diff --git a/simgear/sound/openal_test1.cxx b/simgear/sound/openal_test1.cxx
index 7909f2cd..c503d028 100644
--- a/simgear/sound/openal_test1.cxx
+++ b/simgear/sound/openal_test1.cxx
@@ -43,6 +43,33 @@ static void print_openal_error( ALuint error ) {
     }
 }
 
+ALuint createBufferFromFile(const SGPath& path)
+{
+  ALuint buffer = -1;
+#ifdef ENABLE_SOUND
+  unsigned int format;
+  unsigned int block_align;
+  ALsizei size;
+  ALfloat sampleFrequency;
+  ALvoid* data = loadWAVFromFile(path, format, size, sampleFrequency, block_align);
+  assert(data);
+
+  alGenBuffers(1, &buffer);
+  if (alGetError() != AL_NO_ERROR) {
+    free(data);
+    throw sg_io_exception("OpenAL buffer allocation failed", sg_location(path.str()));
+  }
+
+  alBufferData (buffer, format, data, size, (ALsizei) sampleFrequency);
+  if (alGetError() != AL_NO_ERROR) {
+    alDeleteBuffers(1, &buffer);
+    free(data);
+    throw sg_io_exception("OpenAL setting buffer data failed", sg_location(path.str()));
+  }
+#endif
+  return buffer;
+}
+
 
 int main( int argc, char *argv[] ) 
 {
@@ -111,7 +138,7 @@ int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
     source_vel[0] = 0.0; source_vel[1] = 0.0; source_vel[2] = 0.0;
 
     // Load the sample file
-      buffer = simgear::createBufferFromFile(SGPath(AUDIOFILE));
+      buffer = createBufferFromFile(SGPath(AUDIOFILE));
       if (buffer == AL_NONE) {
         SG_LOG( SG_GENERAL, SG_ALERT, "Failed to buffer data.");
       }
diff --git a/simgear/sound/readwav.cxx b/simgear/sound/readwav.cxx
index 71ec14b4..7e90eb01 100644
--- a/simgear/sound/readwav.cxx
+++ b/simgear/sound/readwav.cxx
@@ -291,9 +291,9 @@ namespace
                 !wavReadLE (fd, byteRate) ||
                 !wavReadLE (fd, blockAlign) ||
                 !wavReadLE (fd, bitsPerSample))
-              {
+            {
                 throw sg_io_exception("corrupt or truncated WAV data", b->path);
-              }
+            }
 
             if (!gzSkip(fd, chunkLength - 16))
                 throw sg_io_exception("corrupt or truncated WAV data", b->path);
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ namespace
                   compressed = true;
                   codec = codecLinear;
                 } else {
-                  bitsPerSample *= 4; /* uLaw is 16-bit packed into 8 bits */
+                  bitsPerSample *= 4; /* adpcm is 16-bit packed into 4 bits */
                   codec = codecIMA4;
                   
                 }
@@ -389,32 +389,4 @@ ALvoid* loadWAVFromFile(const SGPath& path, unsigned int& format, ALsizei& size,
   return data;
 }
 
-ALuint createBufferFromFile(const SGPath& path)
-{
-  ALuint buffer = -1;
-#ifdef ENABLE_SOUND
-  unsigned int format;
-  unsigned int block_align;
-  ALsizei size;
-  ALfloat sampleFrequency;
-  ALvoid* data = loadWAVFromFile(path, format, size, sampleFrequency, block_alight);
-  assert(data);
-  
-  alGenBuffers(1, &buffer);
-  if (alGetError() != AL_NO_ERROR) {
-    free(data);
-    throw sg_io_exception("OpenAL buffer allocation failed", sg_location(path.str()));
-  }
-    
-  alBufferData (buffer, format, data, size, (ALsizei) sampleFrequency);
-  alBufferi (buffer, AL_UNPACK_BLOCK_ALIGNMENT_SOFT, block_align);
-  if (alGetError() != AL_NO_ERROR) {
-    alDeleteBuffers(1, &buffer);
-    free(data);
-    throw sg_io_exception("OpenAL setting buffer data failed", sg_location(path.str()));
-  }
-#endif 
-  return buffer;
-}
-
 } // of namespace simgear
diff --git a/simgear/sound/readwav.hxx b/simgear/sound/readwav.hxx
index 7957250f..14c891e9 100644
--- a/simgear/sound/readwav.hxx
+++ b/simgear/sound/readwav.hxx
@@ -14,11 +14,12 @@
 // forward decls
 class SGPath;
 
