diff --git a/Audio_File.C b/Audio_File.C
index 6fecbf1..f4eada4 100644
--- a/Audio_File.C
+++ b/Audio_File.C
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ Audio_File::from_file ( const char * filename )
     if ( ( a = Audio_File_SF::from_file( filename ) ) )
         goto done;
 
-    a->_peaks.open();
-
 // TODO: other formats
 
     return NULL;
diff --git a/Audio_File.H b/Audio_File.H
index 31616cd..e7670c5 100644
--- a/Audio_File.H
+++ b/Audio_File.H
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ protected:
     Peaks _peaks;
     const char *_filename;
     nframes_t _length;                                              /* length of file in samples */
+    int _channels;
 
 public:
 
@@ -47,15 +48,16 @@ public:
     static Audio_File *from_file ( const char *filename );
 
     Peaks const * peaks ( void ) { return &_peaks; }
-    const char *name ( void ) { return _filename; }
-    nframes_t length ( void ) { return _length; }
+    const char *name ( void ) const { return _filename; }
+    nframes_t length ( void ) const  { return _length; }
+    int channels ( void ) const { return _channels; }
 
 //    Peaks const * peaks ( void ) { return &_peaks; }
 
     virtual bool open ( void ) = 0;
     virtual void close ( void ) = 0;
     virtual void seek ( nframes_t offset ) = 0;
-    virtual nframes_t read ( sample_t *buf, nframes_t len ) = 0;
-    virtual nframes_t read ( sample_t *buf, nframes_t start, nframes_t end ) = 0;
+    virtual nframes_t read ( sample_t *buf, int channel, nframes_t len ) = 0;
+    virtual nframes_t read ( sample_t *buf, int channel, nframes_t start, nframes_t end ) = 0;
 
 };
diff --git a/Audio_File_SF.C b/Audio_File_SF.C
index c1b4c65..186795c 100644
--- a/Audio_File_SF.C
+++ b/Audio_File_SF.C
@@ -41,11 +41,11 @@ Audio_File_SF::from_file ( const char *filename )
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    if ( si.channels != 1 )
-    {
-        printf( "error: incompatible format\n" );
-        goto invalid;
-    }
+/*     if ( si.channels != 1 ) */
+/*     { */
+/*         printf( "error: incompatible format\n" ); */
+/*         goto invalid; */
+/*     } */
 
     if ( si.samplerate != timeline->sample_rate )
     {
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ Audio_File_SF::from_file ( const char *filename )
 
     c->_filename = filename;
     c->_length = si.frames;
+    c->_channels = si.channels;
 
     sf_close( in );
 
@@ -94,20 +95,32 @@ Audio_File_SF::seek ( nframes_t offset )
 }
 
 nframes_t
-Audio_File_SF::read ( sample_t *buf, nframes_t len )
+Audio_File_SF::read ( sample_t *buf, int channel, nframes_t len )
 {
-    return sf_read_float ( _in, buf, len );
+    if ( _channels == 1 )
+        return sf_read_float ( _in, buf, len );
+
+    sample_t *tmp = new sample_t[ len * _channels ];
+
+    nframes_t rlen = sf_readf_float( _in, tmp, len );
+
+    for ( int i = channel; i < rlen; i += _channels )
+        *(buf++) = tmp[ i ];
+
+    delete tmp;
+
+    return rlen;
 }
 
 /** read samples from /start/ to /end/ into /buf/ */
 nframes_t
-Audio_File_SF::read ( sample_t *buf, nframes_t start, nframes_t end )
+Audio_File_SF::read ( sample_t *buf, int channel, nframes_t start, nframes_t end )
 {
     open();
 
     seek( start );
 
-    nframes_t len = read( buf, end - start );
+    nframes_t len = read( buf, channel, end - start );
 
     close();
 
diff --git a/Audio_File_SF.H b/Audio_File_SF.H
index 8b74648..d43375e 100644
--- a/Audio_File_SF.H
+++ b/Audio_File_SF.H
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ public:
     bool open ( void );
     void close ( void );
     void seek ( nframes_t offset );
-    nframes_t read ( sample_t *buf, nframes_t len );
-    nframes_t read ( sample_t *buf, nframes_t start, nframes_t end );
+    nframes_t read ( sample_t *buf, int channel, nframes_t len );
+    nframes_t read ( sample_t *buf, int channel,  nframes_t start, nframes_t end );
 
 };
diff --git a/Peaks.C b/Peaks.C
index 211dfe0..faf4199 100644
--- a/Peaks.C
+++ b/Peaks.C
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ Peaks::clip_read_peaks ( Peak *peaks, int npeaks, int chunksize ) const
     for ( i = 0; i < npeaks; ++i )
     {
         /* read in a buffer */
-        len = _clip->read( fbuf, chunksize );
+        len = _clip->read( fbuf, 0, chunksize );
 
         Peak &p = peaks[ i ];
         p.min = 0;