Max MSP is a visual programming language for music and multimedia by Cycling ’74, offering real-time synthesis and interactive music software creation. It supports MIDI controllers and audio data manipulation for custom synthesizers and audio processing. Max MSP’s system is extendable with over 60 MSP Tutorials and supports creating multi-channel audio systems.
For those exploring alternatives to Max MSP, options include Jitter, TouchDesigner, Resolume, Notch, Blender, Houdini, After Effects, Unreal Engine, Unity.
Jitter
Immerse yourself in Jitter, a multifaceted visual programming language eloquently designed for music and multimedia, developed by the San Francisco tech marvel, Cycling ’74. Revolving around interactive sounds and images, it’s a trusted tool by composers, software designers, artists, and researchers across the globe.
Jitter Top Features
Modular programming framework with shared libraries for an array of multimedia applications.
Flexible, enabling third-party development of new modules, referred to as external objects.
Exceptional real-time sound synthesis for manipulating digital audio signals, tailoring them to your creative needs.
Impressive HDMI jitter reduction capability, independent of the interface for ultimate sound quality.
Exceptionally low audibility levels powered by Crystek CCHD-575 ultra-low-phase-noise clock.
Significant Developments
Year
Ableton Live Sequencer Integration
2006
3D Rendering Improvements
2014
Javascript Support, Multiple Channels
2018
Jitter Downsides
Lacks an intuitive user interface for beginners.
Complex syntax may pose a steep learning curve for non-programmers.
Jitter Use Cases
Interactive Music Composition
Jitter is instrumental in providing a dynamic environment for composing interactive music, allowing composers to craft intricate musical pieces with precision and accuracy.
Multimedia Installations
Artists and designers can leverage Jitter’s multimedia capabilities to create mesmerizing visual displays for installations, augmenting audience engagement.
Real-Time Audio Manipulation
For performers and DJs, Jitter offers a versatile platform for real-time manipulation of digital audio signals, enabling live performance enhancement.
TouchDesigner
A product of Toronto-based company Derivative, TouchDesigner is a node based visual programming language crafted intensely for real-time interactive multimedia content. Used widely by artists, programmers, designers and performers, it’s a powerful tool with a host of capabilities including creating performances, installations and media works.
TouchDesigner Top Features
The core strength lies in its node based visual programming allowing dynamic generation of multimedia content.
Offers comprehensive solutions for 2D and 3D production, embracing rendering and compositing, workflow and scalable architecture, video mapping and more.
The operators are divided into multiple categories with a range of functionalities such as 3D objects, panels, ops for Components, 2D image operations for Texture and more.
Powerful enough to capture images from various sources including scanner, webcam, and also able to do UV Mapping, export MIDI files, and interact with MIDI controller.
Surface Operators
Handles 3D geometry and modeling
Materials
Manages 3D rendering pipeline
Data Operators
Deal with ASCII text as plain text, scripts, XML, tables
TouchDesigner Limitations
Although quite broad on functionalities, TouchDesigner doesn’t have explicit downsides. Many users find the learning curve steep at first.
It requires patience and dedication to leverage the full scope of what it can achieve.
Cross-compatibility can be an issue as it is only compatible with Windows and MacOS.
TouchDesigner Use Cases
Use Case 1: Immersive Experiences and Interactive Installations
For those diving into the realm of immersive experiences and interactive installations, TouchDesigner opens new horizons. Its procedural tools allow easy creation of real-time graphics and interactive projects, even without prior programming. Additionally, TouchDesigner courses offered by Grayarea.org provide instructions on these aspects.
Use Case 2: Performance Tools for Lighting/Live Shows and Generative Visuals
TouchDesigner is abundantly used for lighting/live shows and creating generative visuals. With functionalities such as Constructive Solid Geometry, particle simulation, audio stream conversion to raster image, etc, it stands as a handy tool for live performance creators.
Use Case 3: 3D Geometry Generation
3D artists find a versatile ally in TouchDesigner. Capabilities to generate 3D geometry, instancing, and creating user interfaces make it feature-sets profound for the 3D creative industry.
Resolume
Resolume is a pioneering tool in video music and audiovisual live performances, combining video, music editing, and projection for powerful creative expression.
