercises you will engage in the pragmatic creation of a basic MIDI sequencer device that features a wealth of musical manipulation options.

Learn from guided examples.

This on demand content aims to enable you to work with Max confidently on your own.

Learning outcomes: 

• Understand the Max environment

• Connect building blocks together and work with data

• Master the user interface

• Work with your MIDI instruments

Requirements

• A computer and internet connection

• A good working knowledge of computer systems

• Access to a copy of Max 8

About the workshop leader 

Phelan Kane is a Berlin & London based music producer, engineer, artist, developer and educator. For over twenty years he has been active in both the music industry and the contemporary music education sector, with a focus on electronic music and alternative bands.

He specialises in sound design and production techniques such as synthesis and sampling, alongside audio processing and plug-in development.

He is currently running the electronic music record label Meta Junction Recordings and the audio software development company Meta Function, which specialize in Max for Live devices releasing the M4L synth Wave Junction in partnership with Sonicstate.

Level: Intermediate

Ableton and Cycling 74’s Max For Live offer a vast playground of opportunities to create unique and rich electronic music performances. In this workshop you will create a performance instrument. This workshop aims to provide you with suitable skills to begin exploring improvised performance in Ableton Live and Max For Live.

Session Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session a successful student will be able to:

• Discuss various forms of performance approaches in Ableton and Max For Live plus their advantages and weaknesses.

• Explore one approach that gives most flexibility and ease for performing.

• Gather assets in Ableton and Max For Live to use in the performance and how to fit them into our chosen approach.

• Develop the approach into a complex performance orientated instrument based in the Ableton and Max For Live Environments

Session Study Topics

• Deploy Ableton and Max For Live devices to create a musical performance.
• Load and organize sounds into Ableton’s Drum Rack.
• Enhance the performability of our instrument using midi processes.
• Develop the approach using Ableton and Max For Live effects.

Requirements

• A computer and internet connection

• A good working knowledge of computer systems

• A basic awareness of music theory and audio processing

• Good familiarity with Ableton and Max For Live

• Access to a copy of Ableton Live 10 Suite, or Ableton Live 10 with a Max For Live license.

• A midi controller is desirable.

About the workshop leader

Ned Rush aka Duncan Wilson is a musician, producer and performer. He’s most likely known best for his YouTube channel, which features a rich and vast quantity of videos including tutorials, software development, visual art, sound design, internet comedy, and of course music.

Level: Intermediate

What you will learn in this course

Cycling 74’s Max / MSP offers a vast playground of programming opportunities to create your own synthesis devices. In this workshop you will build your own synthesis device that utilizes a subtractive architecture. This workshop aims to provide you with suitable skills to begin exploring subtractive synthesis devices in the Max MSP environment.

Session Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Deploy MSP oscillator objects

• Build various filter responses via MSP filter objects

• Construct modulation sources for subtractive synthesis devices

• Define the sonic timbre and strengths and weakness of subtractive synthesis

Session Study Topics

• MSP oscillator objects

• Filter networks & responses

• LFO & envelope properties

• Subtractive’s timbre. Strengths and weaknesses

Requirements

• A computer and internet connection
• A good working knowledge of computer systems
• An basic awareness of audio processing
• Good familiarity with MSP
• Access to a copy of Max 8 (i.e. trial or full license)

About the workshop leader

Ned Rush aka Duncan Wilson is a musician, producer and performer. He’s known best for his YouTube channel, which features a rich and vast quantity of videos including tutorials, software development, visual art, sound design, internet comedy, and of course music

Level: Intermediate

What you will learn in this course

Cycling 74’s Max / MSP offers a vast playground of programming opportunities to create your own synthesis devices. In this workshop you will build your own synthesis device that utilizes a Wavetable architecture. This workshop aims to provide you with suitable skills to begin exploring Wavetable synthesis devices in the Max MSP environment.

Session Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Build Wavetable oscillators via MSP oscillator objects

• Explore Wavetable’s spectral sonic properties

• Construct modulation sources for Wavetable synthesis devices

• Define the sonic timbre and strengths and weakness of Wavetable synthesis

Session Study Topics

• MSP oscillator objects for Wavetable

• Sonograms, scopes and the frequency domain

• LFO, line & envelope properties

• Wavetable’s timbre. Strengths and weaknesses

Requirements

• A computer and internet connection
• A good working knowledge of computer systems
• An basic awareness of audio processing
• Good familiarity with MSP
• Access to a copy of Max 8 (i.e. trial or full license)

About the workshop leader

Phelan Kane is a Berlin & London based music producer, engineer, artist, developer and educator. For over twenty years he has been active in both the music industry and the contemporary music education sector, with a focus on electronic music and alternative bands. His specialism is sound design and production techniques such as synthesis and sampling, alongside audio processing and plug-in development.

