diff --git a/packages/core/index.mjs b/packages/core/index.mjs
index 30504a5b..78241f74 100644
--- a/packages/core/index.mjs
+++ b/packages/core/index.mjs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ export * from './util.mjs';
 export * from './speak.mjs';
 export * from './evaluate.mjs';
 export * from './repl.mjs';
+export * from './cyclist.mjs';
 export * from './logger.mjs';
 export * from './draw.mjs';
 export * from './animate.mjs';
diff --git a/packages/core/repl.mjs b/packages/core/repl.mjs
index de979258..abb9ef80 100644
--- a/packages/core/repl.mjs
+++ b/packages/core/repl.mjs
@@ -17,23 +17,15 @@ export function repl({
 }) {
   const scheduler = new Cyclist({
     interval,
-    onTrigger: async (hap, deadline, duration, cps) => {
-      try {
-        if (!hap.context.onTrigger || !hap.context.dominantTrigger) {
-          await defaultOutput(hap, deadline, duration, cps);
-        }
-        if (hap.context.onTrigger) {
-          // call signature of output / onTrigger is different...
-          await hap.context.onTrigger(getTime() + deadline, hap, getTime(), cps);
-        }
-      } catch (err) {
-        logger(`[cyclist] error: ${err.message}`, 'error');
-      }
-    },
+    onTrigger: getTrigger({ defaultOutput, getTime }),
     onError: onSchedulerError,
     getTime,
     onToggle,
   });
+  const setPattern = (pattern, autostart = true) => {
+    pattern = editPattern?.(pattern) || pattern;
+    scheduler.setPattern(pattern, autostart);
+  };
   const evaluate = async (code, autostart = true) => {
     if (!code) {
       throw new Error('no code to evaluate');
@@ -43,8 +35,7 @@ export function repl({
       let { pattern } = await _evaluate(code, transpiler);
 
       logger(`[eval] code updated`);
-      pattern = editPattern?.(pattern) || pattern;
-      scheduler.setPattern(pattern, autostart);
+      setPattern(pattern, autostart);
       afterEval?.({ code, pattern });
       return pattern;
     } catch (err) {
@@ -61,5 +52,21 @@ export function repl({
     setCps,
     setcps: setCps,
   });
-  return { scheduler, evaluate, start, stop, pause, setCps };
+  return { scheduler, evaluate, start, stop, pause, setCps, setPattern };
 }
+
+export const getTrigger =
+  ({ getTime, defaultOutput }) =>
+  async (hap, deadline, duration, cps) => {
+    try {
+      if (!hap.context.onTrigger || !hap.context.dominantTrigger) {
+        await defaultOutput(hap, deadline, duration, cps);
+      }
+      if (hap.context.onTrigger) {
+        // call signature of output / onTrigger is different...
+        await hap.context.onTrigger(getTime() + deadline, hap, getTime(), cps);
+      }
+    } catch (err) {
+      logger(`[cyclist] error: ${err.message}`, 'error');
+    }
+  };
diff --git a/packages/mini/mini.mjs b/packages/mini/mini.mjs
index 648499e6..3f9228d9 100644
--- a/packages/mini/mini.mjs
+++ b/packages/mini/mini.mjs
@@ -190,3 +190,8 @@ export function minify(thing) {
   }
   return strudel.reify(thing);
 }
+
+// calling this function will cause patterns to parse strings as mini notation by default
+export function miniAllStrings() {
+  strudel.setStringParser(mini);
+}
diff --git a/packages/web/README.md b/packages/web/README.md
index c70a5df7..53609c3e 100644
--- a/packages/web/README.md
+++ b/packages/web/README.md
@@ -4,16 +4,20 @@ This package provides an easy to use bundle of multiple strudel packages for the
 
 ## Usage
 
-```js
-import { repl } from '@strudel/web';
+Minimal example:
 
-const strudel = repl();
+```js
+import '@strudel/web';
 
 document.getElementById('play').addEventListener('click', 
-  () => strudel.evaluate('note("c a f e").jux(rev)')
-);
+  () => note("c a f e").play()
+)
 ```
 
+As soon as you `import '@strudel/web'`, all strudel functions will be available in the global scope.
+In this case, we are using `note` to create a pattern.
+To actually play the pattern, you have to append `.play()` to the end.
+
 Note: Due to the [Autoplay policy](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Web_Audio_API/Best_practices#autoplay_policy), you can only play audio in a browser after a click event.
 
 ### Loading samples
@@ -21,15 +25,28 @@ Note: Due to the [Autoplay policy](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/
 By default, no external samples are loaded, but you can add them like this:
 
