diff --git a/Vocaluxe/Base/CConfig.cs b/Vocaluxe/Base/CConfig.cs
index 62ed6143..1e3ca15e 100644
--- a/Vocaluxe/Base/CConfig.cs
+++ b/Vocaluxe/Base/CConfig.cs
@@ -244,10 +244,9 @@ namespace Vocaluxe.Base
                 return;
 
             // Init config file
+            _LoadConfig();
             if (!File.Exists(_FileConfig))
                 SaveConfig();
-            else
-                _LoadConfig();
 
             _Initialized = true;
         }
@@ -263,9 +262,14 @@ namespace Vocaluxe.Base
         {
             _XmlErrorsOccured = false;
             var xml = new CXmlDeserializer(new CXmlErrorHandler(_HandleXmlError));
-            Config = xml.Deserialize<SConfig>(_FileConfig);
-            if (_XmlErrorsOccured)
-                CLog.LogError("There were some warnings or errors loading the config file. Some values might have been reset to their defaults.");
+            if (File.Exists(_FileConfig))
+            {
+                Config = xml.Deserialize<SConfig>(_FileConfig);
+                if (_XmlErrorsOccured)
+                    CLog.LogError("There were some warnings or errors loading the config file. Some values might have been reset to their defaults.");
+            }
+            else
+                Config = xml.DeserializeString<SConfig>("<root />");
 
             if (Config.Game.SongFolder.Length > 0)
             {
@@ -278,7 +282,7 @@ namespace Vocaluxe.Base
             if (Config.Game.MinLineBreakTime < 0)
                 Config.Game.MinLineBreakTime = 0.1f;
 
-            if (Config.Game.NumPlayers < 1 || Config.Game.NumPlayers > CSettings.MaxNumPlayer)
+            if (!Config.Game.NumPlayers.IsInRange(1, CSettings.MaxNumPlayer))
                 Config.Game.NumPlayers = 2;
             Array.Resize(ref Config.Game.Players, CSettings.MaxNumPlayer);
 
@@ -290,9 +294,10 @@ namespace Vocaluxe.Base
                 CLanguage.SetLanguage(Config.Game.Language);
             }
 
+            Array.Resize(ref Config.Record.MicConfig, CSettings.MaxNumPlayer);
             Config.Record.MicDelay = (int)(20 * Math.Round(Config.Record.MicDelay / 20.0));
 
-            if (Config.Server.ServerPort < 1 || Config.Server.ServerPort > 65535)
+            if (!Config.Server.ServerPort.IsInRange(1, 65535))
                 Config.Server.ServerPort = 3000;
 
             Config.Info = new SConfigInfo
@@ -498,8 +503,6 @@ namespace Vocaluxe.Base
                     //Check if there is one or more channels
                     if (device.Channels >= 2)
                     {
-                        if (Config.Record.MicConfig.Length < 2)
-                            Config.Record.MicConfig = new SMicConfig[2];
                         //Set this device to player 1
                         Config.Record.MicConfig[0].DeviceName = device.Name;
                         Config.Record.MicConfig[0].DeviceDriver = device.Driver;
diff --git a/Vocaluxe/Base/CRecord.cs b/Vocaluxe/Base/CRecord.cs
index 1fa22c16..9b671f76 100644
--- a/Vocaluxe/Base/CRecord.cs
+++ b/Vocaluxe/Base/CRecord.cs
@@ -135,10 +135,9 @@ namespace Vocaluxe.Base
 
