Generative Music Tools: Turing Machine – LIVE Session

Level: Intermediate

There are a broad array of techniques musicians can use to generate music in Max. One such process involves taking inspiration from Alan Turing’s early work on proto-computers, in particular the notion of a tape with data being displayed on it.

This workshop will provide you with the information to construct such a generative device, a ‘Turing Machine’, to supplement your compositional practice.

Session Learning Outcomes:

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

  • Understand the fundamentals of a Turing Machine in a musical context.

  • Patch together a generative process using randomisation and counters.

  • Build a functional UI to tweak different aspects of the generative process in real time.

  • Use the finished device to both generate music through MIDI and control broader parameters of software instruments.

Session Study Topics

  • Turing machines, generative music.

  • Random processes: drunken walks and probability.

  • Visual design in Max

  • Composition through MIDI and software instrument manipulation.

Requirements

  • A computer and internet connection
  • Access to a copy of Max 7 or 8 (i.e. trial or full license)

About the workshop leader 

Samuel Pearce-Davies is a composer, performer, music programmer and Max hacker living in Cornwall, UK.

With a classical music background, it was his introduction to Max/MSP during undergraduate studies at Falmouth University that sparked Sam’s passion for music programming and algorithmic composition.

Going on to complete a Research Masters in computer music, Sam is now studying a PhD at Plymouth University in music-focused AI.

Max meetup 27th March – Europe Edition

Dates & Time:  Saturday 27th March 3pm GMT / 4pm CET

Level: Open to all levels

Overview 

Join the Max meetup to share ideas and learn with other artists, coders and performers. Showcase your patches, pair with others to learn together, get help for a school assignment, or discover new things.  

The meetup runs via Zoom. The main session features short presentations from Max users. Breakout rooms are created on the spot on specific topics, and you can request a new topic at any time. 

In the breakout rooms, you can share your screen to show other participants something you’re working on, ask for help, or help someone else.

Ready to present your work?

Everyone is welcome to propose a presentation. Just fill in this short form and you’ll be put on the agenda on a first come first served basis. 

Presentations should take no more than 5 minutes with 5 minutes Q&A and we’ll have up to 5 presentations at each meetup. 

List of presenters will be announced before each event. 

Requirements 

  • A computer and internet connection

Berlin Code of Conduct

We ask all participants to read and follow the Berlin Code of Conduct and contribute to creating a welcoming environment for everyone.

Max meetup 20th March – Americas Edition

Date & Time: Saturday 20th March 3pm PST / 6pm EST

Level: Open to all levels

Hosted by Chloe Alexandra & Francisco Botello
 
With presentations by: 
Philip Meyer – Seven Spaces patch
Joaquin Jimenez: Machine Learning on Max with ML.* to create Dub Music
Shomit Barua – Creative Coding: Exercises in Circumnavigation

Overview 

Join the Max meetup to share ideas and learn with other artists, coders and performers. Showcase your patches, pair with others to learn together, get help for a school assignment, or discover new things.  

The meetup runs via Zoom. The main session features short presentations from Max users. Breakout rooms are created on the spot on specific topics, and you can request a new topic at any time. 

In the breakout rooms, you can share your screen to show other participants something you’re working on, ask for help, or help someone else.

Ready to present your work?

Everyone is welcome to propose a presentation. Just fill in this short form and you’ll be put on the agenda on a first come first served basis. 

Presentations should take no more than 5 minutes with 5 minutes Q&A and we’ll have up to 5 presentations at each meetup. 

List of presenters will be announced before each event. 

Requirements 

  • A computer and internet connection

Berlin Code of Conduct

We ask all participants to read and follow the Berlin Code of Conduct and contribute to creating a welcoming environment for everyone.

Max meetup 6th March – Americas Edition

Date & Time: Saturday 6th March 3pm PST / 6pm EST 

Level: Open to all levels

Hosted by Chloe Alexandra Thompson

With presentations by:

Crystal Cortez – Wearable tech: 9dof headband synth: wearable tech and other microcontrollers and the programs made to play them in Max

Christi Denton -Networked Online Laptop Ensemble: a patch that allows the Portland State University Laptop Ensemble to remotely rehearse and perform pieces.

Nadir B -Trajectory Score Library: A demonstration patch of the Trajectory Score Library : https://cycling74.com/projects/trajectory-score-library

 

Overview 

Join the Max meetup to share ideas and learn with other artists, coders and performers. Showcase your patches, pair with others to learn together, get help for a school assignment, or discover new things.

The meetup runs via Zoom. The main session features short presentations from Max users. Breakout rooms are created on the spot on specific topics, and you can request a new topic at any time.

In the breakout rooms, you can share your screen to show other participants something you’re working on, ask for help, or help someone else.

Ready to present your work?

Everyone is welcome to propose a presentation. Just fill in this short form and you’ll be put on the agenda on a first come first served basis.

Presentations should take no more than 5 minutes with 5 minutes Q&A and we’ll have up to 5 presentations at each meetup.

List of presenters will be announced before each event.

Requirements 

  • A computer and internet connection

Berlin Code of Conduct

We ask all participants to read and follow the Berlin Code of Conduct and contribute to creating a welcoming environment for everyone.

Max meetup Europe 24th Feb

Date: Wednesday 24th of February at 6pm GMT

Level: Open to all levels

Overview

Join the Max meetup to share ideas and learn with other artists, coders and performers. Showcase your patches, pair with others to learn together, get help for a school assignment, or discover new things.

The meetup runs via Zoom. The main session features short presentations from Max users. Breakout rooms are created on the spot on specific topics, and you can request a new topic at any time.

In the breakout rooms, you can share your screen to show other participants something you’re working on, ask for help, or help someone else.

