diff --git a/Timeline/Audio_File.H b/Timeline/Audio_File.H
index 63d9f5d..77e940b 100644
--- a/Timeline/Audio_File.H
+++ b/Timeline/Audio_File.H
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ public:
             _length = _channels = 0;
         }
 
+    virtual ~Audio_File ( )
+        {
+        }
+
     static Audio_File *from_file ( const char *filename );
 
     Peaks const * peaks ( ) { return _peaks; }
diff --git a/Timeline/Audio_File_SF.C b/Timeline/Audio_File_SF.C
index 6a6c276..02c05cc 100644
--- a/Timeline/Audio_File_SF.C
+++ b/Timeline/Audio_File_SF.C
@@ -103,22 +103,31 @@ Audio_File_SF::create ( const char *filename, nframes_t samplerate, int channels
 bool
 Audio_File_SF::open ( void )
 {
+    SF_INFO si;
 
-/*     SF_INFO si; */
+    assert( _in == NULL );
 
-/*     memset( &si, 0, sizeof( si ) ); */
+    memset( &si, 0, sizeof( si ) );
 
-/*     if ( ! ( _in = sf_open( _filename, SFM_READ, &si ) ) ) */
-/*         return false; */
+    if ( ! ( _in = sf_open( _filename, SFM_READ, &si ) ) )
+        return false;
 
-    seek( 0 );
+    _current_read = 0;
+    _length       = si.frames;
+    _samplerate   = si.samplerate;
+    _channels     = si.channels;
+
+//    seek( 0 );
     return true;
 }
 
 void
 Audio_File_SF::close ( void )
 {
-//    sf_close( _in );
+    if ( _in )
+        sf_close( _in );
+
+    _in = NULL;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/Timeline/Audio_File_SF.H b/Timeline/Audio_File_SF.H
index 78cfc59..2d5413d 100644
--- a/Timeline/Audio_File_SF.H
+++ b/Timeline/Audio_File_SF.H
@@ -36,6 +36,12 @@ public:
     static Audio_File_SF *from_file ( const char *filename );
     static Audio_File_SF *create ( const char *filename, nframes_t samplerate, int channels, const char *format );
 
+    ~Audio_File_SF ( )
+        {
+            /* stupid C++ */
+            close();
+        }
+
     bool open ( void );
     void close ( void );
     void seek ( nframes_t offset );
diff --git a/Timeline/Disk_Stream.C b/Timeline/Disk_Stream.C
index 441c1b4..cc21687 100644
--- a/Timeline/Disk_Stream.C
+++ b/Timeline/Disk_Stream.C
@@ -78,11 +78,6 @@ Disk_Stream::Disk_Stream ( Track_Header *th, float frame_rate, nframes_t nframes
 
 Disk_Stream::~Disk_Stream ( )
 {
-
-    /* stop the IO thread */
-    _terminate = true;
-    pthread_join( _thread, NULL );
-
     /* it isn't safe to do all this with the RT thread running */
     engine->lock();
 
@@ -96,6 +91,14 @@ Disk_Stream::~Disk_Stream ( )
     engine->unlock();
 }
 
+/** stop the IO thread, block until it finishes. */
+void
+Disk_Stream::shutdown ( void )
+{
+    _terminate = true;
+    pthread_join( _thread, NULL );
+}
+
 Audio_Track *
 Disk_Stream::track ( void )
 {
@@ -119,12 +122,6 @@ Disk_Stream::resize ( nframes_t nframes )
 }
 
 
-/* void */
-/* DIsk_Stream::shutdown ( void ) */
-/* { */
-/*     pthread_join( &_thread, NULL ); */
-/* } */
-
 /* static wrapper */
 void *
 Disk_Stream::disk_thread ( void *arg )
diff --git a/Timeline/Disk_Stream.H b/Timeline/Disk_Stream.H
index 11b6682..a09aaa7 100644
--- a/Timeline/Disk_Stream.H
+++ b/Timeline/Disk_Stream.H
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ public:
 /*     bool seek_pending ( void ); */
 
     void run ( void );
+    void shutdown ( void );
 
     virtual nframes_t process ( nframes_t nframes ) = 0;
 
diff --git a/Timeline/Record_DS.C b/Timeline/Record_DS.C
index 9658966..4e2cd1d 100644
--- a/Timeline/Record_DS.C
+++ b/Timeline/Record_DS.C
@@ -123,15 +123,66 @@ Record_DS::disk_thread ( void )
 
     printf( "IO thread terminating.\n" );
 