His credits include collaborations with Placebo, Radiohead, Fad Gadget, Depeche Mode, Moby, Snow Patrol, Mute, Sony BMG, Universal, EMI and Warner Bros.

He holds an MA in Audio Technology from the London College of Music, University of West London, an MSc in Sound & Music Computing at the Center for Digital Music at Queen Mary, University of London and in 2008 became one of the world’s first wave of Ableton Certified Trainers. He is a member of the UK’s Music Producers Guild, holds a PG Cert in Learning & Teaching, is an Affiliate of the Institute for Learning, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and until recently was Chairman of the London Committee for the British Section of the Audio Engineering Society.

He is currently running the electronic music record label Meta Junction Recordings and the audio software development company Meta Function, which specialize in Max for Live devices releasing the M4L synth Wave Junction in partnership with Sonicstate.

Level: Intermediate

What you will learn in this course

Cycling 74’s Max / MSP offers a vast playground of programming opportunities to create your own synthesis devices. In this workshop you will begin to build your own synthesis devices. This workshop aims to provide you with suitable skills to begin exploring synthesis devices in the Max MSP environment.

Session Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session you will will be able to:

• Define the basic building blocks of synthesis

• Build oscillators via MSP oscillator objects

• Explore various filter responses via MSP filter objects

• Begin to build modulation sources for synthesis devices

Session Study Topics

• MSP synthesis objects

• MSP oscillator objects

• MSP filter objects

• LFO & envelope properties

Requirements

• A computer and internet connection
• A good working knowledge of computer systems
• An basic awareness of audio processing
• Good familiarity with MSP
• Access to a copy of Max 8 (i.e. trial or full license)

About the workshop leader

Phelan Kane is a Berlin & London based music producer, engineer, artist, developer and educator. For over twenty years he has been active in both the music industry and the contemporary music education sector, with a focus on electronic music and alternative bands. His specialism is sound design and production techniques such as synthesis and sampling, alongside audio processing and plug-in development.

His credits include collaborations with Placebo, Radiohead, Fad Gadget, Depeche Mode, Moby, Snow Patrol, Mute, Sony BMG, Universal, EMI and Warner Bros.

He holds an MA in Audio Technology from the London College of Music, University of West London, an MSc in Sound & Music Computing at the Center for Digital Music at Queen Mary, University of London and in 2008 became one of the world’s first wave of Ableton Certified Trainers. He is a member of the UK’s Music Producers Guild, holds a PG Cert in Learning & Teaching, is an Affiliate of the Institute for Learning, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and until recently was Chairman of the London Committee for the British Section of the Audio Engineering Society.

He is currently running the electronic music record label Meta Junction Recordings and the audio software development company Meta Function, which specialize in Max for Live devices releasing the M4L synth Wave Junction in partnership with Sonicstate.

Level: Intermediate

In this workshop you will build an experimental audio FX device that utilizes buffers to create a novel delay line. Experimental processing will be added to the signal path to provide unique sound design possibilities. This workshop aims to provide you with suitable skills to begin exploring building unique, novel and experimental audio FX devices in the Max MSP environment.

Session Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session a successful student will be able to:

• Identify MSP objects for building delay FX devices
• Build delay line audio FX devices via buffer, record and groove
• Build feedback and processing networks
• Explore UI concepts and design

Requirements

• A computer and internet connection
• A good working knowledge of computer systems
• An basic awareness of audio processing
• Good familiarity with MSP
• Access to a copy of Max 8 (i.e. trial or full license)

About the workshop leader

Ned Rush aka Duncan Wilson is a musician, producer and performer. He’s known best for his YouTube channel, which features a rich and vast quantity of videos including tutorials, software development, visual art, sound design, internet comedy, and of course music.

Level: advanced

Date: 19th November 2020, 6pm GMT

In this workshop, you will explore tools and techniques to create bespoke audio FX tools in Gen via Max. Explore delay effects, circular buffers, modulation delays, LFOs, and multi-tap delays via a series of exercises. This workshop aims to enrich your musical output via the application of self-made audio FX and novel sound design techniques. Gen provides highly optimised audio processes that matches C++ and is the ideal technology for improving complex Max patches and free CPU.

Session Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session a successful student will be able to:

• Identify key Gen objects for audio FX devices

• Build delay line audio FX devices with feedback networks

• Configure Gen parameters and properties

• Add LFO networks for use in Flanger and Chorus audio FX devices

Session Study Topics

• Gen objects

• Circular buffers

• Gen variables and parameters

• LFO modulation sources

Requirements

• A computer and internet connection

• A good working knowledge of computer systems

• An basic awareness of audio processing

• Good familiarity with MSP

• Access to a copy of Max 8 (i.e. trial or full license)

About the workshop leader

Phelan Kane is a Berlin & London based music producer, engineer, artist, developer and educator. For over twenty years he has been active in both the music industry and the contemporary music education sector, with a focus on electronic music and alternative bands.

