$Page Tour $TargetName Tour Tour-Home.png *What can you do with Max for Live?* You can use Max inside Live to create MIDI effects, instruments and audio effects that plug directly into the Live signal chain, control parameters throughout the Set, or extend Live’s functionality. For examples of the kinds of devices you can build, follow these tour pages, explore the Set and experiment with the devices. *How to spot a Max for Live device* Max devices can be recognized by the Edit button (the third button from the right). We won’t use this button yet during the tour. Edit-button.png *Required knowledge* This Pack assumes you are familiar with working with tracks, clips and devices in Live’s Session View. You don’t need any experience using Max to use this Tour Set. We’ll take a look at editing Max devices later on in the Introduction Set. → $Link Max MIDI Effects $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page Max MIDI Effects $TargetName Max MIDI Effects *Modifying and generating MIDI data* Max for Live lets you create devices which receive MIDI information from Live, perform operations on that data and then pass the data downstream to another MIDI effect or instrument. *Looking at a Max MIDI Effect* The /Filler/ device on track 1 automatically creates drum fills. When the Fill button is on, the incoming notes have a chance of being repeated, and the original notes have a chance of being removed. Filler.png The device stores the latest incoming notes, then re-generates them as often as specified by the Speed setting. Controlling the chance of a new or original note being passed on yields different results every time. → $Link Max Audio Effects $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page Max Audio Effects $TargetName Max Audio Effects *Modifying audio* You can create audio effect devices in Max which receive audio from Live, process the audio in some manner and then pass their audio output either back to Live or to other downstream audio effects. *Looking at a Max Audio Effect* The /Snipper/ device on track 2 replays snippets of recently recorded audio, and can modify their pitch. Snipper.png With Max, audio can be recorded and played back later. In this device, the gray line shows the record position and the yellow line the playback position. The yellow line can move at different speeds, creating a pitched effect that sounds like a vinyl record speeding up or slowing down. The Feedback control simply feeds the result back into the same buffer, resulting in a delay effect. → $Link Max Instruments $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page Max Instruments $TargetName Max Instruments *Generating audio from MIDI notes* Max for Live lets you create instruments that receive MIDI information from Live and use it to generate audio, which can then be sent back into Live or be further processed by any number of audio effect devices. *Looking at a Max Instrument device* The /Bell Tower/ instrument on track 3 is a basic FM sync, but carefully picks features and an interface design optimized for making bells. Bell-Tower.png FM synthesis is built around modulator signals that affect carrier signals. This synth supports just one modulator and one carrier – but it has 16 voices, allowing for many simultaneous long bell tails. The pitch LFO is essential for typical bell phasing effects. Because the phase of every voice's LFO starts at a different time, we can get some pretty interesting interference patterns. The Spread control moves the tails of the bells across the stereo field, mimicking the echoes that might bounce off buildings in a city. And thanks to the large FM Mod Gain dial, the UI even vaguely resembles an actual bell tower. → $Link Modulating Live parameters $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page Modulating Live parameters $TargetName Modulating Live parameters *Modulating values throughout Live* A Max device can be linked to all kinds of parameters throughout the Live interface. These can be controlled with any signal that you generate. *Looking at a modulator device* When adjusting the dial of the /Macro Knob/ device on track 4, other dials will turn too, including the sends on the Bass track. Toggle the Multimap button to the right of the upper panel to see how the dial value is scaled and linked to multiple parameters. Macro-Knob.png To keep things simple, the signal used in this device to control parameters is constant: it's just the value of the dial. Max lets you build dynamic interfaces that can be expanded and scaled. You'll also notice how copies of elements can be reused within an interface. Max even supports reusing components across devices; you may recognize this interface from Live's built-in LFO. → $Link Extending Live $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page Extending Live $TargetName Extending Live *Changing how Live works* Beyond the classic effects, instruments and modulation, Max for Live lets you interact with Live in many other ways. *Looking at the device* The /Launcher/ device on track 5 finds the block of clips you are currently playing and allows you to scroll through them with a dial. If you turn up the Random dial, it periodically plays a clip at a random distance from the chosen Progress. This works especially well when the clips are set to $Link Legato mode, when the play position from the current clip is taken over in the next. Launcher.png This device shows how Max for Live accesses tracks, clip slots and clip launches. It lets you use this information and apply your own logic to how a device interacts with it. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what you can do. Almost every aspect of Live can be accessed via Max. → $Link Routing channels $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page Routing channels $TargetName Routing channels *Getting MIDI and audio from other tracks* Max for Live lets you send audio from anywhere in a Live Set to your instruments and effects. You can even route MIDI into audio effects, and send out MIDI from audio effects and instruments. *Looking at the device* This /Sidechain Modulator/ device on track 6 takes the audio from any channel you specify, smooths the signal, then sends it to the specified parameter in Live. Solo the Bass track and the Fog Pad track to see how the Fog Pad's LFO Amount and Filter Freq values increase when the Bass is silent. Sidechain-Modulator.png Why not try out some more complex signal and routing combinations yourself? With Max for Live, you can simply make your own copy of a device and adapt it according to your needs. → $Link Conclusion $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page Conclusion $TargetName Conclusion Tour-End.png *Conclusion* We hope this tour gave you a good overview of the kinds of things you can do in Live using Max devices. *Building your own devices* As a Max for Live developer, you can customize devices made by Ableton or by the Max community – or create your own from scratch. To learn the basics of building devices in Max for Live, $Link continue to the Introduction Set. Happy patching!