Live API Abstractions

Max for Live includes a set of helpful abstractions that demonstrate how to interact with the Live API in a device. These abstractions provide programming examples and starting points for constructing your own patches that interact directly with the Live application. They are grouped by the part of a Live Session they can access and control.

Finding the Live API example abstractions

The Live API example can be found in the Max 5 application folder:

Open the patches folder in your Max 5 application folder. Locate the m4l-patches, open it, and open the LiveAPI Resources folder located inside to find the patches listed below.
If you are reading this documentation within Max you can just click on the links below to open the abstractions.

Global Abstractions

M4L.api.ObserveTransport.maxpat: Monitors the status of Live's transport (is the song playing or not).
M4L.api.ToggleTransport.maxpat: : Stops Live's transport when the song is playing - start it if not.
M4L.api.SaveInteger.maxpat: Saves an integer number with the Live set and restores it without letting anything through when set.
M4L.api.SaveLivePath.maxpat: Stores a path in a Live set.

Track Abstractions

M4L.api.GetAllTrackIds.maxpat: Creates a list of all track IDs.
M4L.api.GetVisibleTrackCount.maxpat: Gets the number of the visible tracks in the current Live set.
M4L.api.GetSelectedTrackIndex.maxpat: Gets the index of the currently selected (highlighted) track in the Live set.
M4L.api.SetSelectedTrackIndex.maxpat: Sets the selected track to a given index. The index will be mapped against the list of visible tracks.
M4L.api.SelectMasterTrack.maxpat: Selects the Master Track of the current Live set.
M4L.api.SelectNextTrack.maxpat: A bang message selects the next track in the current Live Set.
M4L.api.SelectPreviousTrack.maxpat: A bang message selects the previous track in the current Live Set.
M4L.api.ChangeTrackVolume.maxpat: Changes the volume of the currently selected track by a given value.

Scene Abstractions

M4L.api.FireSelectedScene.maxpat: Fires the currently selected Scene.
M4L.api.GetSceneCount.maxpat: Gets the total number of scenes in the current Live Set.
M4L.api.GetSelectedSceneIndex.maxpat: Gets the index of the currently selected/highlighted scene.
M4L.api.SelectNextScene.maxpat: Selects the scene next to the currently selected/highlighted one.
M4L.api.SelectPreviousScene.maxpat: Selects the scene previous to the currently selected/highlighted one.
M4L.api.SetSelectedSceneIndex.maxpat: Sets the selected scene to a given index.

Clip Abstractions

M4L.api.FireSelectedClip.maxpat: Fires the clip that is determined by the currently selected (highlighted) scene and track.

Note Abstractions

M4L.api.GetSelectedNotes.maxpat: Locates the clip that is currently selected in the Clip View, read out all its selected MIDI notes and fill them into a Jitter Matrix.
M4L.api.ReplaceSelectedNotes.maxpat: Replaces any selected MIDI notes
M4L.api.ReverseNotes.maxpat: Reverses an input matrix of MIDI notes
M4L.api.InvertNotes.maxpat: Inverts an input matrix of MIDI notes
M4L.api.MoveInScale.maxpat: Moves a selection of MIDI notes without leaving the given scale
M4L.api.BuildChord.maxpat: Builds a chord on each input note
M4L.api.BuildArpeggio.maxpat: Builds an arpeggio on each input note

Device Abstractions

M4L.api.DeviceParameter.maxpat: This patch represents a Live device parameter. It accepts a parameter ID as input and can set and get values in unscaled and raw format and output its min/max values.
M4L.api.DeviceParameterRemote.maxpat: This patch represents a device parameter
M4L.api.GetAllDeviceIds.maxpat: Takes a list of track IDs as input, scan all those tracks for their devices and output a list of device IDs.
M4L.api.GetDeviceNames.maxpat: Takes a list of device ids as input and generate two lists of device names, one with no special format and the other ready to be input into a umenu object.
M4L.api.GetParameterNames.maxpat: Takes a list of parameter ids as input and generate two lists of parameter names, one with no special format and the other ready to be input into a umenu object.
M4L.api.SelectDevice.maxpat: Builds a menu of all available devices.
M4L.api.SelectParameter.maxpat: Creates a list of all available parameters and fills it into a umenu object. Use this patch inside a bpatcher object to display the menu. Outputs the id of the selected parameter (to be input in a M4L.api.DeviceParameter.maxpat object).

Cue Point Abstractions

M4L.api.GetCuePoints.maxpat: Creates a list of all cue points.
M4L.api.GetCuePointNames.maxpat: Generates lists of cue point names.
M4L.api.SelectCuePoint.maxpat: Builds a menu of all available cue points.