diff --git a/src/sound/mididevices/music_timiditypp_mididevice.cpp b/src/sound/mididevices/music_timiditypp_mididevice.cpp
index 3770b9428..c299dddae 100644
--- a/src/sound/mididevices/music_timiditypp_mididevice.cpp
+++ b/src/sound/mididevices/music_timiditypp_mididevice.cpp
@@ -115,6 +115,8 @@ TimidityPPMIDIDevice::TimidityPPMIDIDevice(const char *args)
 		delete instruments;
 		instruments = nullptr;
 	}
+	TimidityPlus::set_playback_rate(timidity_frequency);
+	SampleRate = timidity_frequency;
 	if (instruments == nullptr)
 	{
 		instruments = new TimidityPlus::Instruments;
@@ -126,7 +128,7 @@ TimidityPPMIDIDevice::TimidityPPMIDIDevice(const char *args)
 	}
 	if (instruments != nullptr)
 	{
-		Renderer = new TimidityPlus::Player(timidity_frequency, instruments);
+		Renderer = new TimidityPlus::Player(instruments);
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -158,7 +160,6 @@ TimidityPPMIDIDevice::~TimidityPPMIDIDevice ()
 
 int TimidityPPMIDIDevice::Open(MidiCallback callback, void *userdata)
 {
-
 	int ret = OpenStream(2, 0, callback, userdata);
 	if (ret == 0 && Renderer != nullptr)
 	{
diff --git a/src/sound/timiditypp/playmidi.cpp b/src/sound/timiditypp/playmidi.cpp
index c68b3e9ae..981e553cc 100644
--- a/src/sound/timiditypp/playmidi.cpp
+++ b/src/sound/timiditypp/playmidi.cpp
@@ -181,8 +181,8 @@ namespace TimidityPlus
 {
 
 // These two variables need to remain global or things will get messy because they get accessed from non-class code.
-int32_t control_ratio = 44;
-int32_t playback_rate = 44100;
+int32_t control_ratio = 22;
+int32_t playback_rate = 22050;
 
 #define PLAY_INTERLEAVE_SEC			1.0
 #define PORTAMENTO_TIME_TUNING		(1.0 / 5000.0)
@@ -195,20 +195,24 @@ int32_t playback_rate = 44100;
 #define DEFAULT_AMPLIFICATION 		70
 #define VIBRATO_DEPTH_MAX 384	/* 600 cent */
 
-Player::Player(int freq, Instruments *instr)
+void set_playback_rate(int freq)
 {
 	const int CONTROLS_PER_SECOND = 1000;
 	const int MAX_CONTROL_RATIO = 255;
 
-	last_reverb_setting = timidity_reverb;
-	memset(this, 0, sizeof(*this));
-
 	playback_rate = freq;
 	control_ratio = playback_rate / CONTROLS_PER_SECOND;
 	if (control_ratio < 1)
 		control_ratio = 1;
 	else if (control_ratio > MAX_CONTROL_RATIO)
 		control_ratio = MAX_CONTROL_RATIO;
+}
+
+
+Player::Player(Instruments *instr)
+{
+	last_reverb_setting = timidity_reverb;
+	memset(this, 0, sizeof(*this));
 
 	// init one-time global stuff - this should go to the device class once it exists.
 	instruments = instr;
diff --git a/src/sound/timiditypp/playmidi.h b/src/sound/timiditypp/playmidi.h
index cc42c826c..797284bf6 100644
--- a/src/sound/timiditypp/playmidi.h
+++ b/src/sound/timiditypp/playmidi.h
@@ -519,8 +519,6 @@ public:
 	ChannelBitMask drumchannel_mask;
 	ChannelBitMask drumchannels;
 	double *vol_table;
-	int playback_rate;
-	int control_ratio;
 
 	// make this private later
 	Instruments *instruments;
@@ -696,7 +694,7 @@ private:
 
 
 public:
-	Player(int freq, Instruments *);
+	Player(Instruments *);
 	~Player();
 
 	bool ISDRUMCHANNEL(int c)
@@ -741,6 +739,7 @@ public:
 };
 
 void free_gauss_table(void);
+void set_playback_rate(int freq);
 
 
 }