Re: MAX/MSP Conversion Complete...

[Jeffrey Larson <jeff@zonemobius.com>]

On Sep 29, 2006, at 3:36 PM, Bernhard Wagner LD wrote:
 > Max allows you to build patchers ("objects") yourself by combining
 > existing ones. Your own patchers link into the authoring system just
 > like the pre-existing ones. You can go a long way before you need to
 > hack externals in C.

Yes I understand.  My point is that you are ultimately limited
by the Max intrinsic objects.  In the case of filters, my
"MSP Filters" menu shows 14 objects: allPass~, biquad~, etc.

I'm certain there are people on this list that know more about
DSP than I do, can we say for certain that with these 14 objects
we can exactly emulate the filters on something like an Access Virus?
I don't mean just close, I mean near sample accurate emulation?
Is there one and only one possible implementation of hilbert~ ?

This is just one example of the algorithms that define "the sound"
of a particular device or program.  Why do people prefer the sound
of the Virus over the Nord or Novation?  In the case of Max vs. Reaktor,
maybe it just takes a lot of work with hilbert~, phaseshift~,
and comb~ to get the same "warmth" as some Reaktor patches.

I don't know, but what I'm wondering is if these fundamental  
algorithms color
the sound enough so that people can tell the difference between
the "Max sound" and the "Reaktor sound".  Maybe it is simply a matter
of Reaktor having a better default object library that sounds warmer
without a lot of tweaking.

Jeff