diff --git a/src/jack.cxx b/src/jack.cxx
index 0bf7d70..b790745 100644
--- a/src/jack.cxx
+++ b/src/jack.cxx
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ int AudioBuffer::privateID = 0;
 // static pointers from main
 extern Gui* gui;
 extern Jack* jack;
+bool Jack::noTimetstretching = false;
 
 void Jack::setup(std::string name)
 {
@@ -201,6 +202,8 @@ Jack::Jack( std::string name ) :
      *  In this case, the track's Looper instance.
     **/
     loopers.push_back( new Looper(i) );
+    loopers.back()->timestretch( !noTimetstretching );
+    
     trackOutputs.push_back( new TrackOutput(i, loopers.back() ) );
     
     buffers.audio[Buffers::TRACK_0 + i] = new float[ buffers.nframes ];
diff --git a/src/jack.hxx b/src/jack.hxx
index 123101a..86bdd54 100644
--- a/src/jack.hxx
+++ b/src/jack.hxx
@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@ class Jack
     Jack(std::string name);
     ~Jack();
     
+    
+    // hack to pass time stretch enable into JACK before setup
+    static bool noTimetstretching;
+    
     static void setup(std::string name);
     
     void activate();
diff --git a/src/looper.cxx b/src/looper.cxx
index efb6f77..0262c8e 100644
--- a/src/looper.cxx
+++ b/src/looper.cxx
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ extern Jack* jack;
 Looper::Looper(int t) :
   AudioProcessor(),
   TimeObserver(),
-  track(t)
+  track(t),
+  timeStretchEnabled( true )
 {
   uiUpdateConstant= jack->getSamplerate() / 30.f;
   uiUpdateCounter = jack->getSamplerate() / 30.f;
@@ -66,6 +67,11 @@ Looper::Looper(int t) :
   crossfadeSize = 1000;
 }
 
+void Looper::timestretch( bool ts )
+{
+  timeStretchEnabled = ts;
+}
+
 LooperClip* Looper::getClip(int scene)
 {
   return clips[scene];
@@ -110,7 +116,8 @@ void Looper::process(unsigned int nframes, Buffers* buffers)
       long actualFrames = clips[clip]->getBufferLenght();
       float playSpeed = 1.0;
       
-      if ( targetFrames != 0 && actualFrames != 0 )
+      if ( timeStretchEnabled &&
+           targetFrames != 0 && actualFrames != 0 )
       {
         playSpeed = float(actualFrames) / targetFrames;
       }
@@ -122,11 +129,14 @@ void Looper::process(unsigned int nframes, Buffers* buffers)
         // REFACTOR into system that is better than per sample function calls
         float tmp = clips[clip]->getSample(playSpeed);
         
-        float deltaPitch = 12 * log ( playSpeed ) / log (2);
-        semitoneShift = -deltaPitch;
-        
-        // write the pitch-shifted signal to the track buffer
-        pitchShift( 1, &tmp, &out[i] );
+        //if ( timeStretchEnabled )
+        {
+          float deltaPitch = 12 * log ( playSpeed ) / log (2);
+          semitoneShift = -deltaPitch;
+          
+          // write the pitch-shifted signal to the track buffer
+          pitchShift( 1, &tmp, &out[i] );
+        }
       }
       
       //printf("Looper %i playing(), speed = %f\n", track, playSpeed );
@@ -138,10 +148,8 @@ void Looper::process(unsigned int nframes, Buffers* buffers)
       }
       uiUpdateCounter += nframes;
     }
-  
   }
   
-  
 }
 
 void Looper::pitchShift(int count, float* input, float* output)
diff --git a/src/looper.hxx b/src/looper.hxx
index 43f8fb1..5fb7cfe 100644
--- a/src/looper.hxx
+++ b/src/looper.hxx
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ class Looper : public AudioProcessor, public TimeObserver
     /// stores the framesPerBeat from TimeManager. Used to stretch audio
     void setFpb(int f);
     
+    /// sets if time stretching is used or not
+    void timestretch( bool ts );
+    
     /// Retrieve a clip from the Looper
     LooperClip* getClip(int scene);
     
@@ -62,6 +65,8 @@ class Looper : public AudioProcessor, public TimeObserver
     
     int fpb;
     
+    bool timeStretchEnabled;
+    
     //vector<float> tmpRecordBuffer;
     LooperClip* clips[10];
     
diff --git a/src/main.cxx b/src/main.cxx
index eb33f29..803c772 100644
--- a/src/main.cxx
+++ b/src/main.cxx
@@ -63,13 +63,19 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
   LUPPP_NOTE("Git: %s", GIT_VERSION   );
   
   bool runTests = false;
-  if ( runTests ){} // remove unused warning if not built with BUILD_TESTS
+  bool noTimetstretching = false;
+  // remove unused warning if not built with BUILD_TESTS
+  if ( runTests );
+  if ( noTimetstretching );
   
   for(int i = 0; i < argc; i++)
   {
     if ( strcmp(argv[i], "-test" ) == 0 ) {
       runTests = true;
     }
+    else if ( strcmp(argv[i], "-no-ts" ) == 0 ) {
+      noTimetstretching = true;
+    }
     else if ( i != 0 ) // don't try load with the program name!
     {
       // assume filename, try load it
@@ -99,6 +105,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     
     // setup the testing Gui / JACK: Jack first, then GUI
     gui = new Gui( argv[0] );
+    
+    Jack::noTimetstretching = noTimetstretching;
     Jack::setup("LupppTEST");
     
     // test offline functionality
@@ -131,6 +139,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
   }
   else
   {
+    Jack::noTimetstretching = noTimetstretching;
     Jack::setup("Luppp");
     jack->activate();
   }