Max MSP Beginners Guide: Creating a filter for a software synthesizerIf you haven’t caught up on the previous three tutorials where we go through the basic tools needed to use Max MSP, how to build an input/output and oscillator, and how to build an envelope system, please do so before following this tutorial.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to create and insert a filter system into your synthesizer to ‘cut off’ certain frequencies to tame your sound.

READ MORE: Max MSP Beginners Guide: How to build a monophonic software synthesizer

The first step is to open up your patch from the last tutorial and ensure that the page is set up correctly before we start patching as unfortunately these do not save, and need to be reset each time you open up Max MSP. You can refer back to Part 1 of this tutorial series if you need any guidance.
Next, create a new sub header on your patch and name it Filter. Due to its function, it is best placed to the right of the Oscillator.
The Filter
Max MSP provides plenty of filter choices and options, but to continue with the ethos of finding simple multi-purpose objects to help us build the monophonic software synthesiser, we’re going to use the object ‘svf~’.
This handy object allows you to choose between a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, a band-pass filter, and a notch filter. So, all you have to build is a means of selecting between the four options, plus a controller for the cut-off frequency.
Before we move onto the selection system, which will be a lot simpler to set up than the envelope pre-sets, you’ll want to create a slider to control the filter’s cutoff frequency. This isn’t a gain slider like we’ve used in the past, but the object called ‘slider’.
This object allows you to set the slider to move between values, rather than just scaling signals.
Once you’ve created the object, you need to connect it to the middle inlet of ‘svf~’, named Cutoff Frequency. The values for the slider now need to be set.
Highlight the object, and open up the inspector on the right-hand side of the patch. If you scroll down to the bottom, you can set your range to a desired frequency, (we’ve set it to 1,000 Hz). The output minimum should be 0, and the output multiplier should be 1.
Selection system
The filter object and cutoff frequency object have been placed in the patch, but now you’ll need to find a way to select the individual filters so they can eventually be connected to the rest of the synthesizer.
Firstly, you’ll need the object ‘selector~’. If you open up the help file for the object, you can see that we need to tell the object how many inlets and outlets it needs to create. As we have four different filters, plus the dry unfiltered signal, we need five inlets, and only one output.
The four filters need to wire into the first four inputs (not inlets) of the ‘selector~’ object, leaving the fifth empty for the dry signal. If you get confused about what each inlet does, you can hover over it with your mouse, and it will tell you. Therefore, the object should look like this:
Four filters wired into the first four inputs of the ‘selector~’
Instead of using messages and bangs to tell the selector what to do, we’re going to use a ‘radiogroup’. We need to establish a way to pick between the five options, so this provides a list of choices that will send our selector a number that will tell which input to ‘open’ and ‘close’.
After you have put the object ‘radiogroup’ into the patch, open up the inspector window on the right-hand side of the patching window. Scroll down to where it says ‘number of items’ and replace the number ‘2’, with the number ‘5’. This is because we want to have five options: the four filters and the dry signal.
Next, you need to connect your ‘radiogroup’ to the first inlet of the ‘selector~’. However, because you want to see what number the radiogroup is sending to the selector, you need to add a ‘number’ object in between. If you hover over the inlets on the selector, it should also tell you what is open and what is closed.
When tinkering around with the radiogroup, you might see that it isn’t sending the selector ‘1-5’, but instead ‘0-4’. This means that it’s not lining up with the five filter options we want, and won’t work for your synthesiser.
There’s a simple fix for this. As we want our radiogroup to choose between the five inputs on the selector rather than just the first five inlets on the ‘selector~’ object, we need to tell it to add one on to every number, making it read 1-5.
To do so, add another object named ‘+1’ below the radiogroup, but above the number. Once this is done, it will only select the five inputs that are connected to the filter options. Don’t worry that the fifth input is empty – this will be connected to the oscillator in the next section.
At this point, your patch should look like this:
After adding another object ‘+1’ below the radiogroup and above the number
Connecting the Filter to the patch
You now need to hook the filter object to the oscillator, and to the output.
Due to the nature of the filter object and how it will manipulate the sound generated by the oscillator, the oscillator no longer needs to be connected to the output, but instead to the filter.
You need to send the oscillator not only to the filter object but also to the selection object – you’ll want the raw signal to be a filter option. Connecting the filter to both objects would require eight wires, so you’ll use send and receive functions to reduce the clutter on the patch.
These send and receive objects act as a routing system but without the need for wires. They’re most effective when you need to send a signal to multiple places.
To create a send object, type in the letter ‘s’ followed by what you want to name the signal route. In this case, it’s called ‘s Osc’ as the signal is being sent from the Oscillator. This needs to be attached to the outlets of the Oscillator.
Next, you need to make a receive object by creating an object and typing in the letter ‘r’ followed by the exact same signal route name. So, it should be ‘r Osc’. This will be attached to the input inlet of ‘svf~’. A second ‘r Osc’ object needs to be created and attached to Input 5 on ‘selector~.

