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

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.

Learn to construct music-generating algorithms in Max, to compose semi-autonomously or supplement your compositional practice.

Level: Intermediate 

Composing with randomness

For centuries, musicians have incorporated chance-based elements into their compositions, first through coin flips and dice rolls and more recently through computer software. Today, building music-oriented algorithmic systems is easier than ever with Max.

What you will learn

In this workshop you will learn a variety of algorithmic processes and useful tools to construct your own systems: including drunken walks, list manipulation and step-sequencer pattern generation. Primarily focusing on MIDI-controlled instruments, you will gain an understanding of how chance can be factored into numerous aspects of composition, from melody and harmony to overall piece structure and instrumentation.

By the end of the workshop you will have built a system for algorithmically generating a short multi-instrumental composition which you will be able to go on to improve and expand upon to fit your own preferences.

Requirements

• You should be comfortable with the general workflow and data formatting in Max.
• Knowledge of MIDI format and routing to DAWs (Ableton, Logic etc) would be a plus, although Max instruments will be provided.
• You should have some basic knowledge of music theory: chords, scales, modes etc.

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 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.

Website

YouTube channel