         private static int _GetPlayerFromMicConfig(string device, string devicedriver, int channel)
         {
-            for (int p = 0; p < CConfig.Config.Record.MicConfig.Length; p++)
+            for (int p = 0; p < CSettings.MaxNumPlayer; p++)
             {
-                if (CConfig.Config.Record.MicConfig[p].Channel != 0 &&
-                    CConfig.Config.Record.MicConfig[p].DeviceName == device &&
+                if (CConfig.Config.Record.MicConfig[p].DeviceName == device &&
                     CConfig.Config.Record.MicConfig[p].DeviceDriver == devicedriver &&
                     CConfig.Config.Record.MicConfig[p].Channel == channel)
                     return p + 1;
diff --git a/VocaluxeLib/Xml/CXmlDeserializer.cs b/VocaluxeLib/Xml/CXmlDeserializer.cs
index 2bdb2361..cc51c26f 100644
--- a/VocaluxeLib/Xml/CXmlDeserializer.cs
+++ b/VocaluxeLib/Xml/CXmlDeserializer.cs
@@ -190,6 +190,8 @@ namespace VocaluxeLib.Xml
         {
             if (type.IsEnum)
             {
+                if (node == null)
+                    return null;
                 string stringValue = node.InnerText;
                 try
                 {
@@ -202,12 +204,12 @@ namespace VocaluxeLib.Xml
                 }
             }
             if (type == typeof(string))
-                return node.InnerText;
+                return node == null ? null : node.InnerText;
             if (type.IsPrimitive)
                 return _GetPrimitiveValue(node, type) ?? value;
             if (type.IsNullable())
             {
-                if (!node.HasChildNodes)
+                if (node == null || !node.HasChildNodes)
                     return null;
                 Type subType = type.GetGenericArguments()[0];
                 return _GetValue(node, subType, subName, value);
@@ -219,15 +221,18 @@ namespace VocaluxeLib.Xml
                     subName = subType.GetTypeName();
                 subName = subName.ToLowerInvariant();
                 List<object> subValues = new List<object>();
-                foreach (XmlNode subNode in node.ChildNodes)
+                if (node != null)
                 {
-                    if (subNode is XmlComment)
-                        continue;
-                    if (subName == subNode.Name.ToLowerInvariant() && !subNode.Name.ToLowerInvariant().StartsWith(subName))
-                        _ErrorHandler.HandleError(new CXmlException("Invalid list entry '" + subNode.Name + "' in %n; Expected: " + subName, node));
-                    object subValue = _GetValue(subNode, subType);
-                    if (subValue != null)
-                        subValues.Add(subValue);
+                    foreach (XmlNode subNode in node.ChildNodes)
+                    {
+                        if (subNode is XmlComment)
+                            continue;
+                        if (subName == subNode.Name.ToLowerInvariant() && !subNode.Name.ToLowerInvariant().StartsWith(subName))
+                            _ErrorHandler.HandleError(new CXmlException("Invalid list entry '" + subNode.Name + "' in %n; Expected: " + subName, node));
+                        object subValue = _GetValue(subNode, subType);
+                        if (subValue != null)
+                            subValues.Add(subValue);
+                    }
                 }
                 if (value == null)
                     return _CreateList(type, subValues);
@@ -241,28 +246,31 @@ namespace VocaluxeLib.Xml
                 MethodInfo add = type.GetMethod("Add");
                 if (subName != null)
                     subName = subName.ToLowerInvariant();
-                foreach (XmlNode subNode in node.ChildNodes)
+                if (node != null)
                 {
-                    if (subNode is XmlComment)
-                        continue;
-                    string key;
-                    if (subName != null)
+                    foreach (XmlNode subNode in node.ChildNodes)
                     {
-                        if (subName != subNode.Name.ToLowerInvariant() && !subNode.Name.ToLowerInvariant().StartsWith(subName))
-                            _ErrorHandler.HandleError(new CXmlException("Invalid dictionary entry '" + subNode.Name + "' in %n; Expected: " + subName, node));
-                        XmlNode nameAtt = (subNode.Attributes == null) ? null : subNode.Attributes.GetNamedItem("name");
-                        if (nameAtt == null)
-                        {
-                            _ErrorHandler.HandleError(new CXmlException("'name' attribute is missing in %n", subNode));
+                        if (subNode is XmlComment)
                             continue;
+                        string key;
+                        if (subName != null)
+                        {