Now the oscillator is connected to the filter, a wire from the outlet of the ‘selector~’ needs to be connected to the right inlet of the signal multiplier in the output. All five of the filter options have been wired correctly and should be triggered when selecting the right button on the radiogroup.
If you want to see what the filter and the cutoff frequency controller are doing to your signal, you can connect a ‘spectroscope~’ to the outlet of ‘selector~’.
You’ve now built your own software synthesiser! There is one more step to go as we turn it into something that actually looks like a synthesizer, and add the all-important presets, but the hard work is now over. Go and enjoy the fruits of your labour and feel free to tinker with all of the components until you find something you’re happy with.
If you haven’t yet downloaded Max MSP, Cycling 74 is offering a four-week free trial.
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Slate & SSL to help Gobbler customers Slate Digital and SSL have announced the launch of a migration programme that will allow Gobbler users to transfer their existing accounts to a new shared platform.

Lewitt launch LCT 440 Pure VIDA edition Lewitt have announced the release of the LCT 440 Pure VIDA, a limited edition version of their popular true condenser studio microphone that sports a rather fetching green finish.

Reverb makes a horror soundtrack using a children’s toy – and the results are as terrifying as you expectOnline gear marketplace Reverb made Halloween that much creepier by making a horror soundtrack out of a child’s toy and a collection of stomp boxes, and the result is as spine-chilling as you’d expect.

READ MORE: Will Apple’s “scary fast” M3 chips boost speeds for music producers?

Children’s toys are commonplace in the world of horror soundtracks, such as a music jack in the box, toy pianos and much more.
Reverb has taken it one step further by connecting a Playtime Engineering’s Blipblox kids synthesiser to a host of stomp boxes, and it sounds like something straight out of a horror film.
According to the website, they used a Walrus Audio Slo Fathom, a Dreadbox Darkness, a Matthews Astronomer V2, an EQD Spires and a Walrus Audio Canvas DI and connected it to the children’s synthesiser in a single chain, before routing it back into the speaker integrated into the synthesiser.
You can listen to the spookiness below:

In other whacky synthesiser news, a blue marble synthesiser that only works when it is in space, is attempting to make its ascent into the stratosphere.
Yes, you did read that correctly, the Blue Marble Synthesiser Kickstarter Project is aiming to launch the first ever music synth that can only work in space (and is playable from earth).
Interactions between the floating marble and various sensors occur inside a capsule. Those interactions, along with audio and video, are then sent back to earth in real-time, where they can be accessed via a web-based interface.
The Kickstarter campaign for the Blue Marble Synthesiser Project is now live. If the goal is met, the system will be launched at the beginning of November, aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket.
Learn more at Kickstarter.
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Apple Music pays labels and creators as much as 90% more than SpotifyA new royalty calculator created by consultancy Manatt and endorsed by Billboard shows the gap between royalty payouts by Spotify and those from Apple Music. For example, a song that. Continue reading
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1M modified tracks on streamers divert revenue from rightsholders & Pex’s Larry Mills has proofToo many creators are getting paid for tracks they don’t own or license, particularly from cover songs, sped-up tracks, and other modified audio, writes LarryMills of Pex, and that’s draining. Continue reading
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Instagram Broadcast Channels is game-changer for Musicians: How To GuideInstagram Broadcast Channels can bring you closer to your fans and promote more social media engagement. Here’s how to get started… by Janelle Borg of AmplifyYou Looking for a new. Continue reading
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Steinberg unveil Cubase 13 Cubase 13 delivers a refreshed MixConsole design, expands the capabilities of the Key and Drum Editors and adds some new plug-ins, as well as reintroducing the Vocoder.

