iPad OSC Tilt Controlling Pocket Dimension (MaxMSP & Open Sound Control)

Sending OSC messages from my iPad, transformed in Max/MSP, and used to control FreakshowIndustries’ “Pocket Dimension” plugin in real time.


The plugin itself has an XY axis, and I didn’t want to just sitting down wiggling a mouse around. Luckily, Freakshow Industries included MIDI control for the plugin (as from continuous controllers), so all I had to do was create an instrument track in Logic with the plugin, and then convert OSC data to MIDI CCs in Max.

Sorry if the aesthetics here aren’t up your alley, but hopefully the ideas here can be helpful!

Gear/Software in this video (not sponsored, but a few affiliate links):
Arturia DrumBrute Impact (affiliate links)
* Perfect Circuit
* Reverb
Elektron Analog Heat Mk. II (affiliate links)
* Perfect Circuit
* Reverb
TouchOSC
Freakshow Industries Pocket Dimension

Check out more music with Max/MSP here:

Open Sound Control (OSC) in Pure Data Vanilla

How to receive and parse OSC (Open Sound Control) messages in Pure Data Vanilla for real-time musical control.


Open Sound Control, like MIDI is a protocol for transmitting data for musical performance. Unlike MIDI, though, OSC data is transmitted over a network, so we can easily transmit wirelessly from our iPhones or other devices. Another, difference, though, is that OSC messages don’t have standard designations (like MIDI “Note On” or “Note Off”), so we need to set up ways to parse that data and map it to controls ourselves.

Here, I go over the basics of receiving and parsing OSC data in Pure Data Vanilla, setting us up to make our own data-driven instruments.

0:00 Intro
2:46 [netreceive]
4:07 Sending OSC Messages
5:28 [oscparse]
6:02 Data!
7:11 [list trim]
8:09 [route]
9:03 [unpack]
9:46 Using the Data for Musical Control
13:52 Recap (Simplified Patch)
14:55 Explanation of Opening Patch

More Pure Data tutorials here.