+                            if (subName != subNode.Name.ToLowerInvariant() && !subNode.Name.ToLowerInvariant().StartsWith(subName))
+                                _ErrorHandler.HandleError(new CXmlException("Invalid dictionary entry '" + subNode.Name + "' in %n; Expected: " + subName, node));
+                            XmlNode nameAtt = (subNode.Attributes == null) ? null : subNode.Attributes.GetNamedItem("name");
+                            if (nameAtt == null)
+                            {
+                                _ErrorHandler.HandleError(new CXmlException("'name' attribute is missing in %n", subNode));
+                                continue;
+                            }
+                            key = nameAtt.Value;
                         }
-                        key = nameAtt.Value;
+                        else
+                            key = subNode.Name;
+                        object subValue = _GetValue(subNode, subType);
+                        if (subValue != null)
+                            add.Invoke(dict, new object[] {key, subValue});
                     }
-                    else
-                        key = subNode.Name;
-                    object subValue = _GetValue(subNode, subType);
-                    if (subValue != null)
-                        add.Invoke(dict, new object[] {key, subValue});
                 }
                 return dict;
             }
@@ -292,6 +300,8 @@ namespace VocaluxeLib.Xml
         /// <returns></returns>
         private object _GetPrimitiveValue(XmlNode node, Type type)
         {
+            if (node == null)
+                return null;
             object value;
             string nodeVal = node.InnerText;
             try
@@ -396,7 +406,9 @@ namespace VocaluxeLib.Xml
         private void _ReadChildNodes(XmlNode parent, object o, bool attributes)
         {
             IEnumerable nodes;
-            if (attributes)
+            if (parent == null)
+                nodes = null;
+            else if (attributes)
                 nodes = parent.Attributes;
             else
                 nodes = parent.ChildNodes;
@@ -491,7 +503,13 @@ namespace VocaluxeLib.Xml
             foreach (SFieldInfo field in fields)
             {
                 if (!_CheckAndSetDefaultValue(o, field))
-                    _ErrorHandler.HandleError(new CXmlException("element: " + field.Name + " is missing in %n", parent));
+                {
+                    if (parent != null)
+                        _ErrorHandler.HandleError(new CXmlException("element: " + field.Name + " is missing in %n", parent));
+                    object value = _GetValue(null, field.Type, field.ArrayItemName, field.GetValue(o));
+                    if (value != null)
+                        field.SetValue(o, value);
+                }
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/VocaluxeTests/XmlSerializerTest.cs b/VocaluxeTests/XmlSerializerTest.cs
index a3c8ae43..6b59e5ec 100644
--- a/VocaluxeTests/XmlSerializerTest.cs
+++ b/VocaluxeTests/XmlSerializerTest.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.ComponentModel;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Xml.Serialization;
 using Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.UnitTesting;
@@ -87,6 +88,22 @@ namespace VocaluxeTests
             [XmlIgnore] public int I;
             public int J;
         }
+
+        private struct SDefaultSub
+        {
+            [DefaultValue(111)]
+            public int I;            
+        }
+
+        private struct SDefault
+        {
+            [DefaultValue(1337)] public int I;
+            [DefaultValue("Foo")] public string S;
+            public float? F;
+            [DefaultValue(666.0)] public double D;
+            public SDefaultSub Sub;
+        }
+
 #pragma warning restore 169
 #pragma warning restore 649
 
@@ -416,6 +433,32 @@ namespace VocaluxeTests
             _AssertSerDeserMatch<Dictionary<string, string>>(s);
         }
 
+        [TestMethod]
+        public void TestDefaultValues()
+        {
+            const string s = _Head + @"<root>
+  <I>1</I>
+  <S>2</S>
+  <F>3</F>
+  <D>4</D>
+  <Sub>
+    <I>22</I>
+  </Sub>
+</root>";
+            _AssertSerDeserMatch<SDefault>(s);
+            var xml = new CXmlDeserializer(new CXmlErrorHandler(exception => { }));
+            SDefault foo = xml.DeserializeString<SDefault>(@"<root />");
+            Assert.AreEqual(foo.I, 1337);
+            Assert.AreEqual(foo.F, null);
+            Assert.AreEqual(foo.S, "Foo");
+            Assert.AreEqual(foo.D, 666);
+            Assert.AreEqual(foo.Sub.I, 111);
+            string newXml = new CXmlSerializer().Serialize(foo);
+            Assert.AreEqual(_Head +@"<root>
+  <Sub />
+</root>", newXml);
+        }
+
         [TestMethod]
         public void TestRealFiles()
         {