About us
What is Maxforlive.com?
On maxforlive.com users contribute to an online library of free Max for Live Devices that you can browse and search for in a number of useful ways (unlike existing forums). If you've ever used the Reaktor User Library, you know what I'm going after. You can share your .amxd files (the new Max for Live device file type) with other users and make them easily accessible based on a number of attributes you assign.
Maxforlive.com is an "unofficial" source for these devices and is not owned or operated by either Cycling74 or Ableton, Inc.
Who created maxforlive.com?
This site was conceived within seconds of the NAMM announcement of Max for Live by Clint of the IDM/Dark Ambient/Experimental band synnack. He (well, me really) also does mastering and video work for 0xf8 Studios and manages the digital strategy and web site for Force of Nature Productions.
What about the new "share" features of Ableton Live 8?
In a nutshell, sharing Max for Live Devices via the share feature does not give developers the ability to tag their devices to make them easily found, and users no ability to search for things they are looking for based on musical or otherwise userful terms. It also seems the share feature may be a pay service. Maxforlive.com will be free. So far the share feature in Ableton Live 8 seems to have been designed to share entire Live sets for collaboaration and for that it looks amazing. Just not for the specific purpose of Max for Live devices. Obviously this is just my humble opinion. :-D
In addition, the "Share" feature seems to be on hold right now as Ableton focuses on bug fixing for Live 8. So until the roadmap is clear, my hope is that this site is useful.
More info on this Ableton feature at www.ableton.com/share.
What's next...
I have a million ideas for additional features for this site. Here is just a short list. As with everything else, contact me with yours!
Roadmap
- Ability to upload multiple files per device - so you can share preset banks for your device, for example
- Multiple owners for a single devices - sort of a "sourceforge for Max for Live" where device developers can manage projects with multiple users working on the same device.
- Ability to create your own custom tags
- Ability to contact authors directly via a profile system for your account
- Ability for each author to specify if they want their email address publicly displayed and hence, an associated PayPal "donate" button for their devices.
- Ability to subscribe to a particular device, or author via RSS
- Ability to sell your device here rather than just giving it away. Very possible and definately not part of the Ableton Live Share feature.
- Grouped conditions in the library - "show me all the midi devices that contain LFO and Synth"
- Better search - Today results match ALL terms, not ANY terms entered.