The Digital Orchestra Toolbox (DOT) started its life back in 2006 as a repository of useful MaxMSP functions for the CIRMMT/McGill Digital Orchestra Project. Over the years it has grown and evolved as it was used in subsequent projects at McGill and elsewhere, including the development and performance of a number of new digital musical instruments such as the T-Stick and the Spine.

Currently, the DOT includes more than 120 tools, and unlike many packages available for extending Max, it consists only of abstractions rather than compiled external objects. This ensures easy cross-platform functionality, and makes the internal structure and function of the tools viewable, understandable, editable and appropriable by users within Max itself.

The DOT can be accessed from within the Max package manager, or downloaded from the source repository.