Resolume Top Features
Projection Mapping: Resolume ARENA 7, specifically designed for projection mapping, permits projections on all types of surfaces, including buildings and complex geometrical structures.
Edge Blending: With its support for edge blending, ARENA 7 facilitates seamless projection with multiple projectors.
Real-Time Rendering: Adjustable scale, position of clips, and live composite & effects are possible for spontaneous creativity.
Integration Capabilities: Resolume can integrate with other applications via Syphon (Mac) or Spout (Windows) on the same computer. Besides, it can be controlled via a MIDI controller or iPhone via OSC.
DMX Capable: ARENA can be controlled from a lighting desk, making it suitable for live performances.
Feature
Description
3rd Party Plugins
Visual effects in Resolume are plugins and can accept additional 3rd party plugins for enhanced functionality.
Compatible Video Source Inputs and Outputs
With native support for Blackmagic, AJA and Datapath capture cards, diverse video source inputs and outputs can be incorporated.
Resolume Disadvantages
Can be complex for beginners due to a large number of features.
Copyright restrictions often impede remix creations, limiting the extent to which materials can be sampled and modified.
Resolume Pricing
Please refer to the company’s official website for specific pricing information related to Resolume products.
Resolume Use Cases
Use Case 1: Video Musical Remix Creation
Resolume is a highly effective tool for creating video musical remixes, combining DJing, VJing, directing, sound designing and music production. It allows for the sampling and recomposing of video and music tracks without breaking picture and sound synchronization.
Use Case 2: Live AV Performances
With real-time rendering and live composite & effects, Resolume is key for live audiovisual performances, providing a dynamic tool for performance artists. Its DMX capabilities allow its integration with a lighting desk for intricate, responsive stage management.
Use Case 3: Projection Mapping Projects
With its unique projection mapping capabilities, Resolume ARENA 7 facilitate artwork installations on varied and complex surfaces, from buildings to intricately structured public spaces, creating immersive visual experiences.
Notch
Introducing Notch, an esteemed real-time VFX tool coveted by discerning artists, designers, and event creators worldwide. Based in the UK, Notch effortlessly blends science and art, streamlining the creation process with a node-based interface and a multitude of operational gambits.
Notch Top Features
Unified global canvas enabling creation, simulation, rendering, editing, compositing and playback.
Logical building blocks via a node-based interface for intuitive workflow.
Capability to produce interactive/generative content and live video effects.
Provisions for exporting VR experiences and adapting media servers.
Generates and manages vast quantities of particles dynamically.
FBX, Alembic Import
Enables import of industry-standard FBX and Alembic file formats.
Real-time Rendering Engine
Produces finished frames quickly reducing render time significantly.
Notch Limitations
More suited for controlled settings, may be less ideal for sporadic use-cases.
Complexity of features may require a learning curve for beginners.
Notch Pricing
Notch affords various pricing models, starting at $136.07 per month with a free version available to kickstart your journey. A professional tier for more complex needs is available at $249 per month.
Notch Use Cases
Use case 1 – Live events
Notch shines brightest in live event scenarios, be it music shows or large-scale gatherings. It enables smooth rendering of visuals that electrify the audience’s experience.
Use case 2 – Motion Graphics
Notch is an essential tool for creating dynamic, eye-catching motion graphics with controllable parameters made convenient by its node-based system.
Use case 3 – Interactive Media
In the world of interactive and immersive media, Notch serves as the magic wand, quickly and reliably creating VR, AR experiences and projection mapping.
Blender
A beacon of brilliance amidst software tools, Blender. A free and open-source titan, tailored for the creation and cultivation of 3D computer graphics.
Blender Top Features
A cornucopia of capabilities from 3D modelling to UV mapping.
Unleash your creativity with digital drawing, fluid and smoke simulation, and the captivating craft of sculpting.
Exceptional in its execution of motion graphics, animation, and rendering, affirming it as a harbinger of harmonious visual effects.
An impressive arsenal of supported 3D file formats for import/export ensures seamless collaboration and integration.
Supported OS
Linux, macOS, Windows, BSD, Haiku
License
GPL-2.0 or later
Available Languages
36
Blender Limitations
Like the greatest symphonies ever composed, even Blender has its quieter movements.
Blender Game Engine was deprecated in 2.8 release, signaling the end of one era and the onset of another.
