Alexey Logunov, “Unknown Worlds”

Pure Data (Pd) and Max are graphical programming environments for audio and video. They were originally authored by Professor Emeritus Miller Puckette (UC San Diego). Pd is open source, and Max is developed by Cycling ’74, now a subsidiary of Ableton. David Zicarelli is the founder and CEO of Cycling ’74 and the head of development for Max.

Independent artists to industry experts use Max and Pd as part of their regular practice. Their graphical programming environments also make them excellent pedagogical tools for teaching programming, algorithmic composition, sound design, digital signal processing, and more. Universities around the world include Pd and Max in their curriculum.

Pd has an ad hoc conference, the PdCon, convened through grassroots initiatives by its community. In 2025, Pd is approximately 30 years old. Max is approximately 40 years old. In light of these milestones, PdMaxCon25~ is a more inclusive Pd-Con to accommodate the addition of the Max community.

Miller Puckette and David Zicarelli are the keynote speakers. The conference includes research presentations, musical events, demos, and workshops. Submissions were selected via double-blind peer review.

Special thanks to the following folks supporting PdMaxCon25~, allowing us to run it free from registration fees and open to the public:

Illinois NCSA; Grainger College of Engineering ECE department; College of Fine and Applied Arts School of Art and Design; and for matching funds from the Dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts

All events are free and open to the public.