Try this list of actions at home to become familiar during your first week. Things will get easier later on if you learn these technical bits asap.
(1)
LOCK/UNLOCK PATCHER: three ways of doing this
a. CMD+E
b. CMD click (on patcher’s background) the lock at bottom left of
c. clicking on the lock at bottom left of patcher
(2)
PRESS i, f, b, c to have respectively INT FLONUM BANG COMMENT BOX
(3)
INSPECTOR to customise or initialise objects or set some important properties
(4)
PRESS n to create a new object box, ready to type in
(5)
to TYPE IN: these objects are created with the new object command (pressing n on an unlocked patcher) gain~, ezdac~/ezadc~ , dac~/adc~ , cycle~, saw~, rect~, phasor~, noise~, rand~, meter~
(6)
YELLOW PATCH CORD: audio/signal data
GRAY PATCH CORD: control data
(GREEN PATCH CORD: video data)
(7)
ALT+ click and drag: to select cords in unlocked patcher
(8)
MESSAGE OBJECT right inlet to set, left inlet to trigger
(9)
Cold and Hot INLETS
(10)
ARGUMENT: a value, number, or text to initialise or set important properties of the object (like: number of inlet for example)
(11)
TIDY UP PATCHERS: CMD+Y to straighten patch cords or to align objects; MENU>OPTIONS>Segmented patch cords option; bottom right of patcher: GRID mode; Bottom left patcher: PRESENTATION MODE