Max Examination

April 22, 2001 to May 7, 2000

Intermediate Applications of Microcomputers in Music

MUS 4890/6890

All questions should be answered as completely as possible. Full max patchers are not needed in some cases, however, a flow-chart of program operation and complete descriptions are required for each question. Responses to this examination should be typed and turned-in for evaluation no later than Monday May 7, at 10:00 AM. Include with your responses a diskette of MAX program created. I am willing to answer questions online concerning your responses up until the due date. In the amount of time allotted (two weeks) you should have adequate time to complete this exercise. Hint: the MAX manual will be a useful tool in responding to these problems.

1. Create a MAX program which does the following:

Count up to 100 – then stop – then count down to 40 – then end

Use, both the addition box and loop-based counting and also the MAX object counter.

There are two responses to this question, therefore. Which is easiest to use and less prone to programming bugs?

2. Create a MAX program which will input two numbers and calculate the following mathematical equation.

X = (a/b) + a^2 – b*2

{X equals the quantity a/b plus a to the second power minus b times 2}

What would you have to do to run this equation on values of X between 0 and 100?

3. You are creating a serial composition with 4 12-tone rows. Each is held in a table object. Outline a MAX program which will play these tables continuously at a BPM of 60 switching tables randomly each time a table is completed. What would you have to do to make the tables play in retrograde (backwards)? A second level is considered wherein an approach of total serialism is used (duration and volume are also serialized – values possibly held in tables). What must happen in terms of your program to allow for this kind of output.

4. Outline a MAX program which accepts real-time MIDI input from a clavier and does the following things based on user input (switches?) from the computer keyboard:

1. Harmonizes the input at a set interval above or below the played note
2. Harmonizes the input at random intervals between a semitone and a major seventh above and below the played note
3. Combines the harmonization of (a) and (b) above with a delay of a set number of beats (or time) and thus creates a cannon

5. Describe a MAX patcher, in detail, which would randomly generate pitch, velocity and duration information for a given MIDI channel and allow for the recording and playback of this stream of musical data via the seq object.

6. Describe three musical processes in detail that could utilize MAX programs of various kinds. Provide a description and schematic flowchart for each.

- fini