AIR Music Tech Bassline Is FREE For A Limited Time!
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Rick Rubin: “What’s missing today is what SoundCloud used to be”In a new podcast with producer-DJ Kenny Beats, Rick Rubin praises SoundCloud and its direct-to-listener model, saying “what’s missing today is what SoundCloud used to be.”

READ MORE: Rick Rubin: “The way sounds interact on a micro level to create something is the whole game”

Rubin makes the comments on the latest episode of his podcast Tetragrammaton, where the pair discussed how SoundCloud had operated as a “free play environment” that promoted experimentation and innovation.
Calling the platform an “interesting moment in time”, the Def Jam Records co-founder asked Beats if there’s anything like SoundCloud today, to which the latter replied: “I don’t think so.”
At the very least, “nothing that’s not already super monetised and has like a million DMCA strikes,” he says. “If you put up something that has a Drake acapella in it, you’re getting taken down in two seconds.”
Beats also calls SoundCloud “the wild west” where users could “steal anything, flip anything, rip anything and it [would] stay up”. “You couldn’t necessarily monetise it,” the producer explains, a sentiment Rubin echoes, saying: “It wasn’t about monetisation.”
“The beauty of it was it really was this free play environment where you could find really cool new things and people were experimenting and trying things and there was a lot of bad stuff and a lot of cool stuff.”
“Yeah and I think it was so influential that there’s still people who cling to it, like Aphex Twin is still uploading to SoundCloud randomly on a page that people hardly know about just because it’s an outlet that’s that direct,” says Beats.
“And the amount of artists now who are huge artists who started there – who started with that format and mentality. That’s not something you can tell someone to do now. ‘Just drop a bunch of your music and let people hear it.’ How?”
As Rubin aptly concludes, “What’s missing today is what SoundCloud used to be, for sure.”
Also in the chat, Rick delves into how studying at an elite music school doesn’t always translate into success as a musician, saying “[There’s] a real difference in the head between being a technically great player and creating music. Those are two different things.”
Beats, a Berklee alumnus himself, agrees: “None of the people that I went to school with who are unbelievable players now are in music because they never wrote their own songs,” he says.

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Mastering The Mix Animate Is FREE With Any Purchase @ ADSR Sounds
ADSR Sounds offers the ANIMATE plugin by Mastering The Mix as a FREE download with any purchase this month. ANIMATE helps you inject life into your mixes in a precise, versatile, and colorful way. And now, during November, you can get ANIMATE by Mastering The Mix for FREE with any purchase at ADSR Sounds. The software [...]
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Bandcamp union accuses Songtradr and Epic Games of unfair labour practicesBandcamp United, the union representing Bandcamp employees, has filed an Unfair Labour Practice claim against Songtradr and Epic Games on Sunday (29 October).

READ MORE: More than half of artists would hide the use of AI in their music, per recent survey

Bandcamp United’s filing with the National Labor Relation Board (NLRB) accuses Songtradr of discriminating against employees on the basis of their labour activity. According to documents, “Within the previous six months, the Employer refused to hire an employee(s) because the employee(s) joined or supported a labour organisation and in order to discourage union activities or membership.”
About half of the firm’s workforce have been laid off following Songtradr’s acquisition of Bandcamp from previous owner Epic Games, including all eight elected members of their bargaining committee.
“I voted for our collective bargaining committee to represent the needs of my colleagues to Bandcamp management,” Rochelle Shipman, a bargaining unit member, said in a statement. “There has been little transparency from Epic and Songtradr about their decision-making criteria throughout this process, and it’s hard to see how this hiring decision could have been made randomly.”
According to NLRB’s website, a decision will typically be made after 7 to 14 weeks of investigation.
Songtradr previously attributed the layoffs at Bandcamp to increased operating costs, adding that it “required some adjustments to maintain a “sustainable and healthy company”.
The move has sparked considerable backlash on social media among Bandcamp employees, Bandcamp users and musicians who rely on the site to sell their music.
Instagram artist Fermata Ark took to the platform to write: “The underground is the lifeblood of mainstream music, and it needs to exist within a community. It needs to be supported by the people who actually see its value and not by annoying tech-bro CEOs who equate their success in one area of their life as something that can extend to anything they can afford to buy.”
“You can’t buy community, I hope they know what they now hold in their hands.”
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More than half of artists would hide the use of AI in their music, per recent surveyA recent survey conducted by global studio network Pirate revealed that artists are divided on the topic of transparency about the use of AI in their music.

