diff --git a/src/synth/fluid_synth.c b/src/synth/fluid_synth.c
index 104df082..dbca05d6 100644
--- a/src/synth/fluid_synth.c
+++ b/src/synth/fluid_synth.c
@@ -612,18 +612,13 @@ new_fluid_synth(fluid_settings_t *settings)
   fluid_settings_getint(settings, "synth.cpu-cores", &synth->cores);
 
   /* register the callbacks */
-  fluid_settings_register_num(settings, "synth.sample-rate",
-			      44100.0f, 8000.0f, 96000.0f, 0,
+  fluid_settings_callback_num(settings, "synth.sample-rate",
 			      (fluid_num_update_t) fluid_synth_update_sample_rate, synth);
-  fluid_settings_register_num(settings, "synth.gain",
-			      0.2f, 0.0f, 10.0f, 0,
+  fluid_settings_callback_num(settings, "synth.gain",
 			      (fluid_num_update_t) fluid_synth_update_gain, synth);
-  fluid_settings_register_int(settings, "synth.polyphony",
-			      synth->polyphony, 1, 65535, 0,
-			      (fluid_int_update_t) fluid_synth_update_polyphony,
-                              synth);
-  fluid_settings_register_int(settings, "synth.device-id",
-			      synth->device_id, 126, 0, 0,
+  fluid_settings_callback_int(settings, "synth.polyphony",
+			      (fluid_int_update_t) fluid_synth_update_polyphony, synth);
+  fluid_settings_callback_int(settings, "synth.device-id",
                               (fluid_int_update_t) fluid_synth_update_device_id, synth);
 
   fluid_synth_register_overflow(settings, 
diff --git a/src/utils/fluid_settings.c b/src/utils/fluid_settings.c
index a9c320ed..d77a33af 100644
--- a/src/utils/fluid_settings.c
+++ b/src/utils/fluid_settings.c
@@ -625,6 +625,114 @@ fluid_settings_register_int(fluid_settings_t* settings, const char* name, int de
   return retval;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Registers a callback for the specified string setting.
+ *
+ * @param settings a settings object
+ * @param name the setting's name
+ * @param callback an update function for the setting
+ * @param data user supplied data passed to the update function
+ * @return #FLUID_OK if the callback has been set, #FLUID_FAILED otherwise
+ */
+int fluid_settings_callback_str(fluid_settings_t* settings, const char* name,
+        fluid_str_update_t callback, void* data)
+{
+    fluid_setting_node_t *node;
+    fluid_str_setting_t *setting;
+
+    fluid_return_val_if_fail (settings != NULL, FLUID_FAILED);
+    fluid_return_val_if_fail (name != NULL, FLUID_FAILED);
+    fluid_return_val_if_fail (name[0] != '\0', FLUID_FAILED);
+
+    fluid_rec_mutex_lock (settings->mutex);
+
+    if ((fluid_settings_get(settings, name, &node) != FLUID_OK)
+        || node->type != FLUID_STR_TYPE)
+    {
+        fluid_rec_mutex_unlock(settings->mutex);
+        return FLUID_FAILED;
+    }
+
+    setting = &node->str;
+    setting->update = callback;
+    setting->data = data;
+
+    fluid_rec_mutex_unlock(settings->mutex);
+    return FLUID_OK;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Registers a callback for the specified numeric setting.
+ *
+ * @param settings a settings object
+ * @param name the setting's name
+ * @param callback an update function for the setting
+ * @param data user supplied data passed to the update function
+ * @return #FLUID_OK if the callback has been set, #FLUID_FAILED otherwise
+ */
+int fluid_settings_callback_num(fluid_settings_t* settings, const char* name,
+        fluid_num_update_t callback, void* data)
+{
+    fluid_setting_node_t *node;
+    fluid_num_setting_t *setting;
+
+    fluid_return_val_if_fail (settings != NULL, FLUID_FAILED);
+    fluid_return_val_if_fail (name != NULL, FLUID_FAILED);
+    fluid_return_val_if_fail (name[0] != '\0', FLUID_FAILED);
+
+    fluid_rec_mutex_lock (settings->mutex);
+
+    if ((fluid_settings_get(settings, name, &node) != FLUID_OK)
+        || node->type != FLUID_NUM_TYPE)
+    {
+        fluid_rec_mutex_unlock(settings->mutex);
+        return FLUID_FAILED;
+    }
+
+    setting = &node->num;
+    setting->update = callback;
+    setting->data = data;
+
+    fluid_rec_mutex_unlock(settings->mutex);
+    return FLUID_OK;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Registers a callback for the specified int setting.
+ *
+ * @param settings a settings object
+ * @param name the setting's name
+ * @param callback an update function for the setting
+ * @param data user supplied data passed to the update function
+ * @return #FLUID_OK if the callback has been set, #FLUID_FAILED otherwise
+ */
+int fluid_settings_callback_int(fluid_settings_t* settings, const char* name,
+        fluid_int_update_t callback, void* data)
+{
+    fluid_setting_node_t *node;
+    fluid_int_setting_t *setting;
+
+    fluid_return_val_if_fail (settings != NULL, FLUID_FAILED);
+    fluid_return_val_if_fail (name != NULL, FLUID_FAILED);
+    fluid_return_val_if_fail (name[0] != '\0', FLUID_FAILED);
+
+    fluid_rec_mutex_lock (settings->mutex);
+
+    if ((fluid_settings_get(settings, name, &node) != FLUID_OK)
+        || node->type != FLUID_INT_TYPE)
+    {
+        fluid_rec_mutex_unlock(settings->mutex);
+        return FLUID_FAILED;
+    }
+
+    setting = &node->i;
+    setting->update = callback;
+    setting->data = data;
+
+    fluid_rec_mutex_unlock(settings->mutex);
+    return FLUID_OK;
+}
+
 /**
  * Get the type of the setting with the given name
  *
diff --git a/src/utils/fluid_settings.h b/src/utils/fluid_settings.h
index bf7dad56..7a935bac 100644
--- a/src/utils/fluid_settings.h
+++ b/src/utils/fluid_settings.h
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ typedef int (*fluid_str_update_t)(void* data, const char* name, const char* valu
 
 int fluid_settings_register_str(fluid_settings_t* settings, const char* name, const char* def, int hints,
                                 fluid_str_update_t fun, void* data);
+int fluid_settings_callback_str(fluid_settings_t* settings, const char* name,
+                                fluid_str_update_t fun, void* data);
 
 
 typedef int (*fluid_num_update_t)(void* data, const char* name, double value);
@@ -37,11 +39,15 @@ typedef int (*fluid_num_update_t)(void* data, const char* name, double value);
 int fluid_settings_register_num(fluid_settings_t* settings, const char* name, double def,
                                 double min, double max, int hints,
                                 fluid_num_update_t fun, void* data);
+int fluid_settings_callback_num(fluid_settings_t* settings, const char* name,
+                                fluid_num_update_t fun, void* data);
 
 
 typedef int (*fluid_int_update_t)(void* data, const char* name, int value);
 int fluid_settings_register_int(fluid_settings_t* settings, const char* name, int def,
                                 int min, int max, int hints,
                                 fluid_int_update_t fun, void* data);
+int fluid_settings_callback_int(fluid_settings_t* settings, const char* name,
+                                fluid_int_update_t fun, void* data);
 
 #endif /* _FLUID_SETTINGS_H */