Max for Live from Ableton was created in conjunction with Cycling '74 and is an application that allows you to create all the instruments, effects and extensions you've ever wanted. Go beyond the common and predictable, and transcend the limits that conventional tools impose. Using the API, you can build completely unique synthesizers and effects, create algorithmic composition tools, or fuse Live and controller hardware into a new music machines.
Max for Live contains a comprehensive set of building blocks that you can use to build pretty much anything you can think of. These building blocks include basic objects such as "+", audio elements such as filters and oscillators, user interface objects, and a set of objects that regulate access to Live and hardware devices. The application includes a canvas where you can place and connect these objects with virtual wires.
You can build new devices from scratch, modify existing ones or simply use devices that others have made. Max for Live includes several ingenious example devices and plenty of tutorials to take you from using to tweaking, and then to building. The software's visual approach is a lot easier to get into than traditional programming, especially because you can immediately see and hear the effects of your changes.