READ MORE: “Sampling led to hip-hop… AI music has the potential to do something similar”, says Holly Herndon 

The survey was conducted among 1141 artists across the UK, US, and Germany, with respondents ranging from band members, singer-songwriters, rappers to producers and instrumentalists.
Across the board, results show a growing openness to AI technology within the music community, a finding that’s largely consistent with trends we’ve seen in the industry of late. 25 percent of the musicians surveyed had already experimented with AI in music production, and among those who hadn’t yet, 46 percent expressed their willingness to consider using AI music tools in the future.
And strikingly, the survey also revealed a transparency dilemma, with only 48 percent of musicians saying that they would inform listeners when AI was involved in creating a song. The other 53 percent had concerns about how their audience might perceive music created with the assistance of AI.
Commenting on the findings, Pirate CEO David Borrie said: “Understandably, artists are hesitant about adopting AI in the studio, and also hesitant about broadcasting their use of this controversial new technology.”
“It’s useful to look back at the introduction of tools like Auto-Tune which faced criticism in their early days, but eventually found their place in the music industry. AI’s journey toward becoming a standard tool in music creation may follow a similar path, as artists and audiences alike adapt to this innovation.”
The report also revealed that 55 percent of artists are actively acquiring new skills in response to ongoing advancements in AI, 28 percent are learning AI-related skills, while 37 percent are learning skills unrelated to artificial intelligence.
“Overall, the survey unveiled a mix of excitement, fear, and challenges surrounding AI in music. ‘Curiosity’ emerged as the primary motivator for musicians embracing AI, followed by ‘Enhanced Creativity’ and ‘Efficiency.’ For those who remain uncertain, ‘Loss of Authenticity’ was the most common concern, often tied to public perception.”
Read Pirate’s full study here.
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Black Corporation’s ISE-NIN shoots for Jupiter – and lands lavishly$4,299 built, black-corporation.com
Few synthesizers quicken the pulse like Roland’s 1981 polysynth, the Jupiter-8. Touted by many as polyphonic perfection, it found its way into the top studios of the world as well as the personal collections of well-to-do musicians. Though pricey upon its release, its legendary status has only grown over the years, ensuring extravagant second-hand prices that keep it out of the hands of all but a select few. For the non-select rest of us, there’s ISE-NIN, a very Jupiter-inspired analogue synthesizer module from boutique company, Black Corporation.

