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Frequently asked questions regarding institutional upgrades to Max 9.
How much do upgrade licenses cost for institutions?
The price for upgrade licenses depends on how many Max 7-9 licenses you own. We offer discounts for higher quantities of Max licenses. For example, if you own five Max 7 licenses and five Max 8 licenses, then want to purchase 1 upgrade to Max 9, you would receive the 10-49 rate for an upgrade, since you have a total of 10 licenses. Upgrade pricing is based on how many permanent Max 7-9 licenses you currently own, not how many upgrades you wish to purchase.
To see a full rundown of our quantity pricing, please refer to our Institutions Shop page.
We own permanent Max licenses. Why do we have to purchase upgrades?
A permanent Max license means you own that version of Max forever. There is no expiration date. Permanent licenses include free upgrades to minor point releases (i.e. you can upgrade from version 8 to version 8.5 for free). However, major upgrades, such as version 8 to version 9, are considered paid upgrades.
How can I see what licenses we own, and if any are eligible for an upgrade?
All permanent Max licenses, versions 4-8, that have not already been upgraded, are eligible for an upgrade to Max 9.
If you own Max 7-9 licenses, it's likely that you have an institutional account in our Admin Portal. The administrator on your account can sign in to the Admin Portal with their Cycling '74 user account, then a full list of your licenses will be displayed on the left side of your account (including older Max 4-6 licenses).
If you are unable to sign in, or if you only own older Max licenses (versions 4-6), please email us at sales@cycling74.com with the full name of your institution. We will be happy to look up your licenses for you.
How do I purchase institutional upgrades?
First, check out our Institutions Shop page, which provides information on quantity pricing for Max 9 upgrades. To request an official quote or invoice, you can either email us directly at sales@cycling74.com, or fill out the Sales Contact form on our website.
Please note that upgrade pricing is based on how many permanent Max 7-9 licenses you currently own, not how many upgrades you wish to purchase.
We own RNBO licenses that are currently attached to Max 8. Can our RNBO licenses be used with Max 9?
Yes! If you would like to use RNBO with your Max 9 license(s), please send an email to support@cycling74.com stating how many RNBO licenses you would like moved to Max 9.
Depending on the authorization method you are using for Max 8 + RNBO, we might have to deactivate your Max 8 + RNBO license(s), move RNBO to your Max 9 license pool, then have you reauthorize Max 8 and Max 9 + RNBO. Detailed instructions will be sent via email, once your request is received.
Will installing Max 9 cause problems with older versions of Max on the same computer?
No. You are able to install and use multiple installations of Max on a single machine/user account. However, you may need to rename your Max application (Mac) or the containing folder (Windows) to prevent the newer version from overwriting the older one. For instructions on how to do this, please see this article.
Will old patches work in Max 9?
Yes, as long as there are no 32-bit externals in use. Max 8 (and later) is 64-bit only.
Will any third-party externals need to be updated?
Max 8 (and later) is 64-bit only, therefore 32-bit externals will not work. However, other objects that are compatible with older versions of Max are also compatible with Max 8 and 9.
Does Max 9 work with the Max for Live editor?
Yes. If you wish to use Max 9 as the Live 12 Max for Live editor, follow these instructions. We do not support running Max 9 in Live 11 (or earlier). To ensure compatibility between your Max for Live device and Ableton Live, devices intended to be used in Live 11 should be authored in Max 8.
Please note that Max for Live and Max are two separate products. Ableton sells and supports Max for Live, while Cycling '74 sells and supports the standalone Max application.
Will Gen, MC, and Jitter Geometry objects work within Max for Live?
Yes. However, in order to save devices that use Gen, MC, and/or Jitter Geometry objects you must own a standalone Max license.
For features new to Max 8 (such as Gen event domain or Multi-Channel objects), you will need a Max 8 (or later) license. For features new to Max 9 (such as Jitter Geometry objects), you will need a Max 9 license. For legacy features like gen~ patchers, Max 7 licenses will be honored.