ABSTRACT
A solid understanding of foundational audio engineering concepts is the cornerstone of successfully operating almost all audio engineering technologies and a crucial pedagogical goal for students to attain. This chapter aims to provide an overview of the use of Max software as a foundational learning/teaching tool in audio engineering education. However, before looking at examples of how Max can be used in this manner, it is prudent to discuss the contemporary learning environment in which Max is used. For example, unlike many DAWs, Max provides transparency of controller data and audio signal processing, and facilitates authentic and meaningful learning tasks through contextualized learning. There are several reasons why educators may favor Max as a learning/teaching tool within audio engineering education. The ability to create complex programs without the requirement to learn a programming language is a standout of the software, and patching (programming) in Max is fast and intuitive, enabling users to test ideas quickly by rapidly prototyping complex programs.