+#define DEFAULT_IMA4_BLOCKSIZE 		36
+#define BLOCKSIZE_TO_SMP(a)		((a) > 1) ? (((a)-4)*2) : 1
+
 namespace simgear
 {
   ALvoid* loadWAVFromFile(const SGPath& path, unsigned int& format, ALsizei& size, ALfloat& freqf, unsigned int& block_align);
-  
-  ALuint createBufferFromFile(const SGPath& path);
 }
 
 #endif // of SG_SOUND_READWAV_HXX
diff --git a/simgear/sound/soundmgr_openal.cxx b/simgear/sound/soundmgr_openal.cxx
index 7e48da8c..ea7e77c7 100644
--- a/simgear/sound/soundmgr_openal.cxx
+++ b/simgear/sound/soundmgr_openal.cxx
@@ -570,25 +570,38 @@ unsigned int SGSoundMgr::request_buffer(SGSoundSample *sample)
             sample_data = sample->get_data();
         }
 
+        ALenum format = AL_NONE;
+        switch( sample->get_format() )
+        {
+        case SG_SAMPLE_MONO16:
+            format = AL_FORMAT_MONO16;
+            break;
+        case SG_SAMPLE_MONO8:
+            format = AL_FORMAT_MONO8;
+            break;
+        case SG_SAMPLE_MULAW:
+            format = AL_FORMAT_MONO_MULAW_EXT;
+            break;
+        case SG_SAMPLE_ADPCM:
+            format = AL_FORMAT_MONO_IMA4;
+            break;
+        default:
+            SG_LOG(SG_SOUND, SG_ALERT, "unsupported audio format");
+            return buffer;
+        }
+
         // create an OpenAL buffer handle
         alGenBuffers(1, &buffer);
         if ( !testForError("generate buffer") ) {
             // Copy data to the internal OpenAL buffer
 
-            ALenum format = AL_NONE;
-            unsigned int fmt = sample->get_format();
-            if (fmt == SG_SAMPLE_MONO16) format = AL_FORMAT_MONO16;
-            else if (fmt == SG_SAMPLE_MONO8) format = AL_FORMAT_MONO8;
-            else if (fmt == SG_SAMPLE_MULAW) format = AL_FORMAT_MONO_MULAW_EXT;
-            else if (fmt == SG_SAMPLE_ADPCM) format = AL_FORMAT_MONO_IMA4;
-
             ALsizei size = sample->get_size();
             ALsizei freq = sample->get_frequency();
             alBufferData( buffer, format, sample_data, size, freq );
 
-            if (_block_support) {
-                ALsizei block_align = sample->get_block_align();
-                alBufferi (buffer, AL_UNPACK_BLOCK_ALIGNMENT_SOFT, block_align);
+            if (format == AL_FORMAT_MONO_IMA4 && _block_support) {
+                ALsizei samples_block = BLOCKSIZE_TO_SMP( sample->get_block_align() );
+                alBufferi (buffer, AL_UNPACK_BLOCK_ALIGNMENT_SOFT, samples_block );
             }
 
             if ( !testForError("buffer add data") ) {
@@ -783,14 +796,14 @@ bool SGSoundMgr::load( const std::string &samplepath,
         return false;
 
     unsigned int format;
-    unsigned int block_align;
+    unsigned int blocksz;
     ALsizei size;
     ALsizei freq;
     ALvoid *data;
 
     ALfloat freqf;
 
-    data = simgear::loadWAVFromFile(samplepath, format, size, freqf, block_align );
+    data = simgear::loadWAVFromFile(samplepath, format, size, freqf, blocksz);
     freq = (ALsizei)freqf;
     if (data == NULL) {
         throw sg_io_exception("Failed to load wav file", sg_location(samplepath));
@@ -803,7 +816,7 @@ bool SGSoundMgr::load( const std::string &samplepath,
 
     *dbuf = (void *)data;
     *fmt = (int)format;
-    *block = (int)block_align;
+    *block = (int)blocksz;
     *sz = (size_t)size;
     *frq = (int)freq;
 
diff --git a/simgear/sound/xmlsound.cxx b/simgear/sound/xmlsound.cxx
index 2becb55a..f0d6e56e 100644
--- a/simgear/sound/xmlsound.cxx
+++ b/simgear/sound/xmlsound.cxx
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ SGXmlSound::update (double dt)
    for(i = 0; i < max; i++) {
       double p = 1.0;
 
-      if (_volume[i].expr) {
+      if (_pitch[i].expr) {
          p = _pitch[i].expr->getValue(NULL);
          expr = true;
          continue;