diff --git a/audio_ao.c b/audio_ao.c
index 9b7b5d36..e14b13c5 100644
--- a/audio_ao.c
+++ b/audio_ao.c
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ static void help(void) {
           );
 }
 
-static int init(int argc, char **argv, config_t *cfgp) {
+static int init(int argc, char **argv) {
     ao_initialize();
     int driver = ao_default_driver_id();
     ao_option *ao_opts = NULL;
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ static int init(int argc, char **argv, config_t *cfgp) {
     optind = 1; // optind=0 is equivalent to optind=1 plus special behaviour
     argv--;     // so we shift the arguments to satisfy getopt()
     argc++;
+    
+    config.audio_backend_buffer_desired_length = 44100; // one second. 
+    config.audio_backend_latency_offset = 0;
+
     // some platforms apparently require optreset = 1; - which?
     int opt;
     char *mid;
diff --git a/audio_dummy.c b/audio_dummy.c
index d7531a0b..2fd8ebf3 100644
--- a/audio_dummy.c
+++ b/audio_dummy.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 int Fs;
 long long starttime, samples_played;
 
-static int init(int argc, char **argv, config_t *cfgp) {
+static int init(int argc, char **argv) {
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -43,28 +43,14 @@ static void start(int sample_rate) {
     Fs = sample_rate;
     starttime = 0;
     samples_played = 0;
-    printf("dummy audio output started at Fs=%d Hz\n", sample_rate);
+    debug(1,"dummy audio output started at Fs=%d Hz\n", sample_rate);
 }
 
 static void play(short buf[], int samples) {
-    struct timeval tv;
-
-    // this is all a bit expensive but it's long-term stable.
-    gettimeofday(&tv, NULL);
-
-    long long nowtime = tv.tv_usec + 1e6*tv.tv_sec;
-
-    if (!starttime)
-        starttime = nowtime;
-
-    samples_played += samples;
-
-    long long finishtime = starttime + samples_played * 1e6 / Fs;
-    usleep(finishtime - nowtime);
 }
 
 static void stop(void) {
-    printf("dummy audio stopped\n");
+    debug(1,"dummy audio stopped\n");
 }
 
 static void help(void) {
diff --git a/audio_pipe.c b/audio_pipe.c
index b218d787..00921e86 100644
--- a/audio_pipe.c
+++ b/audio_pipe.c
@@ -54,12 +54,14 @@ static void stop(void) {
     close(fd);
 }
 
-static int init(int argc, char **argv, config_t *cfgp) {
+static int init(int argc, char **argv) {
+  config.audio_backend_buffer_desired_length = 44100; // one second. 
+  config.audio_backend_latency_offset = 0;
 
-  if (cfgp!=NULL) {
+  if (config.cfg!=NULL) {
        /* Get the Output Pipename. */
       const char *str;
-      if(config_lookup_string(cfgp, "pipe.name", &str)) {
+      if(config_lookup_string(config.cfg, "pipe.name", &str)) {
         pipename = (char*)str;
       }
   }
diff --git a/audio_pulse.c b/audio_pulse.c
index 93b0fb0a..d76c1de5 100644
--- a/audio_pulse.c
+++ b/audio_pulse.c
@@ -58,8 +58,12 @@ static void help(void) {
           );
 }
 
-static int init(int argc, char **argv, config_t *cfgp) {
+static int init(int argc, char **argv) {
+
     pulse_options.apname = config.apname;
+    
+    config.audio_backend_buffer_desired_length = 44100; // one second. 
+    config.audio_backend_latency_offset = 0;
 
     optind = 1; // optind=0 is equivalent to optind=1 plus special behaviour
     argv--;     // so we shift the arguments to satisfy getopt()
diff --git a/audio_sndio.c b/audio_sndio.c
index 2ece8439..65a42778 100644
--- a/audio_sndio.c
+++ b/audio_sndio.c
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 static struct sio_hdl *sio;
 static struct sio_par par;
 
-static int init(int argc, char **argv, config_t *cfgp) {
+static int init(int argc, char **argv) {
 	sio = sio_open(SIO_DEVANY, SIO_PLAY, 0);
 	if (!sio)
 		die("sndio: cannot connect to sound server");
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ static int init(int argc, char **argv, config_t *cfgp) {
 		die("sndio: failed to set audio parameters");
 	if (!sio_getpar(sio, &par))
 		die("sndio: failed to get audio parameters");
+	
+	config.audio_backend_buffer_desired_length = 44100; // one second. 
+  config.audio_backend_latency_offset = 0;
 
 	return 0;
 }