 ```js
-import { repl, samples } from '@strudel/web';
+import { prebake } from '@strudel/web';
 
-const strudel = repl({
-  prebake: () => samples('github:tidalcycles/Dirt-Samples/master'),
-});
+prebake(() => samples('github:tidalcycles/Dirt-Samples/master'))
 
 document.getElementById('play').addEventListener('click', 
-  () => strudel.evaluate('s("bd,jvbass(3,8)").jux(rev)')
-);
+  () => s("bd sd").play()
+)
 ```
 
 You can learn [more about the `samples` function here](https://strudel.tidalcycles.org/learn/samples#loading-custom-samples).
+
+### Evaluating Code
+
+Instead of creating patterns directly in JS, you might also want to take in user input and turn that into a pattern.
+This is called evaluation: Taking a piece of code and executing it on the fly.
+
+To do that, you can use the `evaluate` function:
+
+```js
+import '@strudel/web';
+
+document.getElementById('play').addEventListener('click', 
+  () => evaluate('note("c a f e").jux(rev)')
+);
+```
diff --git a/packages/web/examples/repl-example/index.html b/packages/web/examples/repl-example/index.html
index a7954e64..853e02db 100644
--- a/packages/web/examples/repl-example/index.html
+++ b/packages/web/examples/repl-example/index.html
@@ -13,17 +13,16 @@
     <button id="c">C</button>
     <button id="stop">stop</button>
     <script type="module">
-      import { repl, samples } from '@strudel/web';
-
-      const strudel = repl({
+      import { init } from '@strudel/web';
+      init({
         prebake: () => samples('github:tidalcycles/Dirt-Samples/master'),
       });
 
       const click = (id, action) => document.getElementById(id).addEventListener('click', action);
-      click('a', () => strudel.evaluate('s("bd,jvbass(3,8)").jux(rev)'));
-      click('b', () => strudel.evaluate('s("bd*2,hh(3,4),jvbass(5,8,1)").jux(rev)'));
-      click('c', () => strudel.evaluate('s("bd*2,hh(3,4),jvbass:[0 4](5,8,1)").jux(rev).stack(s("~ sd"))'));
-      click('stop', () => strudel.stop());
+      click('a', () => evaluate(`s('bd,jvbass(3,8)').jux(rev)`));
+      click('b', () => s('bd*2,hh(3,4),jvbass(5,8,1)').jux(rev).play());
+      click('c', () => s('bd*2,hh(3,4),jvbass:[0 4](5,8,1)').jux(rev).stack(s('~ sd')).play());
+      click('stop', () => hush());
     </script>
   </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/packages/web/package.json b/packages/web/package.json
index 11e9153e..be1a4bb9 100644
--- a/packages/web/package.json
+++ b/packages/web/package.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   "name": "@strudel/web",
   "version": "0.8.0",
   "description": "Easy to setup, opiniated bundle of Strudel for the browser.",
-  "main": "repl.mjs",
+  "main": "web.mjs",
   "publishConfig": {
     "main": "dist/index.js",
     "module": "dist/index.mjs"
diff --git a/packages/web/repl.mjs b/packages/web/repl.mjs
deleted file mode 100644
index f86459b1..00000000
--- a/packages/web/repl.mjs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-export * from '@strudel.cycles/core';
-export * from '@strudel.cycles/webaudio';
-export * from '@strudel.cycles/soundfonts';
-export * from '@strudel.cycles/transpiler';
-export * from '@strudel.cycles/mini';
-export * from '@strudel.cycles/tonal';
-export * from '@strudel.cycles/webaudio';
-import { repl as _repl, evalScope, controls } from '@strudel.cycles/core';
-import { initAudioOnFirstClick, getAudioContext, registerSynthSounds, webaudioOutput } from '@strudel.cycles/webaudio';
-import { registerSoundfonts } from '@strudel.cycles/soundfonts';
-import { transpiler } from '@strudel.cycles/transpiler';
-
-async function prebake(userPrebake) {
-  const loadModules = evalScope(
-    evalScope,
-    controls,
-    import('@strudel.cycles/core'),
-    import('@strudel.cycles/mini'),
-    import('@strudel.cycles/tonal'),
-    import('@strudel.cycles/webaudio'),
-  );
-  await Promise.all([loadModules, registerSynthSounds(), registerSoundfonts(), userPrebake?.()]);
-}
-
-export function repl(options = {}) {
