diff --git a/src/sound/mididevices/music_timiditypp_mididevice.cpp b/src/sound/mididevices/music_timiditypp_mididevice.cpp
index 00975a284..276dd42d5 100644
--- a/src/sound/mididevices/music_timiditypp_mididevice.cpp
+++ b/src/sound/mididevices/music_timiditypp_mididevice.cpp
@@ -101,24 +101,6 @@ CUSTOM_CVAR (Int, timidity_frequency, 44100, CVAR_ARCHIVE|CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
 		self = 65000;
 }
 
-// These two need a music restart.
-CUSTOM_CVAR(Bool, timidity_surround_chorus, false, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
-{
-	if (currSong != nullptr && currSong->GetDeviceType() == MDEV_TIMIDITY)
-	{
-		MIDIDeviceChanged(-1, true);
-	}
-}
-
-CUSTOM_CVAR(Bool, timidity_modulation_envelope, true, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
-{
-	if (currSong != nullptr && currSong->GetDeviceType() == MDEV_TIMIDITY)
-	{
-		MIDIDeviceChanged(-1, true);
-	}
-}
-
-
 //==========================================================================
 //
 // TimidityPPMIDIDevice Constructor
diff --git a/src/sound/timiditypp/effect.cpp b/src/sound/timiditypp/effect.cpp
index b079b4779..6b2084e9c 100644
--- a/src/sound/timiditypp/effect.cpp
+++ b/src/sound/timiditypp/effect.cpp
@@ -183,27 +183,27 @@ void Effect::effect_left_right_delay(int32_t *buff, int32_t count)
 void Effect::do_effect(int32_t *buf, int32_t count)
 {
 	int32_t nsamples = count * 2;
-	int reverb_level = (reverb->timidity_reverb < 0)
-		? -reverb->timidity_reverb & 0x7f : DEFAULT_REVERB_SEND_LEVEL;
+	int reverb_level = (timidity_reverb < 0)
+		? -timidity_reverb & 0x7f : DEFAULT_REVERB_SEND_LEVEL;
 
 	/* for static reverb / chorus level */
-	if (reverb->timidity_reverb == 2 || reverb->timidity_reverb == 4
-		|| (reverb->timidity_reverb < 0 && !(reverb->timidity_reverb & 0x80))
+	if (timidity_reverb == 2 || timidity_reverb == 4
+		|| (timidity_reverb < 0 && !(timidity_reverb & 0x80))
 		|| timidity_chorus < 0)
 	{
 		reverb->set_dry_signal(buf, nsamples);
 		/* chorus sounds horrible
 			* if applied globally on top of channel chorus
 			*/
-		if (reverb->timidity_reverb == 2 || reverb->timidity_reverb == 4
-			|| (reverb->timidity_reverb < 0 && !(reverb->timidity_reverb & 0x80)))
+		if (timidity_reverb == 2 || timidity_reverb == 4
+			|| (timidity_reverb < 0 && !(timidity_reverb & 0x80)))
 			reverb->set_ch_reverb(buf, nsamples, reverb_level);
 		reverb->mix_dry_signal(buf, nsamples);
 		/* chorus sounds horrible
 			* if applied globally on top of channel chorus
 			*/
-		if (reverb->timidity_reverb == 2 || reverb->timidity_reverb == 4
-			|| (reverb->timidity_reverb < 0 && !(reverb->timidity_reverb & 0x80)))
+		if (timidity_reverb == 2 || timidity_reverb == 4
+			|| (timidity_reverb < 0 && !(timidity_reverb & 0x80)))
 			reverb->do_ch_reverb(buf, nsamples);
 	}
 	/* L/R Delay */
diff --git a/src/sound/timiditypp/effect.h b/src/sound/timiditypp/effect.h
index f9141ede0..b447fd9c5 100644
--- a/src/sound/timiditypp/effect.h
+++ b/src/sound/timiditypp/effect.h
@@ -26,12 +26,9 @@ class Effect
 	Reverb *reverb;
 
 public:
-	int timidity_chorus;
-
-	Effect(Reverb *_reverb, int chorus)
+	Effect(Reverb *_reverb)
 	{
 		reverb = _reverb;
-		timidity_chorus = chorus;
 		init_effect();
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/sound/timiditypp/playmidi.cpp b/src/sound/timiditypp/playmidi.cpp
index 0848a80c4..3cd1f1410 100644
--- a/src/sound/timiditypp/playmidi.cpp
+++ b/src/sound/timiditypp/playmidi.cpp
@@ -52,11 +52,17 @@ CVAR(Bool, timidity_portamento, true, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
 * reverb=4     "global" new reverb       4
 * reverb=4,n   set reverb level to n   (-1 to -127) - 384
 */
-CVAR(Int, timidity_reverb, 0, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
+static bool mustinitreverb;
+CUSTOM_CVAR(Int, timidity_reverb, 0, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
+{
+	mustinitreverb = true;	// this needs to reallocate some buffers
+}
 CVAR(Int, timidity_chorus, 0, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
+CVAR(Bool, timidity_surround_chorus, false, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
 CVAR(Bool, timidity_channel_pressure, false, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
 CVAR(Int, timidity_lpf_def, true, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
 CVAR(Bool, timidity_temper_control, true, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
+CVAR(Bool, timidity_modulation_envelope, true, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
 CVAR(Bool, timidity_overlap_voice_allow, true, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
 CVAR(Bool, timidity_drum_effect, false, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
 CVAR(Bool, timidity_pan_delay, false, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
@@ -114,6 +120,7 @@ Player::Player(int freq, Instruments *instr)
 	const int CONTROLS_PER_SECOND = 1000;
 	const int MAX_CONTROL_RATIO = 255;
 
