[microsound] max/msp on linux... better Pd then [WAS] OT: laptop for permanent sound installation - suggestions?

[Trond Lossius]

> There is two bad things Max/MSP did when it upgraded from 4 to 5 that
> really make a difference (for worse in my opinion) comparing to PD. It
> uses a heavy GUI system based on OpenGL... *much more memory and CPU*
> --- without any advantages in terms of sound.

Max uses a modified/customized version of Juce. While Juce supports OpenGL it is not itself based on OpenGL. But yes, it's putting additional strains on CPU unfortunately. Maybe this will be less of an issue with parallel processing as long as DSP only manage to use multithreading to a limited extent.

I think the more interesting question here is how to weight efficiency concerns between code development, patching interface, documentation/learning process and efficiency while executing patches. There are good reasons for all of these efficiencies, but some of them, in particular user interface and patch execution, might be competing for the same CPU cycles.

> It uses a strange file format, not easily redable and probably will
> have problems with compatibility in the future.

The Max file format is using Json, and this is an open format:

http://www.json.org/
http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4627.txt?number=4627

I believe that the compressed file format used for posting code on the C74 forum is just zip compressed json.


While I respect the concerns of free/libre software, I'm personally pragmatic and believe that there is room for both models. Cycling 74 seems to have found a financial and development model that serves Max and its users well, and the same seems to be the case for Pd, SuperCollider and Csound with their various links to institutional funded research and development.

Still I believe that it would be productive for the open source movement to debate some of the fundamental terms used in their political arguments. To me, based in Europe, "freedom" seems to carry a particular value in US culture, to the extent that the idea of "freedom" is by definition "good" and escapes being questioned and critically examined within the political debate. In the past ten years this have caused "freedom" to been used rhetorically in some very problematic ways:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2002257816_sundaydomke01.html

Concerns of "freedom" has to be balanced with an appreciation of "dependency" also being a potential positive value. In society we do depend on each others, and we ought to appreciate and nurture constructive and productive relationships and dependencies, even though it might at times limit our degree of "freedom".


Pardon for having violated mailing list etiquette by raising political issues...   ;-)

Trond