The Null Piece and Reality Check

Two frameworks are described, within the larger framework of Pure Data, that aim to facilitate the creation and preservation of electronic music that is performed live in real time. These are not part of Pd itself, because they are more directly tailored to a specific application space than Pd should be. They are nonetheless designed, like Pd, to minimize any unnecessary stylistic imposition on creators of electronic music. The Null Piece is a starting point for building live performance patches. It provides basic audio routing and parameter control while leaving other choices as free as possible. Reality Check is an attempt to aid in the long-term maintenance of a musical realization by verifying whether a piece still runs as intended despite the inevitable evolution of hardware and software.