-  const prebaked = prebake(options?.prebake);
-  initAudioOnFirstClick();
-  return _repl({
-    defaultOutput: webaudioOutput,
-    getTime: () => getAudioContext().currentTime,
-    transpiler,
-    ...options,
-    beforeEval: async (args) => {
-      options?.beforeEval?.(args);
-      await prebaked;
-    },
-  });
-}
diff --git a/packages/web/vite.config.js b/packages/web/vite.config.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ffa2ad27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/web/vite.config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import { defineConfig } from 'vite';
+import { dependencies } from './package.json';
+import { resolve } from 'path';
+
+// https://vitejs.dev/config/
+export default defineConfig({
+  plugins: [],
+  build: {
+    lib: {
+      entry: resolve(__dirname, 'web.mjs'),
+      formats: ['es', 'cjs'],
+      fileName: (ext) => ({ es: 'index.mjs', cjs: 'index.js' }[ext]),
+    },
+    rollupOptions: {
+      external: [...Object.keys(dependencies)],
+    },
+    target: 'esnext',
+  },
+});
diff --git a/packages/web/web.mjs b/packages/web/web.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e546a8f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/web/web.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+export * from '@strudel.cycles/core';
+export * from '@strudel.cycles/webaudio';
+export * from '@strudel.cycles/soundfonts';
+export * from '@strudel.cycles/transpiler';
+export * from '@strudel.cycles/mini';
+export * from '@strudel.cycles/tonal';
+export * from '@strudel.cycles/webaudio';
+import { Pattern, evalScope, controls } from '@strudel.cycles/core';
+import { initAudioOnFirstClick, registerSynthSounds, webaudioScheduler } from '@strudel.cycles/webaudio';
+import { registerSoundfonts } from '@strudel.cycles/soundfonts';
+import { evaluate as _evaluate } from '@strudel.cycles/transpiler';
+import { miniAllStrings } from '@strudel.cycles/mini';
+
+// init logic
+export async function defaultPrebake() {
+  const loadModules = evalScope(
+    evalScope,
+    controls,
+    import('@strudel.cycles/core'),
+    import('@strudel.cycles/mini'),
+    import('@strudel.cycles/tonal'),
+    import('@strudel.cycles/webaudio'),
+    { hush, evaluate },
+  );
+  await Promise.all([loadModules, registerSynthSounds(), registerSoundfonts()]);
+}
+
+// when this function finishes, everything is initialized
+let initDone;
+
+let scheduler;
+export function init(options = {}) {
+  initAudioOnFirstClick();
+  miniAllStrings();
+  const { prebake, ...schedulerOptions } = options;
+
+  initDone = (async () => {
+    await defaultPrebake();
+    await prebake?.();
+  })();
+  scheduler = webaudioScheduler(schedulerOptions);
+}
+
+// this method will play the pattern on the default scheduler
+Pattern.prototype.play = function () {
+  if (!scheduler) {
+    throw new Error('.play: no scheduler found. Have you called init?');
+  }
+  initDone.then(() => {
+    scheduler.setPattern(this, true);
+  });
+  return this;
+};
+
+// stop playback
+export function hush() {
+  scheduler.stop();
+}
+
+// evaluate and play the given code using the transpiler
+export async function evaluate(code, autoplay = true) {
+  const { pattern } = await _evaluate(code);
+  autoplay && pattern.play();
+}
diff --git a/packages/webaudio/webaudio.mjs b/packages/webaudio/webaudio.mjs
index c75bde0b..6b069a85 100644
--- a/packages/webaudio/webaudio.mjs
+++ b/packages/webaudio/webaudio.mjs
@@ -243,3 +243,16 @@ Pattern.prototype.webaudio = function () {
   // TODO: refactor (t, hap, ct, cps) to (hap, deadline, duration) ?
   return this.onTrigger(webaudioOutputTrigger);
 };
+
+export function webaudioScheduler(options = {}) {
+  options = {
+    getTime: () => getAudioContext().currentTime,
+    defaultOutput: webaudioOutput,
+    ...options,
+  };
+  const { defaultOutput, getTime } = options;
+  return new strudel.Cyclist({
+    ...options,
+    onTrigger: strudel.getTrigger({ defaultOutput, getTime }),
+  });
+}