CC2 - Week 8 - MIDI Information and Virtual Instrumentation

This week we had to create a Max patch that used random generators to change settings in Reason (1). I have had little experience in Reason after strategically avoiding it throughout first year, so this was very much a learning experience in that regard. As well as a normal random note generator, I implemented the Probability Note Generator from week 7's exercise, now expanded to include 5 or so octaves instead of just the one.

After creating the smooth-sliding randomiser (see: help file within bkp.NN19filter.pat), the patch was pretty much a copy and paste affair, with the UI and Reason effects the only real changes needed. I ended up applying randomisation to the Reason NN19 effects Filter (Freq, Attack), Amp (A,D,S,R) and Osc (Pan). Some of these needed related settings changed as well (like 'Res' in Filter), so they have automation applied that is controlled by either the on/off switch for that patch or the Reason initialiser button.

While on the topic, the Initialise Reason button is to be used when the NN19 has been opened in Reason and is set up to accept data from Max. This was originally done using loadbangs, however if you load the patch and then load Reason, the loadbangs do not set up the initialisation data needed for certain settings (again, such as 'Res' in Filter). Hence, a button as been supplied for such use. This also automatically sets MIDI outputs to "from MaxMSP 1", so you don't need to click around for 10 minutes, just set up Reason on this output.

I would have liked to make it a bit more aesthetically pleasing, but I attempted to do some work for a subject other than Music Tech over the weekend and subsequently had to rush the patch.

The main patch is fallaciously named "MaxWeek9", as I was too scared to correct any file names this close to the due date.

~Max Files~

~MP3 500KB~

Main GUI Closed

Main GUI Open

1. Christian Haines "Creative Computing Semester 1 Week 8: MIDI Information & Virtual Instrumentation." Lecture presented at the Electronic Music Unit, University of Adelaide, South Australia, 3 May 2007.