diff --git a/app/qtmain.cpp b/app/qtmain.cpp
index c2571a8..1f2d541 100644
--- a/app/qtmain.cpp
+++ b/app/qtmain.cpp
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 
 #include "process_thread.h"
 #include "audio_thread.h"
-//#include "pitchshift.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 
@@ -34,8 +33,6 @@ int main( int argc , char *argv[] ){
 
     cerr<<"Qt version: "<<qVersion()<<endl;
 
-    //pitchshift::init(44100);
-
     process_thread pt;
     audio_thread at(pt);
     pt.register_renderer(at.m_left_renderer, at.m_right_renderer, at.m_block_stream);
diff --git a/brain/src/spiralcore/portaudio_client.cpp b/brain/src/spiralcore/portaudio_client.cpp
index 48e13d8..2d86906 100644
--- a/brain/src/spiralcore/portaudio_client.cpp
+++ b/brain/src/spiralcore/portaudio_client.cpp
@@ -58,27 +58,27 @@ bool portaudio_client::attach(const string &client_name, const device_options &d
   PaDeviceIndex output_device_num = Pa_GetDefaultOutputDevice(); 
   PaDeviceIndex input_device_num = Pa_GetDefaultInputDevice(); 
 
-  //output_device_num = 4;
-  //input_device_num = 4;
-
   PaStreamParameters output_parameters;
   output_parameters.device = output_device_num;
   if (output_parameters.device == paNoDevice) {
     cerr<<"error: no default output device."<<endl;
+  } else {
+    output_parameters.channelCount = 2;       /* stereo output */
+    output_parameters.sampleFormat = paFloat32; /* 32 bit floating point output */
+    output_parameters.suggestedLatency = Pa_GetDeviceInfo( output_parameters.device )->defaultLowOutputLatency;
+    output_parameters.hostApiSpecificStreamInfo = NULL;
+    cerr<<"Connecting to "<<Pa_GetDeviceInfo( output_parameters.device )->name<<" for output"<<endl;
   }
-  output_parameters.channelCount = 2;       /* stereo output */
-  output_parameters.sampleFormat = paFloat32; /* 32 bit floating point output */
-  output_parameters.suggestedLatency = Pa_GetDeviceInfo( output_parameters.device )->defaultLowOutputLatency;
-  output_parameters.hostApiSpecificStreamInfo = NULL;
-
-  cerr<<"Connecting to "<<Pa_GetDeviceInfo( output_parameters.device )->name<<" for output"<<endl;
 
+  
   PaStreamParameters input_parameters;
+  PaStreamParameters *input_p=&input_parameters;
   input_parameters.device = input_device_num;
   if (input_parameters.device == paNoDevice) {
     cerr<<"error: no default input device."<<endl;
+    input_p=0;
   } else {
-    input_parameters.channelCount = 2;       /* stereo output */
+     input_parameters.channelCount = 2;       /* stereo output */
      input_parameters.sampleFormat = paFloat32; /* 32 bit floating point output */
      input_parameters.suggestedLatency = Pa_GetDeviceInfo( input_parameters.device )->defaultLowInputLatency;
      input_parameters.hostApiSpecificStreamInfo = NULL;
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ bool portaudio_client::attach(const string &client_name, const device_options &d
   PaStream *stream;
 
   err = Pa_OpenStream(&stream,
-		      &input_parameters,
+		      input_p,
 		      &output_parameters,
 		      dopt.samplerate,
 		      dopt.buffer_size,
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ int portaudio_client::process(const void *input_buffer, void *output_buffer,
     }
   }
 
-  if (m_right_in_data && m_left_in_data) {
+  if (input_buffer && m_right_in_data && m_left_in_data) {  
     float *in = (float*)input_buffer;
     for (unsigned int n=0; n<m_buffer_size; n++) {
       m_left_in_data[n]=*in;