diff --git a/stepmania/src/GameSoundManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/GameSoundManager.cpp
index a6c43ab1ab..a6653dc8d2 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/GameSoundManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/GameSoundManager.cpp
@@ -717,13 +717,13 @@ float GameSoundManager::GetPlayLatency() const
 	return SOUNDMAN->GetPlayLatency();
 }
 
-void GameSoundManager::SetPlayerBalance( PlayerNumber pn, RageSoundParams &params )
+float GameSoundManager::GetPlayerBalance( PlayerNumber pn )
 {
 	/* If two players are active, play sounds on each players' side. */
 	if( GAMESTATE->GetNumPlayersEnabled() == 2 )
-		params.m_Balance = (pn == PLAYER_1)? -1.0f:1.0f;
+		return (pn == PLAYER_1)? -1.0f:1.0f;
 	else
-		params.m_Balance = 0;
+		return 0;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/GameSoundManager.h b/stepmania/src/GameSoundManager.h
index f0945778c1..2049548d91 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/GameSoundManager.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/GameSoundManager.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public:
 	void HandleSongTimer( bool on=true );
 	float GetFrameTimingAdjustment( float fDeltaTime );
 
-	static void SetPlayerBalance( PlayerNumber pn, RageSoundParams &params );
+	static float GetPlayerBalance( PlayerNumber pn );
 
 	// Lua
 	void PushSelf( lua_State *L );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Player.cpp b/stepmania/src/Player.cpp
index ad91c55a37..5143068025 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Player.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Player.cpp
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ void Player::Init(
 
 
 	RageSoundParams p;
-	GameSoundManager::SetPlayerBalance( pn, p );
+	p.m_Balance = GameSoundManager::GetPlayerBalance( pn );
 
 	m_soundMine.SetParams( p );
 	m_soundAttackLaunch.SetParams( p );
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ void Player::Load()
 	m_vKeysounds.resize( pSong->m_vsKeysoundFile.size() );
 
 	RageSoundParams p;
-	GameSoundManager::SetPlayerBalance( pn, p );
+	p.m_Balance = GameSoundManager::GetPlayerBalance( pn );
 	for( unsigned i=0; i<m_vKeysounds.size(); i++ )
 	{
 		 RString sKeysoundFilePath = sSongDir + pSong->m_vsKeysoundFile[i];