+    delete[] cbuf;
     delete[] buf;
 }
 
+
+/** begin recording */
+/* FIXME: we need to make note of the exact frame we were on when recording began */
+void
+Record_DS::start ( nframes_t frame )
+{
+    /* FIXME: flush buffers here? */
+
+    if ( _recording )
+    {
+        printf( "programming error: attempt to start recording while recording is still in progress\n" );
+        return;
+    }
+
+    _af = Audio_File_SF::create( "testing.wav", 48000, channels(), "Wav/24" );
+
+    _frame = frame;
+
+    run();
+
+    _recording = true;
+
+}
+
+/** finalize the recording process. */
+void
+Record_DS::stop ( nframes_t frame )
+{
+
+    if ( ! _recording )
+    {
+        printf( "programming error: attempt to stop recording when no recording is being made\n" );
+        return;
+    }
+
+    shutdown();
+
+    /* FIXME: flush buffers here? */
+    delete _af;
+    _af = NULL;
+
+    _recording = false;
+
+    printf( "recording finished\n" );
+}
+
+
 /* THREAD: RT */
-/** take a single block from the ringbuffers and send it out the
- *  attached track's ports */
+/** read from the attached track's ports and stuff the ringbuffers */
 nframes_t
 Record_DS::process ( nframes_t nframes )
 {
+
+    if ( ! _recording )
+        return 0;
+
     const size_t block_size = nframes * sizeof( sample_t );
 
 //    printf( "process: %lu %lu %lu\n", _frame, _frame + nframes, nframes );
diff --git a/Timeline/Record_DS.H b/Timeline/Record_DS.H
index 5109310..238c0ec 100644
--- a/Timeline/Record_DS.H
+++ b/Timeline/Record_DS.H
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ class Audio_File;
 class Record_DS : public Disk_Stream
 {
 
+    volatile bool _recording;
+
     Audio_File_SF *_af;                             /* capture file */
 
     void write_block ( sample_t *buf, nframes_t nframes );
@@ -37,19 +39,17 @@ public:
     Record_DS ( Track_Header *th, float frame_rate, nframes_t nframes, int channels ) :
         Disk_Stream( th, frame_rate, nframes, channels )
         {
-            /* FIXME: we need our semaphore set to 0, no? */
-
-            _af = Audio_File_SF::create( "testing.wav", 48000, 1, "Wav/24" );
-
             sem_destroy( &_blocks );
             sem_init( &_blocks, 0, 0 );
 
-            run();
+            _recording = false;
         }
 
 /*     bool seek_pending ( void ); */
 /*     void seek ( nframes_t frame ); */
 
+    void start ( nframes_t frame );
+    void stop ( nframes_t frame );
     nframes_t process ( nframes_t nframes );
 
 };
diff --git a/Timeline/Track_Header.C b/Timeline/Track_Header.C
index ad59847..f5e4516 100644
--- a/Timeline/Track_Header.C
+++ b/Timeline/Track_Header.C
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 #include "Track_Header.H"
 
+#include "Transport.H"
 #include "Playback_DS.H"
 #include "Record_DS.H"
 
@@ -59,8 +60,11 @@ Track_Header::cb_button ( Fl_Widget *w )
     printf( "FIXME: inform mixer here\n" );
     if ( w == record_button )
     {
-
-
+            /* FIXME: wrong place for this! */
+        if ( record_button->value() )
+            record_ds->start( transport.frame );
+        else
+            record_ds->stop( transport.frame );
     }
     else
         if ( w == take_menu )
@@ -114,10 +118,14 @@ Track_Header::Track_Header ( int X, int Y, int W, int H, const char *L ) :
 
         input.push_back( Port( strdup( pname ), Port::Input ) );
 
+        snprintf( pname, sizeof( pname ), "in-%d", ni++ );
+
+        input.push_back( Port( strdup( pname ), Port::Input ) );
+
     }
 
     playback_ds = new Playback_DS( this, engine->frame_rate(), engine->nframes(), 1 );
-    record_ds = new Record_DS( this, engine->frame_rate(), engine->nframes(), 1 );
+    record_ds = new Record_DS( this, engine->frame_rate(), engine->nframes(), 2 );
 
     Fl_Group::size( w(), height() );