+	mustinitreverb = false;
 	memset(this, 0, sizeof(*this));
 
 	playback_rate = freq;
@@ -131,9 +138,9 @@ Player::Player(int freq, Instruments *instr)
 	new_midi_file_info();
 	init_mblock(&playmidi_pool);
 
-	reverb = new Reverb(timidity_reverb);
+	reverb = new Reverb;
 	reverb->init_effect_status(play_system_mode);
-	effect = new Effect(reverb, timidity_chorus);
+	effect = new Effect(reverb);
 
 
 	mixer = new Mixer(this);
@@ -5015,31 +5022,12 @@ void Player::do_compute_data(int32_t count)
 int Player::compute_data(float *buffer, int32_t count)
 {
 	if (count == 0) return RC_OK;
-
-	timidity_modulation_wheel = ::timidity_modulation_wheel;
-	timidity_portamento = ::timidity_portamento;
-	timidity_chorus = ::timidity_chorus;
-	timidity_channel_pressure = ::timidity_chorus;
-	timidity_lpf_def = ::timidity_lpf_def;
-	timidity_temper_control = ::timidity_temper_control;
-	timidity_overlap_voice_allow = ::timidity_overlap_voice_allow;
-	timidity_drum_effect = ::timidity_drum_effect;
-	timidity_pan_delay = ::timidity_pan_delay;
-	timidity_drum_power = ::timidity_drum_power;
-	timidity_key_adjust = ::timidity_key_adjust;
-	timidity_tempo_adjust = ::timidity_tempo_adjust;
-	std::atomic_thread_fence(std::memory_order_acq_rel);
-	effect->timidity_chorus = timidity_chorus;
-
-	if (::timidity_reverb != timidity_reverb)
+	if (mustinitreverb)
 	{
-		timidity_reverb = ::timidity_reverb;
-		std::atomic_thread_fence(std::memory_order_acq_rel);
-		reverb->timidity_reverb = timidity_reverb;
-
 		// If the reverb mode has changed some buffers need to be reallocated before doing any sound generation.
 		reverb->free_effect_buffers();
 		reverb->init_reverb();
+		mustinitreverb = false;
 	}
 
 	buffer_pointer = common_buffer;
diff --git a/src/sound/timiditypp/playmidi.h b/src/sound/timiditypp/playmidi.h
index 39d16384b..6bf675fc9 100644
--- a/src/sound/timiditypp/playmidi.h
+++ b/src/sound/timiditypp/playmidi.h
@@ -512,24 +512,6 @@ class Effect;
 class Player
 {
 public:
-
-	bool timidity_modulation_wheel = true;
-	bool timidity_portamento = true;
-	int timidity_reverb = 0;
-	int timidity_chorus = 0;
-	bool timidity_surround_chorus = false;
-	bool timidity_channel_pressure = false;
-	bool timidity_temper_control = true;
-	bool timidity_modulation_envelope = true;
-	bool timidity_overlap_voice_allow = true;
-	bool timidity_drum_effect = false;
-	bool timidity_pan_delay = false;
-	int timidity_lpf_def = true;
-	float timidity_drum_power = 1.0;
-	int timidity_key_adjust = 0;
-	float timidity_tempo_adjust = 1;
-
-
 	Channel channel[MAX_CHANNELS];
 	Voice voice[max_voices];
 	ChannelBitMask default_drumchannel_mask;
diff --git a/src/sound/timiditypp/reverb.h b/src/sound/timiditypp/reverb.h
index fa61971dc..2cb230ba3 100644
--- a/src/sound/timiditypp/reverb.h
+++ b/src/sound/timiditypp/reverb.h
@@ -692,16 +692,13 @@ class Reverb
 	void do_xg_auto_wah_od(int32_t *buf, int32_t count, EffectList *ef);
 
 public:
-	int timidity_reverb;
-
-	Reverb(int reverb)
+	Reverb()
 	{
 		// Make sure that this starts out with all zeros.
 		memset(this, 0, sizeof(*this));
 		REV_INP_LEV = 1.0;
 		direct_bufsize = sizeof(direct_buffer);
 		reverb_effect_bufsize = sizeof(reverb_effect_buffer);
-		timidity_reverb = reverb;
 
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/sound/timiditypp/timidity.h b/src/sound/timiditypp/timidity.h
index 0a0aa2afc..272c35818 100644
--- a/src/sound/timiditypp/timidity.h
+++ b/src/sound/timiditypp/timidity.h
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 #ifndef TIMIDITY_H_INCLUDED
 #define TIMIDITY_H_INCLUDED 1
 
-#include <stdint.h>
 #include "c_cvars.h"
 #include "controls.h"
 #include "mblock.h"
@@ -37,9 +36,16 @@
 #pragma warning(disable:4244)	// double->float truncation occurs so often in here that it's pointless to fix it all.
 #endif
 
-EXTERN_CVAR(Bool, timidity_surround_chorus)
-EXTERN_CVAR(Bool, timidity_modulation_envelope)
 
+EXTERN_CVAR(Bool, timidity_modulation_wheel)
+EXTERN_CVAR(Bool, timidity_portamento)
+EXTERN_CVAR(Int, timidity_reverb)
+EXTERN_CVAR(Int, timidity_chorus)
+EXTERN_CVAR(Bool, timidity_surround_chorus)
+EXTERN_CVAR(Bool, timidity_channel_pressure)
+EXTERN_CVAR(Int, timidity_lpf_def)
+EXTERN_CVAR(Bool, timidity_temper_control)
+EXTERN_CVAR(Bool, timidity_modulation_envelope)
 
 
 /*