[PD] Pd, Max/Msp, Reaktor, Plogue Bidule... How do these compare?

Jonathan Wilkes jancsika at yahoo.com
Thu Mar 18 23:29:47 CET 2010


--- On Thu, 3/18/10, Marco Donnarumma <devel at thesaddj.com> wrote:

From: Marco Donnarumma <devel at thesaddj.com>
Subject: Re: [PD] Pd, Max/Msp, Reaktor, Plogue Bidule... How do these compare?
To: "Jonathan Wilkes" <jancsika at yahoo.com>
Cc: quietdidit at gmail.com, pd-list at iem.at
Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 6:38 PM

>Hi Jonathan,
>I think it can be, of course it is not for everybody. it was for me too :9
>
>However, as somebody already answered, few things could improve the beg >phase of a learning curve.
>The plugin introduced in Pd 0.43 which shows a category dropdown menu >which can be used to recall objects in a easier way and _above all_ >without knowing about their existence could be one of those enhancement.
>
>Also I wonder about a stronger background color difference among few >objects (i.e. a different color for [inlet]/[outlet], [send]/[receive], >or tilde objects).
>And probably more recent embedded tutorials to get started (and I feel >ashamed I still didn't contribute, many thanks to all the people who >already did it).

I'm almost finished revising the docs: 2.control.examples, 
3.audio.examples, 4.data.structures, and 5.reference.  I'll post them to 
the list when I'm done (should be shortly).

>Anyway learning Pd is _not_ easy and it doesn't have to be. Hence the >learning curve and learning tools could be improved, but you still should >be aware that if you want to be able to master such a flexible computing >capability you need to get your hands (and mind) dirty. I think it's >worth, and I wouldn't like it to be easier.

I disagree-- I would like it to be easier, and it should be easier.  More 
time spent trying to figure out how dollarsym atoms get expanded is less 
time spent making music.  The last paragraph of Pd Manual 2.6.5 doesn't 
reflect the current state of Pd, btw.  Do items like that belong on the 
bug tracker?

>Studying and Teaching I found Pd can operate kind of "natural selection" >that sometimes is needed in some context.

By that logic there should be even less documentation (or more outdated/ 
erroneous docs).  But what are the characteristics that make students fit 
enough to avoid death and reproduce themselves into the next generation of 
the Pd learning environment?  As far as I can tell, Pd crashes will remain 
Pd crashes, regardless of whether the output isn't boring, so I don't 
think I understand what you mean.

On a related note, a [sculch-gate~] object would be cool. (sculch = junk)

-Jonathan


      





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