diff --git a/osu.Desktop.VisualTests/Tests/TestCaseManiaPlayfield.cs b/osu.Desktop.VisualTests/Tests/TestCaseManiaPlayfield.cs
index 8368f0f810..e10ca2aee0 100644
--- a/osu.Desktop.VisualTests/Tests/TestCaseManiaPlayfield.cs
+++ b/osu.Desktop.VisualTests/Tests/TestCaseManiaPlayfield.cs
@@ -49,14 +49,14 @@ namespace osu.Desktop.VisualTests.Tests
             {
                 if (gravity)
                 {
-                    return new DrawableGravityTimingChange(new TimingChange
+                    return new DrawableManiaGravityTimingChange(new TimingChange
                     {
                         BeatLength = 1000,
                         Time = time
                     });
                 }
 
-                return new DrawableScrollingTimingChange(new TimingChange
+                return new DrawableManiaScrollingTimingChange(new TimingChange
                 {
                     BeatLength = 1000,
                     Time = time
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Mods/ManiaModGravity.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Mods/ManiaModGravity.cs
index 6657831c37..8db5f40574 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Mods/ManiaModGravity.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Mods/ManiaModGravity.cs
@@ -31,20 +31,19 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Mods
         {
             var maniaHitRenderer = (ManiaHitRenderer)hitRenderer;
 
-            maniaHitRenderer.HitObjectTimingChanges = new Dictionary<int, List<DrawableTimingChange>>();
+            maniaHitRenderer.HitObjectTimingChanges = new List<DrawableTimingChange>[maniaHitRenderer.PreferredColumns];
             maniaHitRenderer.BarlineTimingChanges = new List<DrawableTimingChange>();
 
+            for (int i = 0; i < maniaHitRenderer.PreferredColumns; i++)
+                maniaHitRenderer.HitObjectTimingChanges[i] = new List<DrawableTimingChange>();
+
             foreach (HitObject obj in maniaHitRenderer.Objects)
             {
                 var maniaObject = obj as ManiaHitObject;
                 if (maniaObject == null)
                     continue;
 
-                List<DrawableTimingChange> timingChanges;
-                if (!maniaHitRenderer.HitObjectTimingChanges.TryGetValue(maniaObject.Column, out timingChanges))
-                    maniaHitRenderer.HitObjectTimingChanges[maniaObject.Column] = timingChanges = new List<DrawableTimingChange>();
-
-                timingChanges.Add(new DrawableGravityTimingChange(new TimingChange
+                maniaHitRenderer.HitObjectTimingChanges[maniaObject.Column].Add(new DrawableManiaGravityTimingChange(new TimingChange
                 {
                     Time = obj.StartTime,
                     BeatLength = 1000
@@ -63,7 +62,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Mods
 
