diff --git a/src/lpcnet_dec.c b/src/lpcnet_dec.c
index 5319884..89d6b4f 100644
--- a/src/lpcnet_dec.c
+++ b/src/lpcnet_dec.c
@@ -44,14 +44,6 @@
 #undef NB_FEATURES 
 #include "lpcnet.h"
 
-// Two sorts of VQs available
-extern int   pred_num_stages;
-extern float pred_vq[MAX_STAGES*NB_BANDS*MAX_ENTRIES];
-extern int   pred_m[MAX_STAGES];
-extern int   direct_split_num_stages;
-extern float direct_split_vq[MAX_STAGES*NB_BANDS*MAX_ENTRIES];
-extern int   direct_split_m[MAX_STAGES];
-
 void lpcnet_dec(LPCNET_QUANT *q, LPCNetState *net, char *frame, short* pcm)
 {
     float in_features[NB_TOTAL_FEATURES];
@@ -90,9 +82,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     int   logmag = 0;
     int   direct_split = 0;
 
-    dec = 3; pred = 0.9; mbest_survivors = 5; weight = 1.0/sqrt(NB_BANDS); pitch_bits = 6; num_stages = pred_num_stages;
-    m = pred_m; vq = pred_vq; logmag = 0;
-    
     /* quantiser options */
     
     static struct option long_options[] = {
@@ -132,7 +121,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
             fprintf(stderr, "pred = %f\n", pred);
             break;
         case 's':
-            direct_split = 1;
+            direct_split = 1; m = direct_split_m; vq = direct_split_vq; pred = 0.0; logmag = 1; weight = 1.0;
             fprintf(stderr, "split VQ\n");
             break;
         case 'v':
@@ -149,15 +138,13 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
             exit(1);
         }
     }
-
-    if (direct_split) {
-        m = direct_split_m; vq = direct_split_vq; pred = 0.0; logmag = 1; weight = 1.0;
-    } else {
-    }
     
-    LPCNET_QUANT *q = lpcnet_quant_create(num_stages, m, vq);
+    LPCNET_QUANT *q = lpcnet_quant_create(direct_split);
+
+    // this program allows us to tweak params via command line
     q->weight = weight; q->pred = pred; q->mbest = mbest_survivors;
     q->pitch_bits = pitch_bits; q->dec = dec; q->logmag = logmag;
+    q->num_stages = num_stages; q->m = m; q->vq = vq; 
     lpcnet_quant_compute_bits_per_frame(q);
     
     fprintf(stderr, "dec: %d pred: %3.2f num_stages: %d mbest: %d bits_per_frame: %d frame: %2d ms bit_rate: %5.2f bits/s",
diff --git a/src/lpcnet_enc.c b/src/lpcnet_enc.c
index ad7dff7..8f03137 100644
--- a/src/lpcnet_enc.c
+++ b/src/lpcnet_enc.c
@@ -39,14 +39,6 @@
 #include "lpcnet_dump.h"
 #include "lpcnet_quant.h"
 
-// Two sorts of VQs available
-extern int   pred_num_stages;
-extern float pred_vq[MAX_STAGES*NB_BANDS*MAX_ENTRIES];
-extern int   pred_m[MAX_STAGES];
-extern int   direct_split_num_stages;
-extern float direct_split_vq[MAX_STAGES*NB_BANDS*MAX_ENTRIES];
-extern int   direct_split_m[MAX_STAGES];
-
 int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     FILE *fin, *fout;
 
@@ -61,6 +53,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     int   *m = pred_m;
     float *vq = pred_vq;
     int   logmag = 0;
+    int   direct_split = 0;
     
     /* quantiser options */
     
@@ -96,6 +89,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
             fprintf(stderr, "pred = %f\n", pred);
             break;
         case 's':
+            direct_split = 1;
             m = direct_split_m; vq = direct_split_vq; pred = 0.0; logmag = 1; weight = 1.0;
             fprintf(stderr, "split VQ\n");
             break;
@@ -112,9 +106,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     }
 
