diff --git a/utilities.py b/utilities.py
index 61771fdbbc747493453c1fb7ae9478a273cfa792..0026bf518b8db21ca2a6b4cd42a26940dee243ab 100644
--- a/utilities.py
+++ b/utilities.py
@@ -18,16 +18,20 @@ def identity_matrix(n):
     return np.identity(n).astype(np.float32).copy(order="F")
 
 
-def random_array_on_device(queue, *shape):
-    ary = empty_array_on_device(queue, *shape)
-    cl.clrandom.fill_rand(ary)
-    return ary
+def empty_array(*shape):
+    return np.empty(shape, dtype=np.float32, order="F")
 
 
 def empty_array_on_device(queue, *shape):
     return cl.array.empty(queue, shape, dtype=np.float32, order="F")
 
 
+def random_array_on_device(queue, *shape):
+    ary = empty_array_on_device(queue, *shape)
+    cl.clrandom.fill_rand(ary)
+    return ary
+
+
 def arrays_from_string(string_arrays):
     return split_map_to_list(string_arrays, array_from_string, ":")