His specialism is sound design and production techniques such as synthesis and sampling, alongside audio processing and plug-in development. His credits include collaborations with Placebo, Radiohead, Fad Gadget, Depeche Mode, Moby, Snow Patrol, Mute, Sony BMG, Universal, EMI and Warner Bros. He holds an MA in Audio Technology from the London College of Music, University of West London, an MSc in Sound & Music Computing at the Center for Digital Music at Queen Mary, University of London and in 2008 became one of the world’s first wave of Ableton Certified Trainers.

He is a member of the UK’s Music Producers Guild, holds a PG Cert in Learning & Teaching, is an Affiliate of the Institute for Learning, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and until recently was Chairman of the London Committee for the British Section of the Audio Engineering Society. He is currently running the electronic music record label Meta Junction Recordings and the audio software development company Meta Function, which specialize in Max for Live devices releasing the M4L synth Wave Junction in partnership with Sonicstate.

Level Intermediate. Knowledge of Max or Pure Data is required, and some rudiments of digital audio.

In this workshop you will build both single cycle and loop based sampler devices, empowering you to utilise them in your own patches. This workshop aims to provide you with suitable skills to begin to explore building sampler devices in the Max environment.

Session Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session a successful student will be able to:

• Identify key MSP objects for sampler devices

• Utilise buffer and waveform objects

• Build single cycle waveform sampler devices

• Build loop based sampler devices

Requirements

• A computer and internet connection

• A good working knowledge of computer systems

• An basic awareness of audio processing

• Good familiarity with MSP

• Access to a copy of Max 8 (i.e. trial or full license)

About the workshop leader

Phelan Kane is a Berlin & London based music producer, engineer, artist, developer and educator. For over twenty years he has been active in both the music industry and the contemporary music education sector, with a focus on electronic music and alternative bands.

His specialism is sound design and production techniques such as synthesis and sampling, alongside audio processing and plug-in development. His credits include collaborations with Placebo, Radiohead, Fad Gadget, Depeche Mode, Moby, Snow Patrol, Mute, Sony BMG, Universal, EMI and Warner Bros. He holds an MA in Audio Technology from the London College of Music, University of West London, an MSc in Sound & Music Computing at the Center for Digital Music at Queen Mary, University of London and in 2008 became one of the world’s first wave of Ableton Certified Trainers.

He is a member of the UK’s Music Producers Guild, holds a PG Cert in Learning & Teaching, is an Affiliate of the Institute for Learning, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and until recently was Chairman of the London Committee for the British Section of the Audio Engineering Society. He is currently running the electronic music record label Meta Junction Recordings and the audio software development company Meta Function, which specialize in Max for Live devices releasing the M4L synth Wave Junction in partnership with Sonicstate.

Level Intermediate. Knowledge of Max or Pure Data is required, and some rudiments of digital audio.

Max offers a vast playground of programming opportunities to create your own audio FX devices. In this series of workshops you will build delay line, filter, chorus and flanger audio FX devices, empowering you to utilise them in your own patches. This workshop aims to provide you with suitable skills to begin to explore building audio FX devices in the Max MSP environment.

Session Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session a successful student will be able to:

• Identify key MSP objects for audio FX devices

• Build delay line audio FX devices with feedback networks

• Build filter networks for use in audio FX devices

• Add LFO networks for use in Flanger and Chorus audio FX devices

Requirements

• A computer and internet connection

• A good working knowledge of computer systems

• An basic awareness of audio processing

• Good familiarity with MSP

• Access to a copy of Max 8 (i.e. trial or full license)

About the workshop leader

Phelan Kane is a Berlin & London based music producer, engineer, artist, developer and educator. For over twenty years he has been active in both the music industry and the contemporary music education sector, with a focus on electronic music and alternative bands. His specialism is sound design and production techniques such as synthesis and sampling, alongside audio processing and plug-in development. His credits include collaborations with Placebo, Radiohead, Fad Gadget, Depeche Mode, Moby, Snow Patrol, Mute, Sony BMG, Universal, EMI and Warner Bros. He holds an MA in Audio Technology from the London College of Music, University of West London, an MSc in Sound & Music Computing at the Center for Digital Music at Queen Mary, University of London and in 2008 became one of the world’s first wave of Ableton Certified Trainers. He is a member of the UK’s Music Producers Guild, holds a PG Cert in Learning & Teaching, is an Affiliate of the Institute for Learning, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and until recently was Chairman of the London Committee for the British Section of the Audio Engineering Society. He is currently running the electronic music record label Meta Junction Recordings and the audio software development company Meta Function, which specialize in Max for Live devices releasing the M4L synth Wave Junction in partnership with Sonicstate.