How does Max/MSP compare to other audio programs currently available?
We can divide the currently available programs into three categories: synthesizers modeled on MIDI gear, sound editors and processors, and what could be called audio rendering environments. Native Instrument’s Kontakt and MOTU’s MachFive are examples of the first category. Max/MSP is clearly harder to use than these programs, which could be described as software imitations of hardware samplers. Max/MSP lets you play back samples, just as these programs do, but it is not optimized for that function. Instead it is aimed at people who are not satisfied with MIDI-style playback as a way of realizing their music, so it emphasizes real-time control and endless customization. Another comparison to make is that due to the use of specialized and computationally unchallenging algorithms, dedicated synthesizers probably have more “voices” than a completely flexible architecture such as Max/MSP. But if these “voices” are not the sounds you want to hear, that probably doesn’t matter. Max/MSP is not