Inspiration, not replication
As with many of Black Corporation’s other instruments, ISE-NIN (styled as イセーニン in Japanese katakana) is not quite a clone. While its panel layout and colour scheme are extremely reminiscent of the JP-8, it also has some differences. Chiefly, it’s a module and not a 61-key unit. Also, there are key differences on the inside, mainly in the way that it approximates the discrete circuitry of the original. There are modern additions as well, such as MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE). Because of all this, it’s best to think of it as a Jupiter-inspired instrument and not a clone, and thus to judge it on its own merits and not how close of a reproduction it is.
How sweet the sound
The ISE-NIN may not sound exactly like a Jupiter-8, but it sure is sweet. On the whole, it’s wonderfully musical and, like the Jupiter, it has a sweet spot as wide as the planet that gave it its name. This is the main reason that Roland’s original is so prized; no matter the kind of sound you’re aiming to make, it can do it and do it with aplomb. In this way, ISE-NIN is the same. Gorgeous chords, striking bass (oh, those snappy envelopes!), lovely pads, commanding leads, even clangorous effects courtesy of oscillator cross-modulation. You name it, ISE-NIN can do it and do it well.
As you might expect, it’s very Japanese-sounding. Clean and tight rather than wild and woolly like an American poly, ISE-NIN is always polite but never wimpy. A metaphor involving Japanese martial arts comes to mind: your opponent will politely bow to you before throwing you to the ground with great force. That’s the sound of ISE-NIN in a nutshell. It’s also an inspiring one that invites you to keep playing it, something that you should never downplay in a musical instrument.
Black Corporation ISE-NIN main panel
Synthesis and extras
If you’re unfamiliar with the synthesis architecture of the original JP-8, it may be useful to take a quick whistle-stop tour of ISE-NIN’s main panel. It’s a two-oscillator analogue synth, with each of these VCOs getting a different selection of waveforms: triangle, ramp, pulse and square on VCO-1, with VCO-2 replacing the triangle with a sine wave and square with noise. You can modulate the pulse width manually, by envelope or via the (single) LFO. That LFO features sine, saw, square and random wave shapes and, along with pulse width, can affect the VCOs independently or together, as well as the filter. You can use the second oscillator as an LFO as well.
The very-Roland low-pass filter has 12- and 24dB-per-octave modes and sounds wonderful and musical. There’s also the expected Roland-style non-resonant high-pass filter. Continuing, there are two envelopes; one for the VCA and one for the VCF. Additional parameters include portamento and glissando, oscillator sync and cross modulation, unison and mono modes, an arpeggiator, and, of course, the layers. While ostensibly an eight-voice poly, ISE-NIN supports layers and splits, allowing you to create full and rich patches that double the synthesizer sound although at the expense of polyphony.
Modern enhancements
ISE-NIN wasn’t made in 1981 and so has a number of modern, digital enhancements, including microtuning, a drift parameter to add in analogue slop, and much-welcome MPE support. There are no effects though. USB MIDI and audio complement the conventional MIDI in/out/thru sockets and balanced stereo audio outputs. The OLED screen, although small, is nice to have and is immensely more convenient than the two-character LED displays of the original.
Black Corporation ISE-NIN main panel
The one area where ISE-NIN falters is in its menu structure. Thankfully, most controls are knob-per-function, with the panel being what-you-see-is-what-you-get. However, it’s precisely because most of the instrument is so intuitive that using the menu can be a little frustrating. Ultimately, this is just a quibble, and once you’ve used the menu a few times you’ll become used to the oddly named buttons and combinations.
Built like a knife
ISE-NIN sounds great but how is the build? A number of online reviewers have mentioned that the ISE-NIN feels a little flimsy and that, given the price (more on this later), it should be more substantial.
The chassis is made from aluminium and, with its power supply on the outside courtesy of the supplied wall wart, the whole affair is fairly lightweight even, when factoring in the wooden end cheeks. In the comments section for Dungeon Music Theatre’s YouTube video review, Black Corporation business manager Bob Rogue responds, “To explain the aluminium choice over steel, we ship these from Tokyo worldwide. Size and weight were big considerations to keep the shipping price and the carbon footprint low.”
He goes on to explain that Black Corporation made original revs of Deckard’s Dream, the company’s Yamaha CS-80-styled synth, in steel and “it was heavy AF”. He also mentions that the chassis is prepared in Tsubame Sano, an area of Japan famous for its metal working. Yes, the same people that forge sushi knives bang out ISE-NIN bodies. Those end cheeks? They’re made from Tamo, a Japanese ash common in musical instruments. And while the knobs and sliders are a little on the wobbly side, so are those on our Juno-106.
Black Corporation ISE-NIN
To Jupiter and beyond
Overall, ISE-NIN is a gorgeous thing. It sounds wonderful, is inspiring to use and play, and has enough extras and accoutrements to take it beyond the fairly basic synthesizer that inspired it. And while it may not sound exactly like an original Jupiter-8, it sounds pretty close. It also gets all of the other things – wide sweet spot, usability and musicality – spot on. Plus you won’t have to sell your house to afford one, like you would an actual Jupiter-8.
But the ISE-NIN isn’t cheap; far from it. Its price of $4,299 fully assembled (kits are currently sold out) is without doubt an investment and certainly not for everyone. If this is beyond your means (and no shame if it is – this is firmly a luxury item), there are plenty of top software Jupiter-8 emulations out there. However, ISE-NIN does sound better than them, and by a wide margin. Whether that margin is worth $4,000, though, is something you will have to decide for yourself.
Kudos to the engineers and designers at Black Corporation for creating ISE-NIN. It’s the perfect blend of synthesis options and sound quality; versatile enough to yield a wide sound palette but never overly complicated. And, most importantly, never at the expense of sound quality.
Key features

Jupiter-8-inspired poly synth
8 voices (reduced to 4 when using layers or splits)
2 VCOs with a variety of waveforms
Cross mod and oscillator sync
12 and 24dB/octave resonant low-pass filter and non-resonant high0pass filter
1 LFO
2 ADSR envelopes
Arpeggiator
MPE support
1280 preset memories
OLED display
DIN MIDI in/out/thru
USB MIDI/audio

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Bitcoin beyond 35K for Christmas? Thank Jerome Powell if it happensLed by Chairman Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve has halted the rise of interest rates. Will it be enough to fuel the surging market through Christmas?