Requirements

  • A computer and internet connection

Ready to present your work?

Everyone is welcome to propose a presentation. Just fill in this short form and you’ll be put on the agenda on a first come first served basis.

Presentations should take no more than 5 minutes with 5 minutes Q&A and we’ll have up to 5 presentations at each meetup.

Berlin Code of Conduct

We ask all participants to read and follow the Berlin Code of Conduct and contribute to creating a welcoming environment for everyone.

Max meetup Americas 17th Feb

Date: Wednesday 17th of February at 6pm PST / 9pm EST

Level: Open to all levels

Overview

Join the Max meetup to share ideas and learn with other artists, coders and performers. Showcase your patches, pair with others to learn together, get help for a school assignment, or discover new things.

The meetup runs via Zoom. The main session features short presentations from Max users. Breakout rooms are created on the spot on specific topics, and you can request a new topic at any time.

In the breakout rooms, you can share your screen to show other participants something you’re working on, ask for help, or help someone else.

Requirements

  • A computer and internet connection

Ready to present your work?

Everyone is welcome to propose a presentation. Just fill in this short form and you’ll be put on the agenda on a first come first served basis.

Presentations should take no more than 5 minutes with 5 minutes Q&A and we’ll have up to 5 presentations at each meetup.

Berlin Code of Conduct

We ask all participants to read and follow the Berlin Code of Conduct and contribute to creating a welcoming environment for everyone.

Max meetup Europe 10th Feb

Date: Wednesday 10th of February at 6pm GMT

Level: Open to all levels

Overview

Join the Max meetup to share ideas and learn with other artists, coders and performers. Showcase your patches, pair with others to learn together, get help for a school assignment, or discover new things.

The meetup runs via Zoom. The main session features short presentations from Max users. Breakout rooms are created on the spot on specific topics, and you can request a new topic at any time.

In the breakout rooms, you can share your screen to show other participants something you’re working on, ask for help, or help someone else.

Requirements

  • A computer and internet connection

Ready to present your work?

Everyone is welcome to propose a presentation. Just fill in this short form and you’ll be put on the agenda on a first come first served basis.

Presentations should take no more than 5 minutes with 5 minutes Q&A and we’ll have up to 5 presentations at each meetup.

Berlin Code of Conduct

We ask all participants to read and follow the Berlin Code of Conduct and contribute to creating a welcoming environment for everyone.

Max Meetup Americas Edition 1 – LIVE Session

Date: Wednesday 3rd of February at 6pm PST / 9pm EST

Level: Open to all levels

Overview

Join the Max meetup to share ideas and learn with other artists, coders and performers. Showcase your patches, pair with others to learn together, get help for a school assignment, or discover new things.

The meetup runs via Zoom. The main session features short presentations from Max users. Breakout rooms are created on the spot on specific topics, and you can request a new topic at any time.

In the breakout rooms, you can share your screen to show other participants something you’re working on, ask for help, or help someone else.

Requirements

  • A computer and internet connection

Presenters 

Hosted by Chloe Alexandra Thompson and Francisco Botello

Ready to present your work?

Everyone is welcome to propose a presentation. Just fill in this short form and you’ll be put on the agenda on a first come first served basis.

Presentations should take no more than 5 minutes with 5 minutes Q&A and we’ll have up to 5 presentations at each meetup.

Berlin Code of Conduct

We ask all participants to read and follow the Berlin Code of Conduct and contribute to creating a welcoming environment for everyone.

Abstract Composition in Ableton and Max For Live – On demand

Level: Intermediate

Ableton and Cycling 74’s Max For Live offer a vast playground of programming opportunities to create unique compositions and rich sound designs. In this workshop you will create musical and sonic ideas using abstract techniques of composition. This workshop aims to provide you with suitable skills to begin exploring generative composition and complex sound design.

Session Learning Outcomes

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

  • Discuss the relevance of using generative processes in certain musical contexts.

  • Explore how we can use these processes to create musical ideas.

  • Look at ways to capture these ideas to use for future projects.

  • Exploring various sound design techniques to add colour and shape.

Session Study Topics

  • Deploy Ableton and Max For Live devices to generate musical content.
  • Develop this content with various devices such as instruments and effects.
  • Capture, edit and consolidate the content.
    • Reflect on the content we created and discuss ways to develop the project further.

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.

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.

Max meetup – Europe Edition 2

FREE

Date:  Saturday 30th January – 3pm UK time / 4pm CET

Level: Open to all levels 

Overview

Join the Max meetup to share ideas and learn with other artists, coders and performers. Showcase your patches, pair with others to learn together, get help for a school assignment, or discover new things.

The meetup runs via Zoom. The main session features short presentations from Max users. Breakout rooms are created on the spot on specific topics, and you can request a new topic at any time.

 In the breakout rooms, you can share your screen to show other participants something you’re working on, ask for help, or help someone else.

Presenters

The session will be hosted by Ned Rush and feature presentations by:

Nick Rothwell, aka Cassiel, Live coding a patch librarian in Clojure
Philip Meyer, Image Convolution with jit.gl.pix
Johan Englund, CV recorder for Mira

And more to be confirmed soon.

Ready to present your work?

Everyone is welcome to propose a presentation. Just fill in this short form and you’ll be put on the agenda on a first come first served basis.

Presentations should take no more than 5 minutes with 5 minutes Q&A and we’ll have up to 5 presentations at each meetup.

Topic suggestions but not limited to:

  • MIDI
  • Jitter
  • Signal processing
  • Sequencing
  • Hardware
  • OSC
  • Algorithmic composition
  • Package manager modules

Berlin Code of Conduct

We ask all participants to read and follow the Berlin Code of Conduct and contribute to creating a welcoming environment for everyone.