                 for (double t = timingPoints[i].Time; Precision.DefinitelyBigger(endTime, t); t += point.BeatLength)
                 {
-                    maniaHitRenderer.BarlineTimingChanges.Add(new DrawableGravityTimingChange(new TimingChange
+                    maniaHitRenderer.BarlineTimingChanges.Add(new DrawableManiaGravityTimingChange(new TimingChange
                     {
                         Time = t,
                         BeatLength = 1000
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Timing/Drawables/DrawableGravityTimingChange.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Timing/Drawables/DrawableManiaGravityTimingChange.cs
similarity index 91%
rename from osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Timing/Drawables/DrawableGravityTimingChange.cs
rename to osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Timing/Drawables/DrawableManiaGravityTimingChange.cs
index 54b8bb35ae..6de89739cb 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Timing/Drawables/DrawableGravityTimingChange.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Timing/Drawables/DrawableManiaGravityTimingChange.cs
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ using osu.Game.Rulesets.Timing;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Timing.Drawables
 {
-    public class DrawableGravityTimingChange : DrawableManiaTimingChange
+    public class DrawableManiaGravityTimingChange : DrawableManiaTimingChange
     {
-        public DrawableGravityTimingChange(TimingChange timingChange)
+        public DrawableManiaGravityTimingChange(TimingChange timingChange)
             : base(timingChange)
         {
         }
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Timing/Drawables/DrawableScrollingTimingChange.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Timing/Drawables/DrawableManiaScrollingTimingChange.cs
similarity index 61%
rename from osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Timing/Drawables/DrawableScrollingTimingChange.cs
rename to osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Timing/Drawables/DrawableManiaScrollingTimingChange.cs
index dfd36686e7..10b5e4dc60 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Timing/Drawables/DrawableScrollingTimingChange.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Timing/Drawables/DrawableManiaScrollingTimingChange.cs
@@ -5,9 +5,12 @@ using osu.Game.Rulesets.Timing;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Timing.Drawables
 {
-    public class DrawableScrollingTimingChange : DrawableManiaTimingChange
+    /// <summary>
+    /// A basic timing change which scrolls along with a timing change.
+    /// </summary>
+    public class DrawableManiaScrollingTimingChange : DrawableManiaTimingChange
     {
-        public DrawableScrollingTimingChange(TimingChange timingChange)
+        public DrawableManiaScrollingTimingChange(TimingChange timingChange)
             : base(timingChange)
         {
         }
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Timing/Drawables/DrawableManiaTimingChange.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Timing/Drawables/DrawableManiaTimingChange.cs
index 448f554c44..8c19918689 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Timing/Drawables/DrawableManiaTimingChange.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Timing/Drawables/DrawableManiaTimingChange.cs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ using osu.Game.Rulesets.Timing.Drawables;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Timing.Drawables
 {
-    public class DrawableManiaTimingChange : DrawableTimingChange
+    public abstract class DrawableManiaTimingChange : DrawableTimingChange
     {
         public DrawableManiaTimingChange(TimingChange timingChange)
             : base(timingChange, Axes.Y)
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/UI/ManiaHitRenderer.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/UI/ManiaHitRenderer.cs
index 0b4d0088b5..c8b845eb9a 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/UI/ManiaHitRenderer.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/UI/ManiaHitRenderer.cs
@@ -32,19 +32,31 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.UI
 {
     public class ManiaHitRenderer : HitRenderer<ManiaHitObject, ManiaJudgement>
     {
-        private int? columns;
-        public int Columns
-        {
-            get { return columns ?? (int)Math.Round(Beatmap.BeatmapInfo.Difficulty.CircleSize); }
-            set { columns = value; }
-        }
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Preferred column count. This will only have an effect during the initialization of the play field.
+        /// </summary>
+        public int PreferredColumns;
 
-        public Dictionary<int, List<DrawableTimingChange>> HitObjectTimingChanges;
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Per-column timing changes.
+        /// </summary>
+        public List<DrawableTimingChange>[] HitObjectTimingChanges;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Bar line timing changes.
+        /// </summary>
         public List<DrawableTimingChange> BarlineTimingChanges;
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Number of columns in the playfield of this hit renderer. Null if the play field hasn't been generated yet.
+        /// </summary>
+        public int? Columns { get; private set; }
+
         public ManiaHitRenderer(WorkingBeatmap beatmap, bool isForCurrentRuleset)
             : base(beatmap, isForCurrentRuleset)
         {
+            Columns = PreferredColumns;
+
             generateDefaultTimingChanges();
         }
 
@@ -53,9 +65,12 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.UI
             if (HitObjectTimingChanges != null || BarlineTimingChanges != null)
                 return;
 
-            HitObjectTimingChanges = new Dictionary<int, List<DrawableTimingChange>>();
+            HitObjectTimingChanges = new List<DrawableTimingChange>[Columns.Value];
             BarlineTimingChanges = new List<DrawableTimingChange>();
 
