Re: Numerology 3...

[Dustbunnies <mech@m3ch.net>]

On 12/26/10 5:50 PM, "Per Boysen" <perboysen@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sun, Dec 26, 2010 at 3:30 AM, Dustbunnies <mech@m3ch.net> wrote:
>> This has me wondering if Numerology might currently work as a poor-man's
>> alternative to Max-For-Live
> 
> I don't think so, because they are completely different tools.
> Numerology is a system for modular step sequencing, the way it was
> done in the analog domain and before MIDI was invented. One might
> argue that Numerology 3 and the Pro version now has digital audio
> processing objects like Envelope Follower, Audio Feedback Assistant, a
> built-in sampler etc - but that's only a little icing on the cake
> while M4L is a massive iceberg of audio processing options (that
> totally lacks the modular sequencing workflow of Numerology).

On thinking about it, you're probably correct as far as a full-blown
MaxForLive replacement.  Most of the functions that I'm interested in M4L
for are actually merely extensions of control functions.  It had slipped my
mind that many (most?) of the useful M4L functions are actually in the 
audio
processing/synthesis realm.  But I've got enough VST's to choke a horse
already.

Much of the stuff I'd use it for is rather as a replacement for firing off
"control" clips of CC data in Live or using Stormgate 3 as a MIDI LFO --
neither of which allow easily for really good evolving or "if/then" logic
structures.  

The one most exciting thing about having Numerology run as an AU, however,
is making it bulletproof against Live's potential clock sync issues (which
are supposed to be solved now, but I still don't trust it).  I don't like
having anything run outboard of Live if I can help it.

It's been a while since I used Numerology (I was in it pretty heavy at 1.x,
but dropped out when v.2 came out), but I still think it might work well 
for
programming self-generating or evolving parameter sequences for existing
effects inside Live.  Maybe not, as you said, a complete MaxForLive drop-in
replacement, but perhaps good enough for what I want to do with it.

        --m.