Week 3 Pure Data

Open Source Software

Pd vs Max

I use Max map instead of Pure Data, this is mostly out of convenience and my gradual progression into using it. I started using max for live and eventually wanted to get a better understanding of the software so watched some YouTube tutorials that gave me a good understanding on the fundamentals. As proprietary it does have some positives, the tutorials included in the ui are very helpful.

Free as in lunch, free as in speech.

I don’t really have a problem with buying tools and software as long as the pricing model is fair/non-exploitative and there isn’t a monopoly on the tools. (ahem, adobe and pro-tools)

Before I used Ableton I used LMMS for a while, what taught me the basics of midi though for someone with no daw experience (other that using garage band a wee bit). LMMS is free and open source, but I much preferred using Abelton Live after using the trial.

A few interesting perspectives on open source.

Good programs generally are the product of dogfooding — the producer also consumes their own software, and can directly judge it and figure out what needs to improve. For example, someone who draws would have an immediate idea of whether the drawing program they made is any good or not, but a programmer merely contracted to make a drawing program might only check off a list of requirements, and the programmer is at the whim of the people involved in making requirements to produce relevant requirements. So someone who “gets” their domain is going to have a better chance of success than someone who doesn’t get it; a self-interested programmer is the most efficient at writing software they want to write.

https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/gnuxie-lulamoon-and-hayley-patton-the-poverty-of-post-open-source

https://applied-langua.ge/software-and-anarchy.pdf

https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/kevin-carson-2017-and-killer-apps-for-the-transition