There are other programming toolkits for audio programming as well, like pure data and JUCE.
Idk maybe it’s just me but I’m an experienced programmer and I’ve spent hours learning max/msp and really don’t like the visual aspect. I like programming in vim normally and zipping around the file manipulating text very efficiently without ever taking my hands off the keyboard. Max/msp is the exact opposite, everything is drag and drop mouse movements, and then you can’t just insert new lines in a file to extend something you have to constantly be dragging your existing components out of the way to make room for new components. I find it way more tedious than any other programming environment I’ve used.
I find the same personally, but then I've seen people who would never consider themselves programmers fluently create things in Max, so I guess it depends on your background.
Max actually does have a Javascript API, it's a bit old fashioned and you couldn't use it for any DSP related stuff, but can be useful for some stuff. I used it to build a prototype of something that I'd have no idea how to build visually in Max (basically a macro parameter fader for Max for Live), but is fairly straightforward in code, and took some time to figure out a nice(ish) workflow for working with it with Typescript: https://github.com/tomduncalf/livefader
I wonder if you could use that plus the "gen~" object and/or dynamically generating Max objects from JS to do more advanced synthesis-type stuff. May be more trouble than it's worth though.
To your first point, this is exactly why Max was created, by Miller Puckette at IRCAM - so the artists didn't have to necessarily chase down coders to change their programs. In that respect, it's been a tremendous success.
Absolutely! I went to a workshop on step sequencers at Ableton Loop which I didn't realise was about Max step sequencers specifically, and it was really interesting - the host asked who in the room was a programmer, and just me and my friend raised our hands out of like 20-30 people. Then he started asking who had built x, y, or z musical thing and everyone else was raising their hands - I thought it was interesting that they didn't see what they were doing as programming, even though it very much is to me!
I actually created Scheme for Max to address this, it enables scripting all of Max in s7 Scheme Lisp. Max is a wonderful environment, but for experienced programmers, not necessarily how you want to code. It's strength is the built in integration with stuff that is a pain to code from scratch: midid handling, GUI elements, scheduler, transport, audio controls, etc. If you're interested in using the Max environment, but writing your work in Scheme, check it out.
you might prefer SuperCollider. the syntax and style are a bit bizzare, but the idea is basically if Max were Smalltalk — an entire self-contained audio programming environment where everything’s accessible as code.
Idk maybe it’s just me but I’m an experienced programmer and I’ve spent hours learning max/msp and really don’t like the visual aspect. I like programming in vim normally and zipping around the file manipulating text very efficiently without ever taking my hands off the keyboard. Max/msp is the exact opposite, everything is drag and drop mouse movements, and then you can’t just insert new lines in a file to extend something you have to constantly be dragging your existing components out of the way to make room for new components. I find it way more tedious than any other programming environment I’ve used.