     LPCNET_DUMP  *d = lpcnet_dump_create();
-    LPCNET_QUANT *q = lpcnet_quant_create(num_stages, m, vq);
+    LPCNET_QUANT *q = lpcnet_quant_create(direct_split);
     q->weight = weight; q->pred = pred; q->mbest = mbest_survivors;
-    q->pitch_bits = pitch_bits; q->dec = dec;
+    q->pitch_bits = pitch_bits; q->dec = dec; q->m = m; q->vq = vq; q->num_stages = num_stages;
     lpcnet_quant_compute_bits_per_frame(q);
     
     fprintf(stderr, "dec: %d pred: %3.2f num_stages: %d mbest: %d bits_per_frame: %d frame: %2d ms bit_rate: %5.2f bits/s",
diff --git a/src/lpcnet_quant.c b/src/lpcnet_quant.c
index ddcf5af..1fd003e 100644
--- a/src/lpcnet_quant.c
+++ b/src/lpcnet_quant.c
@@ -28,12 +28,19 @@ int lpcnet_verbose = 0;
 #define DEFAULT_PITCH_BITS 6
 #define DEFAULT_DEC        3
 
-LPCNET_QUANT *lpcnet_quant_create(int num_stages, int m[], float vq[]) {
+LPCNET_QUANT *lpcnet_quant_create(int direct_split) {
     LPCNET_QUANT *q = (LPCNET_QUANT*)malloc(sizeof(LPCNET_QUANT));
     if (q == NULL) return NULL;
-    q->weight = DEFAULT_WEIGHT; q->pred = DEFAULT_PRED; 
-    q->mbest = DEFAULT_MBEST; q->pitch_bits = DEFAULT_PITCH_BITS; q->dec = DEFAULT_DEC;
-    q->num_stages = num_stages; q->vq = vq; q->m = m; q->logmag = 0;
+    if (direct_split) {
+        q->weight = 1.0; q->pred = 0.0; 
+        q->mbest = DEFAULT_MBEST; q->pitch_bits = DEFAULT_PITCH_BITS; q->dec = DEFAULT_DEC;
+        q->num_stages = direct_split_num_stages; q->vq = direct_split_vq; q->m = direct_split_m; q->logmag = 1;
+    }
+    else {
+        q->weight = DEFAULT_WEIGHT; q->pred = DEFAULT_PRED; 
+        q->mbest = DEFAULT_MBEST; q->pitch_bits = DEFAULT_PITCH_BITS; q->dec = DEFAULT_DEC;
+        q->num_stages = pred_num_stages; q->vq = pred_vq; q->m = pred_m; q->logmag = 0;
+    }
     lpcnet_quant_compute_bits_per_frame(q);
 
     int i,d;
diff --git a/src/lpcnet_quant.h b/src/lpcnet_quant.h
index 8a5f5db..3bc9719 100644
--- a/src/lpcnet_quant.h
+++ b/src/lpcnet_quant.h
@@ -32,7 +32,15 @@ typedef struct {
     float features_lin[2][NB_FEATURES];   /* adjacent frames features for linear interpolation  */
 } LPCNET_QUANT;
 
-LPCNET_QUANT *lpcnet_quant_create(int num_stages, int m[], float vq[]);
+// Two sorts of VQs available
+extern int   pred_num_stages;
+extern float pred_vq[MAX_STAGES*NB_BANDS*MAX_ENTRIES];
+extern int   pred_m[MAX_STAGES];
+extern int   direct_split_num_stages;
+extern float direct_split_vq[MAX_STAGES*NB_BANDS*MAX_ENTRIES];
+extern int   direct_split_m[MAX_STAGES];
+
+LPCNET_QUANT *lpcnet_quant_create(int direct_split);
 void lpcnet_quant_destroy(LPCNET_QUANT *q);
 void lpcnet_quant_compute_bits_per_frame(LPCNET_QUANT *q);
 
diff --git a/src/quant_dec.c b/src/quant_dec.c
index 3f68616..20678cf 100644
--- a/src/quant_dec.c
+++ b/src/quant_dec.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         }
     }
 
-    LPCNET_QUANT *q = lpcnet_quant_create(num_stages, pred_m, pred_vq);
+    LPCNET_QUANT *q = lpcnet_quant_create(0);
     q->weight = weight; q->pred = pred; 
     q->pitch_bits = pitch_bits; q->dec = dec;
     lpcnet_quant_compute_bits_per_frame(q);
diff --git a/src/quant_enc.c b/src/quant_enc.c
index 1ba653d..2441cd0 100644
--- a/src/quant_enc.c
+++ b/src/quant_enc.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         }
     }
 
-    LPCNET_QUANT *q = lpcnet_quant_create(num_stages, pred_m, pred_vq);
+    LPCNET_QUANT *q = lpcnet_quant_create(0);
     q->weight = weight; q->pred = pred; q->mbest = mbest_survivors;
     q->pitch_bits = pitch_bits; q->dec = dec;
     lpcnet_quant_compute_bits_per_frame(q);