Max 6 released

EdisonRex · Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 4:30 am Post subject: Max 6 released

http://cycling74.com/products/max/

I upgraded last night. It allows me to take my time getting used to the new whilst still being functional with the old.

BobTheDog · Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 2:51 pm Post subject:

How is 6?

EdisonRex · Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 4:14 pm Post subject:

Functions are better organised. More objects... seems like lots more. Improved UI. Piles of patchers (199 of them) I don't recall seeing before. They seem to have a lot more Live and Jitter stuff (I don't have Live but I've been exploring Jitter with some vague intent to do some video eventually). Maybe it's me, but it seems to eat less CPU now too. That's with existing patches though, perhaps all these new functions bring it up. (oh now I see it's all 64 bit too). I haven't tried Gen yet, I haven't got any patches I think are worth it yet but there is a project I have been working on which seems like it'll be a good candidate as it does a lot of message parsing and that might work better compiled. I definitely think going to compiled code would help CPU usage. My complaint with Max/MSP in general has been the CPU usage overall, but that's been improving (a lot since 4).

What they have done is tie in their resources better. Help. browsing for externals, tutorials, videos, etc are pretty mindless to get to now. Not that help was ever hard to get to, Max has always been pretty good for that, but they seem to be trying to make it even easier. There seem to be major changes in how patchers are represented and the 64 bit audio stuff is audibly different.

It saves as a project now too. Much more IDE ish. I've not explored all the Jitter things yet, but there appears to be much improvement there too.

Apparently there is a new filter design toolset. And an integrated mixer thingy that isolates the DSP for each top level patcher. There are less clumsy clicks and thumps when changing objects on the fly.

I've been a pretty casual Max user all along, I use it to fix problems I can't fix any other way. This seems to make that sort of thing easier. I don't write massive patchers (well, not usually) but it seems to be making more available for people like me, while improving the environment for people who do write massive patchers too.

It's definitely an improvement, and useful stuff too, not just extra eye candy (although there is a fair dose of that too). I need to study some of the new methods (dictionaries, for example) to see what it does for me. I can see myself going more into it, if I can get enough time to spend just working on Max stuff.

BobTheDog · Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 12:39 am Post subject:

Thanks.

Sounds like a worthwhile upgrade then, I will ask Santa for it Wink