CNMAT, Summers 2005-2009
2009 Syllabus
Max/MSP/Jitter is a graphical environment for music, audio, and multimedia that runs on both Macintosh (OSX) and Windows XP platforms. In use worldwide for over fifteen years by performers, composers, artists, teachers, and students, Max/MSP/Jitter is the way to make your computer do things that reflect your individual ideas and dreams.
Topics:
* Navigating the user interface
* Work flow: organizing multi-file projects, the Max search path, where to save things
* Data types: messages, bangs, integers, floats, and lists. Open Sound Control, audio signals, and Jitter matrices
* Structure and interpretation of Max programs: objects, timing, patchers, and abstractions
* Basics of DSP: sampling, aliasing, amplitude, the frequency spectrum
* Examples of sample playback and looping, synthesis (FM, additive, and granular), audio effects
* Basics of Digital Video: the Jitter Matrix
* Examples of Movie Playback and Manipulation, and Animation with OpenGL
* Dealing with input from controllers and sensors (MIDI, the mouse and keyboard, USB devices, and Ethernet)
* Mixing event processing, signal processing, and matrix processing
* Using the CNMAT Max/MSP/Jitter Depot, an online repository of patches, tutorials, and repertoire.
After completing this course, students will be able to write Max programs that synthesize and/or process sound and video in response to real-time control and/or simple algorithmic processes. Graduates of this course will also have the skills to read and understand larger Max/MSP/Jitter programs and the foundation for exploring more advanced features of Max via tutorials, help patches, and online documentation.