+            for (int i = 0; i < Columns.Value; i++)
+                HitObjectTimingChanges[i] = new List<DrawableTimingChange>();
+
             double lastSpeedMultiplier = 1;
             double lastBeatLength = 500;
 
@@ -98,22 +113,22 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.UI
 
             timingChanges.ForEach(t =>
             {
-                for (int i = 0; i < Columns; i++)
-                {
-                    List<DrawableTimingChange> columnTimingChanges;
-                    if (!HitObjectTimingChanges.TryGetValue(i, out columnTimingChanges))
-                        HitObjectTimingChanges[i] = columnTimingChanges = new List<DrawableTimingChange>();
+                for (int i = 0; i < Columns.Value; i++)
+                    HitObjectTimingChanges[i].Add(new DrawableManiaScrollingTimingChange(t));
 
-                    columnTimingChanges.Add(new DrawableScrollingTimingChange(t));
-                }
-
-                BarlineTimingChanges.Add(new DrawableScrollingTimingChange(t));
+                BarlineTimingChanges.Add(new DrawableManiaScrollingTimingChange(t));
             });
         }
 
+        protected override void ApplyBeatmap()
+        {
+            base.ApplyBeatmap();
+            PreferredColumns = (int)Math.Round(Beatmap.BeatmapInfo.Difficulty.CircleSize);
+        }
+
         protected override Playfield<ManiaHitObject, ManiaJudgement> CreatePlayfield()
         {
-            var playfield = new ManiaPlayfield(Columns)
+            var playfield = new ManiaPlayfield(Columns.Value)
             {
                 Anchor = Anchor.Centre,
                 Origin = Anchor.Centre,
@@ -121,13 +136,10 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.UI
                 Scale = new Vector2(1, -1)
             };
 
-            foreach (var kvp in HitObjectTimingChanges)
+            for (int i = 0; i < Columns; i++)
             {
-                int column = kvp.Key;
-                List<DrawableTimingChange> timingChanges = kvp.Value;
-
-                foreach (var change in timingChanges)
-                    playfield.Columns.ElementAt(column).Add(change);
+                foreach (var change in HitObjectTimingChanges[i])
+                    playfield.Columns.ElementAt(i).Add(change);
             }
 
             foreach (var change in BarlineTimingChanges)
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.csproj b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.csproj
index e265dcf8a3..7e92e1865c 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.csproj
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.csproj
@@ -84,9 +84,9 @@
     <Compile Include="Mods\ManiaMod.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Mods\ManiaModGravity.cs" />
     <Compile Include="UI\SpecialColumnPosition.cs" />
-    <Compile Include="Timing\Drawables\DrawableGravityTimingChange.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Timing\Drawables\DrawableManiaGravityTimingChange.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Timing\Drawables\DrawableManiaTimingChange.cs" />
-    <Compile Include="Timing\Drawables\DrawableScrollingTimingChange.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Timing\Drawables\DrawableManiaScrollingTimingChange.cs" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <ProjectReference Include="..\osu-framework\osu.Framework\osu.Framework.csproj">
diff --git a/osu.Game/Rulesets/UI/HitRenderer.cs b/osu.Game/Rulesets/UI/HitRenderer.cs
index f0dc143668..7001567f25 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Rulesets/UI/HitRenderer.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Rulesets/UI/HitRenderer.cs
@@ -148,6 +148,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.UI
             // Post-process the beatmap
             processor.PostProcess(Beatmap);
 
+            ApplyBeatmap();
+
             // Add mods, should always be the last thing applied to give full control to mods
             applyMods(beatmap.Mods.Value);
         }
@@ -165,6 +167,11 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.UI
                 mod.ApplyToHitRenderer(this);
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Called when the beatmap of this hit renderer has been set. Used to apply any default values from the beatmap.
+        /// </summary>
+        protected virtual void ApplyBeatmap() { }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Creates a processor to perform post-processing operations
         /// on HitObjects in converted Beatmaps.