Mind Blow Open by Algorithms: Some videos and music mades with Max/MSP

I recently took a class in composing with the Max/MSP programming environment. I studied this before—25 years ago, in fact—but remembered very little. So when the opportunity to take a class with Swiss composer and educator Tobias Reber came up, I happily signed up. I thought I'd share a few recordings that I made in the class.


The first few examples include videos that I made to the music. The last few are audio and I've included the Max patch that I adapted from one of Tobias's examples.

Here are the recordings based on the expanded version of the illustration that Tobias showed in class. I've linked to the patch also.

1. Max patch based on Tobias's probability lesson. Finite Probability Drive

2. Soundtrack for artist video. The piano part was generated using the probability patch -- with 5 different iterations of five different possible notes and five different combinations of those iterations. Golem

3. Solo piano piece using the same procedure as the above except with 7 and a different set of notes/probability. Probability of Overturning

4. "Gamelan" Synth sounds. The same as #1 (five iterations) but with different notes and different sounds, though with the same probability set.

Probability of Gamelan