Blender Internal removed in 2.80 release, favoring the Eevee renderer perhaps reflecting a narrower focus.
Blender Pricing
Behold the banner of free and open-source, Blender requires not your coin, but your creativity.
Blender Use Cases
Use case 1: Animated Films
Unfurl your narrative in fluid motion, leveraging Blender’s prowess in animation and rendering, ideal for animated films.
Use case 2: Motion Graphics
Blender emerges as a potent tool for motion graphics, its extensive feature set allows for the creation of intriguing, immersive graphics.
Use case 3: Virtual Reality
Dive into the boundless realm of virtual reality, where Blender offers its might in crafting immersive 3D applications.
Houdini
Originally developed by SideFX, Houdini is a sophisticated 3D animation and special effects application with a unique node-based procedural workflow. Used primarily for complex reflections, particle systems, modeling, rigging, and lighting, Houdini shines in film, TV, video games, and even virtual reality platforms.
Houdini Top Features
Advanced dynamic simulation tools for creating realistically astonishing visual effects.
Capabilities to encapsulate node networks into customized, shareable nodes.
Wide range of tools for simulating fluids, pyro fx, grains, cloth, and crowds.
Features specifically designed for terrain generation, destruction effects, and cloth simulations.
Key Usage
Industry Recognition
Plays a significant role in game development. Helped in creating massive, immersive worlds in games like Killzone 2 and Uncharted.
Extensively used in the film and TV industry. Featured in award-winning effects and blockbuster animations such as Frozen.
Scripting API support, primarily Python, allowing for more intricate programming.
Integration in video game development industry dating back to the early 2000s.
Houdini Limitations
Demands technical knowledge, which might make it less suited for beginners or those without a technical background.
Requires substantial hardware resources, specifically 4GB+ memory, 3GB disk space, and an Intel or AMD x64 CPU with SSE 4.2.
Houdini Pricing
SideFX offers a range of pricing options to cater to different users. The free version, Houdini Apprentice, intended for hobbyists and students. For professionals, the cost can escalate to as much as $4,495 for a perpetual license of Houdini FX.
Houdini Use Cases
Use case 1: Game Development
Houdini has been incorporated into game development, helping create expansive, immersive worlds with a multitude of unique effects.
Use case 2: Animation industry
Irreplaceable in the animation industry. Used in renowned feature animations like Zootopia and Raya and the Last Dragon.
Use case 3: Visual effects (VFX) artists
Its procedural workflow and advanced visual effects tools make Houdini a top pick for VFX artists.
After Effects
Borne from the womb of Company of Science and Art, Adobe After Effects has fervently crafted its pedestal in the industry as a standard bearer for motion graphics software. It’s an artist’s tool, empowering its wielders to breathe life into film, TV, video, and the web.
After Effects Top Features
Visual effects creation: Craft awe-inspiring visual effects using this tool’s robust functionality.
Animation: Breathe life into logos, characters, text, and graphics with ease.
Adobe Integration: Seamless synergistic functionality with Adobe products like Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro.
Deployment Flexibility: Whether via Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based, or Mobile platforms, you wield absolute control over your preferred point of access.
Preset Access: Leverage inspiring presets from motion designers to infuse creativity into your creations.
Feature
Description
Media Library
An extensive repository for your creative assets and inspirations.
Content Management
A streamlined system for managing your creations.
Motion Tracking
Define and follow the movements within your unique creative world.
After Effects Downsides
Limited capabilities for creating 3D environments and models.
Requires integration with other programs for comprehensive 3D art creation.
After Effects Pricing
Starting at a modest $20.99/month for individuals, After Effects also offers team licenses at $35.99/month per license. For the holistic creative journey, consider the Creative Cloud All Apps plan, starting at $54.99/month for individuals.
After Effects Use Cases
Use case 1 – Post-production Phase
After Effects shines in the post-production phase, enabling layer stacking to create intricate and evocative motion graphics or visual effects.
Use case 2 – UI/UX Mock-up Animations
Revolutionize your UI/UX design process with After Effects’ animation toolkit. Create immersive, interactive mock-ups to articulate your designs.
Use case 3 – Digital Asset Management
In the realm of digital asset management, After Effects provides a lifeline, with its integrated system simplifying the arduous process of managing complex creative resources.
