diff --git a/src/backend/engine/engine-config.cpp b/src/backend/engine/engine-config.cpp
index 93b10528f..0ac316e70 100644
--- a/src/backend/engine/engine-config.cpp
+++ b/src/backend/engine/engine-config.cpp
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ namespace engine {
     const rational<uint> ONE_THIRD(1,3);
     const rational<uint> EIGHTY_PERCENT(8,10);
     
-    const Duration DEFAULT_ENGINE_LATENCY  = EIGHTY_PERCENT * Duration(1, FrameRate::PAL);
+    const Duration DEFAULT_ENGINE_LATENCY  = EIGHTY_PERCENT * Duration(1, FrameRate{25}); ///////TODO: shouldn't be hard wired and shouldn't be calculated in static/global init
     const Duration DEFAULT_JOB_PLANNING_TURNOVER(FSecs(3,2));
     
   }//(End)hard wired settings
diff --git a/src/lib/time/time.cpp b/src/lib/time/time.cpp
index 657e09cda..9063f5d82 100644
--- a/src/lib/time/time.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/time/time.cpp
@@ -213,10 +213,11 @@ namespace time {
 
   
   
+  /** @internal stretch offset by a possibly fractional factor, and quantise into raw (micro tick) grid */
   Offset
-  operator* (boost::rational<int64_t> factor, Offset const& o)
+  Offset::stretchedByRationalFactor (boost::rational<int64_t> factor)  const
   {
-    boost::rational<int64_t> distance (_raw(o));
+    boost::rational<int64_t> distance (this->t_);
     distance *= factor;
     gavl_time_t microTicks = floordiv (distance.numerator(), distance.denominator());
     return Offset(TimeValue(microTicks));
diff --git a/src/lib/time/timevalue.hpp b/src/lib/time/timevalue.hpp
index ed5ba97f1..dab10a4ac 100644
--- a/src/lib/time/timevalue.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/time/timevalue.hpp
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ namespace time {
           TimeValue::operator= (o);
           return *this;
         }
-
+      
     public:
       explicit 
       Offset (TimeValue const& distance =Time::ZERO)
@@ -315,6 +315,10 @@ namespace time {
           return TimeValue(std::llabs (t_));
         }
       
+      /** @internal stretch offset by a possibly fractional factor,
+       *            and quantise into raw (micro tick) grid */
+      Offset stretchedByRationalFactor (boost::rational<int64_t>)  const;
+      
       /** @internal diagnostics, indicating ∆ */
       operator std::string ()  const;
       
@@ -350,15 +354,11 @@ namespace time {
   
   template<typename INTX>
   inline Offset
-  operator* (boost::rational<INTX> factor, Offset const& o)
+  operator* (boost::rational<INTX> factor, Offset const& offset)
   {
-    return boost::rational<int64_t>(factor.numerator(), factor.denominator()) * o;
+    return offset.stretchedByRationalFactor (boost::rational<int64_t>(factor.numerator(), factor.denominator()));
   }
   
-  /** stretch offset by a possibly fractional factor */
-  Offset
-  operator* (boost::rational<int64_t> factor, Offset const& o);
-  
   
   /** flip offset direction */
   inline Offset