diff --git a/ges/ges-audio-test-source.c b/ges/ges-audio-test-source.c
index 3f6ebcdd56..4d0f9dde17 100644
--- a/ges/ges-audio-test-source.c
+++ b/ges/ges-audio-test-source.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include "ges-audio-test-source.h"
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (GESAudioTestSource, ges_audio_test_source, GES_TYPE_SOURCE);
+#define DEFAULT_VOLUME 1.0
 
 struct _GESAudioTestSourcePrivate
 {
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ ges_audio_test_source_init (GESAudioTestSource * self)
       GES_TYPE_AUDIO_TEST_SOURCE, GESAudioTestSourcePrivate);
 
   self->priv->freq = 440;
-  self->priv->volume = 0;
+  self->priv->volume = DEFAULT_VOLUME;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/ges/ges-test-clip.c b/ges/ges-test-clip.c
index afb3ab5fe6..b76ada73dc 100644
--- a/ges/ges-test-clip.c
+++ b/ges/ges-test-clip.c
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (GESTestClip, ges_test_clip, GES_TYPE_SOURCE_CLIP);
 
+#define DEFAULT_VOLUME 1.0
+#define DEFAULT_VPATTERN GES_VIDEO_TEST_PATTERN_SMPTE
+
 struct _GESTestClipPrivate
 {
   gboolean mute;
@@ -127,7 +130,7 @@ ges_test_clip_class_init (GESTestClipClass * klass)
       g_param_spec_enum ("vpattern", "VPattern",
           "Which video pattern to display. See videotestsrc element",
           GES_VIDEO_TEST_PATTERN_TYPE,
-          GES_VIDEO_TEST_PATTERN_BLACK, G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT));
+          DEFAULT_VPATTERN, G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT));
 
   /**
    * GESTestClip:freq:
@@ -147,7 +150,7 @@ ges_test_clip_class_init (GESTestClipClass * klass)
   g_object_class_install_property (object_class, PROP_VOLUME,
       g_param_spec_double ("volume", "Audio Volume",
           "The volume of the test audio signal.",
-          0, 1, 0, G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT));
+          0, 1, DEFAULT_VOLUME, G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT));
 
 
   /**
diff --git a/ges/ges-video-test-source.c b/ges/ges-video-test-source.c
index 51a44c7912..c113e5086c 100644
--- a/ges/ges-video-test-source.c
+++ b/ges/ges-video-test-source.c
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (GESVideoTestSource, ges_video_test_source, GES_TYPE_SOURCE);
 
+#define DEFAULT_VPATTERN GES_VIDEO_TEST_PATTERN_SMPTE
+
 struct _GESVideoTestSourcePrivate
 {
   GESVideoTestPattern pattern;
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@ ges_video_test_source_init (GESVideoTestSource * self)
   self->priv = G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_PRIVATE (self,
       GES_TYPE_VIDEO_TEST_SOURCE, GESVideoTestSourcePrivate);
 
-  self->priv->pattern = GES_VIDEO_TEST_PATTERN_BLACK;
+  self->priv->pattern = DEFAULT_VPATTERN;
 }
 
 static GstElement *
diff --git a/tests/check/ges/backgroundsource.c b/tests/check/ges/backgroundsource.c
index dff3c6b22c..92cbd125df 100644
--- a/tests/check/ges/backgroundsource.c
+++ b/tests/check/ges/backgroundsource.c
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 #include <ges/ges.h>
 #include <gst/check/gstcheck.h>
 
+#define DEFAULT_VOLUME 1.0
+
 GST_START_TEST (test_test_source_basic)
 {
   GESTestClip *source;
@@ -164,22 +166,20 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_test_source_in_layer)
       a, GES_TYPE_AUDIO_TEST_SOURCE);
   g_assert (GES_IS_AUDIO_TEST_SOURCE (track_element));
   assert_equals_float (ges_test_clip_get_frequency (source), 440);
-  assert_equals_float (ges_test_clip_get_volume (source), 0);
+  assert_equals_float (ges_test_clip_get_volume (source), DEFAULT_VOLUME);
 
   g_object_get (source, "freq", &freq, "volume", &volume, NULL);
   assert_equals_float (freq, 440);
-  assert_equals_float (volume, 0);
+  assert_equals_float (volume, DEFAULT_VOLUME);
 
 
   freq = ges_audio_test_source_get_freq (GES_AUDIO_TEST_SOURCE (track_element));
   volume =
       ges_audio_test_source_get_volume (GES_AUDIO_TEST_SOURCE (track_element));
   g_assert (freq == 440);
-  g_assert (volume == 0);
-
+  g_assert (volume == DEFAULT_VOLUME);
 
   g_object_set (source, "freq", (gdouble) 2000, "volume", (gdouble) 0.5, NULL);
-
   g_object_get (source, "freq", &freq, "volume", &volume, NULL);
   assert_equals_float (freq, 2000);
   assert_equals_float (volume, 0.5);