Evaluation

Overall for a first attempt at creating an audio sampler, and using Max/Msp for the first time I am fairly pleased with the outcome I got. The finished project wasn't as exactly as I planned from the beginning and in fact was simplified some what due to software demo(s) expiring and complications etc. The program itself works very well in picking up different combinations of buttons and allowing a variety of different sounds to be produced. The only complaints I have about it is the speed in which some of the files load, as well as the accuracy they play back. I ended up loading various segments of 'Purple Haze' by Jimi Hendrix to different combinations, but the trouble is to play it back requires speed and button precision. If I had more time and more knowledge of Max/Msp I would like to have created a more indepth sampler with quicker response and the option to add VST effects to overlay samples, in particular using a sweeping effect like wah wah or phaser using the controllers whammy bar. All in all I feel this is a solid simple sampler.

Video Demo

Producing Idea

I needed to use a selection of functions to make the sampler idea work. The first was to get the controller to be recognised by Max/Msp. I needed to use the 'HI' object so that I could choose from the available input devices connected to the computer. Once this step was complete and the guitar controller was found it was a case of finding out which button was which. To do this I had to create a 'spray' object and enter a number of outputs to find all the controllers buttons by connecting them to number objects thorugh trial and error. Once all buttons were found I had to come up with a way of connecting them so that they would activate when combined with the guitars strummer and linked the combinations to individual 'sfplay' objects that would load and play a sound clip when a certain button combo was selected. This is where the problems started to unfold. I managed to make the guitar play a sound file back when a single coloured button and the strummer where pressed together using the 'select' and '+' objects which added the two button values together and the outcome would run through the select, which was set the same as the two button press, if these two values were different then it would send a reject bang and the file wouldn't play, indicating the two buttons had not been pressed. This worked fine, but when a combination using two coloured buttons (one of which being the original coloured button) it would play the new sound clip and pick up the old sound file and overlay it.
After some searching through tutorials and forums I found a way in which each button combination could be stored individually and each sent out to a bang then linked to an individual sound file. This was done by using the 'select' object again for each coloured button value as well as the strummer value and by converting each of the values from binary to numerical I could send each of the combinations out to its own 'bang' then into its each 'sfplay' object to play a new sound for every button combo.

Project Idea

My project idea is to create an interactive guitar sampler using Max/Msp and a Xbox Guitar Hero controller. I plan to program a series of combinations using the controllers, five coloured buttons and the strummer. With each combination of buttons a different sound file will play that can be used to create their own samples. I hope to use the controllers other buttons to activate different guitar based effects over the samples such as wah-wah, distortion, chorus etc. This is the first time I have used Max so I need to get to grips with it before getting too ambitious. The first step is to get Max to pickup the different buttons of the controller so I can begin to program different combinations.