diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/channel.c b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/channel.c
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/channel.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/channel.c
@@ -1257,7 +1257,7 @@
 	chn_vpc_reset(c, SND_VOL_C_PCM, 1);
 	CHN_UNLOCK(c);
 
-	fc = feeder_getclass(NULL);
+	fc = feeder_getclass(FEEDER_ROOT);
 	if (fc == NULL) {
 		device_printf(d->dev, "%s(): failed to get feeder class\n",
 		    __func__);
diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder.h b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder.h
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder.h
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder.h
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 };
 
 void feeder_register(void *p);
-struct feeder_class *feeder_getclass(struct pcm_feederdesc *desc);
+struct feeder_class *feeder_getclass(u_int32_t type);
 
 u_int32_t snd_fmtscore(u_int32_t fmt);
 u_int32_t snd_fmtbestbit(u_int32_t fmt, u_int32_t *fmts);
diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder.c b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder.c
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder.c
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@
 struct feedertab_entry {
 	SLIST_ENTRY(feedertab_entry) link;
 	struct feeder_class *feederclass;
-	struct pcm_feederdesc *desc;
 };
 static SLIST_HEAD(, feedertab_entry) feedertab;
 
@@ -56,12 +55,12 @@
 	struct feeder_class *fc = p;
 	struct feedertab_entry *fte;
 
-	KASSERT(fc->desc == NULL, ("first feeder not root: %s", fc->name));
+	KASSERT(fc->desc.type == FEEDER_ROOT,
+	    ("first feeder not root: %s", fc->name));
 
 	SLIST_INIT(&feedertab);
 	fte = malloc(sizeof(*fte), M_FEEDER, M_WAITOK | M_ZERO);
 	fte->feederclass = fc;
-	fte->desc = NULL;
 	SLIST_INSERT_HEAD(&feedertab, fte, link);
 }
 
@@ -75,7 +74,6 @@
 
 	fte = malloc(sizeof(*fte), M_FEEDER, M_WAITOK | M_ZERO);
 	fte->feederclass = fc;
-	fte->desc = &fc->desc;
 	SLIST_INSERT_HEAD(&feedertab, fte, link);
 }
 
@@ -92,14 +90,6 @@
 	}
 }
 
-static int
-cmpdesc(struct pcm_feederdesc *n, struct pcm_feederdesc *m)
-{
-	return ((n->type == m->type) &&
-		((n->in == 0) || (n->in == m->in)) &&
-		((n->out == 0) || (n->out == m->out)));
-}
-
 static void
 feeder_destroy(struct pcm_feeder *f)
 {
@@ -143,17 +133,15 @@
 }
 
 struct feeder_class *
-feeder_getclass(struct pcm_feederdesc *desc)
+feeder_getclass(u_int32_t type)
 {
 	struct feedertab_entry *fte;
 
 	SLIST_FOREACH(fte, &feedertab, link) {
-		if ((desc == NULL) && (fte->desc == NULL))
-			return fte->feederclass;
-		if ((fte->desc != NULL) && (desc != NULL) && cmpdesc(desc, fte->desc))
-			return fte->feederclass;
+		if (fte->feederclass->desc.type == type)
+			return (fte->feederclass);
 	}
-	return NULL;
+	return (NULL);
 }
 
 int
@@ -431,7 +419,7 @@
 	.name =		"feeder_root",
 	.methods =	feeder_root_methods,
 	.size =		sizeof(struct pcm_feeder),
-	.desc =		{ 0 },
+	.desc =		{ FEEDER_ROOT, 0, 0 },
 	.data =		NULL,
 };
 /*
diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder_chain.c b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder_chain.c
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder_chain.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder_chain.c
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@
 	desc->in = 0;
 	desc->out = 0;
 
-	fc = feeder_getclass(desc);
+	fc = feeder_getclass(FEEDER_FORMAT);
 	if (fc == NULL) {
 		device_printf(c->dev,
 		    "%s(): can't find feeder_format\n", __func__);
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@
 	desc->in = 0;
 	desc->out = 0;
 
-	fc = feeder_getclass(desc);
+	fc = feeder_getclass(FEEDER_RATE);
 	if (fc == NULL) {
 		device_printf(c->dev,
 		    "%s(): can't find feeder_rate\n", __func__);
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@
 	desc->in = 0;
 	desc->out = 0;
 
-	fc = feeder_getclass(desc);
+	fc = feeder_getclass(FEEDER_MATRIX);
 	if (fc == NULL) {
 		device_printf(c->dev,
 		    "%s(): can't find feeder_matrix\n", __func__);
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@
 	desc->in = 0;
 	desc->out = 0;
 
-	fc = feeder_getclass(desc);
+	fc = feeder_getclass(FEEDER_VOLUME);
 	if (fc == NULL) {
 		device_printf(c->dev,
 		    "%s(): can't find feeder_volume\n", __func__);
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@
 	desc->in = 0;
 	desc->out = 0;
 
-	fc = feeder_getclass(desc);
+	fc = feeder_getclass(FEEDER_EQ);
 	if (fc == NULL) {
 		device_printf(c->dev,
 		    "%s(): can't find feeder_eq\n", __func__);
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@
 	struct feeder_class *fc;
 	int ret;
 
-	fc = feeder_getclass(NULL);
+	fc = feeder_getclass(FEEDER_ROOT);
 	if (fc == NULL) {
 		device_printf(c->dev,
 		    "%s(): can't find feeder_root\n", __func__);
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@
 	desc->in = 0;
 	desc->out = 0;
 
-	fc = feeder_getclass(desc);
+	fc = feeder_getclass(FEEDER_MIXER);
 	if (fc == NULL) {
 		device_printf(c->dev,
 		    "%s(): can't find feeder_mixer\n", __func__);