(maxmsp) Assignment 2: MIDI Patchers

Due Monday, January 31

We need to start programming some patchers to build up skills ahead of our first big MIDI project. Towards this goal, I want you to create the following Max/MSP patchers, each as a separate patcher/file.

1) A gesture generator/arpeggiator patcher that

• Uses a pressed MIDI key for transposition input and to trigger (start) the gesture. The MIDI note number should not pass through to makenote, but only be used for transposition and gesture starting.
• Uses the key velocity from the MIDI key pressed to determine how many notes will be played, with a minimum playback of 2 notes and a maximum playback of 8.
• The gesture or arpeggio can be played back either in random order or specified order.

2) An arpeggiator patcher that

• Uses a pressed MIDI key for transposition input, to trigger the arpeggio, and to stop the arpeggio when the key is released. The MIDI note number should not pass through to makenote, but only be used for transposition and gesture starting.
• Plays one of four stored arpeggios based on and additional MIDI key that does not sound or affect the transposition of the arpeggio. The arpeggios must be comprised of at least two different sizes of chord tones (3-note chords and 4-note chords, for example).
• Plays at a rate expressed in musical time values (4n, 8n, 16n, etc.). You must use at least four different time values. The time values can be selected by mouse, computer keyboard, MIDI key, or MIDI controller input.

3) A modification of patcher (2) that plays a set of rhythmic values based on multiples of a musical time value.

• You should have at least two musical time base values that you can choose among in some way.
• You should have one set of multipliers, used by both base values.
• Use a random process to choose the multiplier value used for each duration.

4) An arpeggiator patcher that allows you to input the chord tones to be played from a MIDI keyboard.

• You can use any combination of patchers (2) and (3) as the basis for this patcher, but you only need to play back one chord at a time (no chord switching by computer – you play new notes on the MIDI keyboard to change chords.
• You will need some type of input (MIDI, mouse, keyboard) to determine when MIDI note input begins and when it ends.