diff --git a/include/FileLoop.h b/include/FileLoop.h
index b2f89af..c9950e2 100644
--- a/include/FileLoop.h
+++ b/include/FileLoop.h
@@ -140,17 +140,15 @@ class FileLoop : protected FileWvIn
   */
   StkFloat tick( unsigned int channel = 0 );
 
-  //! Fill the StkFrames argument with computed frames and return the same reference.
+  //! Fill the StkFrames object with computed sample frames, starting at the specified channel and return the same reference.
   /*!
-    The number of channels in the StkFrames argument should equal
-    the number of channels in the file data.  However, this is only
-    checked if _STK_DEBUG_ is defined during compilation, in which
-    case an incompatibility will trigger an StkError exception.  If no
-    file data is loaded, the function does nothing (a warning will be
-    issued if _STK_DEBUG_ is defined during compilation and
-    Stk::showWarnings() has been set to \e true).
+    The \c channel argument plus the number of output channels must
+    be less than the number of channels in the StkFrames argument (the
+    first channel is specified by 0).  However, range checking is only
+    performed if _STK_DEBUG_ is defined during compilation, in which
+    case an out-of-range value will trigger an StkError exception.
   */
-  StkFrames& tick( StkFrames& frames );
+  virtual StkFrames& tick( StkFrames& frames,unsigned int channel = 0 );
 
  protected:
 
diff --git a/include/FileWvIn.h b/include/FileWvIn.h
index 0e0d534..c05495b 100644
--- a/include/FileWvIn.h
+++ b/include/FileWvIn.h
@@ -150,16 +150,15 @@ public:
   */
   virtual StkFloat tick( unsigned int channel = 0 );
 
-  //! Fill the StkFrames argument with computed frames and return the same reference.
+  //! Fill the StkFrames object with computed sample frames, starting at the specified channel and return the same reference.
   /*!
-    The number of channels in the StkFrames argument must equal
-    the number of channels in the file data.  However, this is only
-    checked if _STK_DEBUG_ is defined during compilation, in which
-    case an incompatibility will trigger an StkError exception.  If no
-    file data is loaded, the function does nothing (a warning will be
-    issued if _STK_DEBUG_ is defined during compilation).
+    The \c channel argument plus the number of output channels must
+    be less than the number of channels in the StkFrames argument (the
+    first channel is specified by 0).  However, range checking is only
+    performed if _STK_DEBUG_ is defined during compilation, in which
+    case an out-of-range value will trigger an StkError exception.
   */
-  virtual StkFrames& tick( StkFrames& frames );
+  virtual StkFrames& tick( StkFrames& frames,unsigned int channel = 0 );
 
 protected:
 
diff --git a/include/WvIn.h b/include/WvIn.h
index c5d957f..ae18246 100644
--- a/include/WvIn.h
+++ b/include/WvIn.h
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ public:
   //! Compute one sample frame and return the specified \c channel value.
   virtual StkFloat tick( unsigned int channel = 0 ) = 0;
 
-  //! Fill the StkFrames argument with computed frames and return the same reference.
-  virtual StkFrames& tick( StkFrames& frames ) = 0;
+  //! Fill the StkFrames object with computed sample frames, starting at the specified channel and return the same reference.
+  virtual StkFrames& tick( StkFrames& frames, unsigned int channel = 0 ) = 0;
 
 protected:
 
diff --git a/src/FileLoop.cpp b/src/FileLoop.cpp
index 81c5c36..cc34b6b 100644
--- a/src/FileLoop.cpp
+++ b/src/FileLoop.cpp
@@ -193,32 +193,39 @@ StkFloat FileLoop :: tick( unsigned int channel )
   return lastFrame_[channel];
 }
 
-StkFrames& FileLoop :: tick( StkFrames& frames )
+StkFrames& FileLoop :: tick( StkFrames& frames, unsigned int channel)
 {
   if ( !file_.isOpen() ) {
 #if defined(_STK_DEBUG_)
     oStream_ << "FileLoop::tick(): no file data is loaded!";
-    handleError( StkError::WARNING );
+    handleError( StkError::DEBUG_PRINT );
 #endif
-    return frames;
+  return frames;
   }
-
+        
   unsigned int nChannels = lastFrame_.channels();
 #if defined(_STK_DEBUG_)
-  if ( nChannels != frames.channels() ) {
-    oStream_ << "FileLoop::tick(): StkFrames argument is incompatible with file data!";
+  if ( channel > frames.channels() - nChannels ) {
+    oStream_ << "FileLoop::tick(): channel and StkFrames arguments are incompatible!";
     handleError( StkError::FUNCTION_ARGUMENT );
   }
 #endif
-
-  unsigned int j, counter = 0;
-  for ( unsigned int i=0; i<frames.frames(); i++ ) {
-    this->tick();
-    for ( j=0; j<nChannels; j++ )
-      frames[counter++] = lastFrame_[j];
+        
+  StkFloat *samples = &frames[channel];
+  unsigned int j, hop = frames.channels() - nChannels;
+  if ( nChannels == 1 ) {
+  for ( unsigned int i=0; i<frames.frames(); i++, samples += hop )
+    *samples++ = tick();
   }
-
+  else {
+    for ( unsigned int i=0; i<frames.frames(); i++, samples += hop ) {
+      *samples++ = tick();
+      for ( j=1; j<nChannels; j++ )
+        *samples++ = lastFrame_[j];
+      }
+    }
   return frames;
+        
 }
 
 } // stk namespace
diff --git a/src/FileWvIn.cpp b/src/FileWvIn.cpp
index feb4594..34fd0c9 100644
--- a/src/FileWvIn.cpp
+++ b/src/FileWvIn.cpp
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ StkFloat FileWvIn :: tick( unsigned int channel )
   return lastFrame_[channel];
 }
 
-StkFrames& FileWvIn :: tick( StkFrames& frames )
+StkFrames& FileWvIn :: tick( StkFrames& frames, unsigned int channel)
 {
   if ( !file_.isOpen() ) {
 #if defined(_STK_DEBUG_)
@@ -234,20 +234,27 @@ StkFrames& FileWvIn :: tick( StkFrames& frames )
 
   unsigned int nChannels = lastFrame_.channels();
 #if defined(_STK_DEBUG_)
-  if ( nChannels != frames.channels() ) {
-    oStream_ << "FileWvIn::tick(): StkFrames argument is incompatible with file data!";
+  if ( channel > frames.channels() - nChannels ) {
+    oStream_ << "FileWvIn::tick(): channel and StkFrames arguments are incompatible!";
     handleError( StkError::FUNCTION_ARGUMENT );
   }
 #endif
-
-  unsigned int j, counter = 0;
-  for ( unsigned int i=0; i<frames.frames(); i++ ) {
-    this->tick();
-    for ( j=0; j<nChannels; j++ )
-      frames[counter++] = lastFrame_[j];
-  }
-
+    
+  StkFloat *samples = &frames[channel];
+  unsigned int j, hop = frames.channels() - nChannels;
+  if ( nChannels == 1 ) {
+    for ( unsigned int i=0; i<frames.frames(); i++, samples += hop )
+      *samples++ = tick();
+    }
+  else {
+    for ( unsigned int i=0; i<frames.frames(); i++, samples += hop ) {
+      *samples++ = tick();
+      for ( j=1; j<nChannels; j++ )
+        *samples++ = lastFrame_[j];
+      }
+    }
   return frames;
+
 }
 
 } // stk namespace