# pure-data/pure-data

Pure Data -  a free real-time computer music system

Repository: https://github.com/pure-data/pure-data
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/pure-data
Language: C
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Last push: 2026-08-26T20:49:16+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 77/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4398, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases, no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2071, forks 290 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:10.439725+00:00)

## What it is
Pure Data (Pd) is a free, open-source visual programming environment for real-time computer music, audio synthesis, and multimedia. It uses a patch-based dataflow model and is extensible with externals for video, 3D graphics, and more.

## Use cases
- build real-time audio synthesizers
- create interactive music installations
- prototype sound design patches
- process live audio and MIDI
- teach computer music and DSP
- build multimedia performances with visuals

## When to choose
- you need a free open-source alternative to Max/MSP
- you want visual patching for real-time audio work
- you need cross-platform support with an extensible plugin ecosystem

## When to avoid
- you need text-based audio programming
- you require a commercial license or vendor support
- your focus is offline audio production rather than real-time processing

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: stable
- function: audio-processing, gui, plugin-system
- domain: media, graphics, developer-tools
- platform: windows, cross-platform
- tags: visual-programming, computer-music, real-time-audio, midi, max-msp-alternative, patching, audio, linux, macos, desktop

## Member repositories
- pure-data/pure-data (main) score 77

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:10.439725+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:56:42.693038+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/pure-data/pure-data (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:10.439725+00:00, sha 2cb5263f1179)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.