Unreal Engine
The Unreal Engine (UE), a spectacular creation developed by Epic Games, first knocked the socks off the gaming world in 1998. Originally designed for PC first-person shooters, it’s proven itself versatile, branching into various game genres, industries, and even film and television. Coded in C++, the UE caters to a variety of platforms, including mobile, console, and virtu-real devices.
Unreal Engine’s Top Features
The latest and greatest, Unreal Engine 5, catapulted into the virtual world in April 2022.
Have your wallet ready, as Epic charges 5% of revenues over USD 1 million for commercial use (though, they’ll waive the royalty model for games published on their store).
UE’s storied history includes the widely used Unreal Development Kit, a free version of UE3’s SDK introduced in 2009, allowing the creation of iOS games and apps.
In the engine’s favor are basic project templates that serve as jumping-off points for first or third-person experiences.
Unreal Engine Marketplace, an online bazaar where users can peddle their creations or purchase the works of other developers.
Feature
Details
Acquired Features
UE includes legacies from its absorbed companies like Quixel.
Level Editor
With its level editor, UnrealEd, UE supports real-time constructive solid geometry operations.
Royalty Model
Epic gives marketplace content creators an extraordinary 88% share of the revenue generated.
Unreal Engine Limitations
Might be a bit heavy on the pockets, as Epic charges 5% of revenues over USD 1 million for commercial use.
While UE offers support for a variety of platforms, its primary focus remains on the gaming industry, limiting its potential for broader applications.
Unreal Engine Pricing
Monetarily speaking, getting Unreal isn’t a roadside deal. Epic charges 5% of revenues over USD 1 million for commercial use. However, for products that make under $3,000 per quarter, UE 4 was made free for all users in March 2015.
Unreal Engine Use Cases
Use case 1
Got a killer game idea brewing for iOS devices? UE, with its Unreal Development Kit, makes that reality attainable.
Use case 2
Looking to rake in some cash with creative content on UE’s Marketplace? You get to pocket a jaw-dropping 88% share of the revenue.
Use case 3
Planning to publish a game on the Epic Games Store? No need to worry about the royalty model; Epic waives it off for you.
Unity
Welcome to the world of Unity, the revolutionary game development engine. It has been stirring up the tech universe since its inception in 2005, with its versatile tools for creating immersive 3D and 2D games.
Unity Top Features
Offers cross-platform game launching, including Android and iOS platforms.
Highly adaptable with multiple operating systems for creating diverse applications, from AR to 3D simulations.
Equipped with a suite of tools, rendering technology, and features to support quality game creation.
Boasts a rich asset store integrated with a array of pre-designed textures and features, catering to your creative impulses.
Supports a variety of coding languages including BOO script, JavaScript, and C#.
Feature
Benefit
Active Developer Community
Get assistance, solve problems, and provide feedback for system improvement.
Constant tech improvement
Benefit from user-friendliness, compatibility, and immersive visual experiences.
Engages user base in constant learning
Facilitates application of new industry solutions and open communication.
Unity Limitations
Indie developers fear new per-install fees could threaten financial sustainability.
New pricing model may result in elevated costs for developers due to potential repeated downloads by a single user.
Unannounced changes leading to diminished trust and openness.
Concerns that Unity’s new fees may limit digital preservation efforts.
Unity Pricing
Unity follows a unique pricing structure, charging developers a fee each time a Unity-powered game is installed. However, they ensure a safeguard for budding developers, only charging an install fee when their game surpasses $200,000 in revenue and 200,000 installations. Take note, shakeups are on the horizon! A new pricing model is set to take effect on January 1, 2024.
Unity Use Cases
Use case 1: Mobile Game Development
Unity’s cross-platform capability combined with a rich asset store makes it ideal for mobile game development. It provides developers freedom to brainstorm and design sophisticated games.
Use case 2: Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) Game Creation
Develop cutting-edge AR/VR games using Unity’s robust tools and technology. From design to launch, Unity aids in seamless game development.
Use case 3: Indie Game Development
Despite the recent backlash, Unity still fosters indie game development with the option of a free version packed with considerable features, making it apt for solo game developers. Just be mindful of the pricing shifts!
Grant Sullivan
Content writer @ Aircada and self proclaimed board game strategist by day, AI developer by night.
