diff --git a/packages/hs2js/src/hs2js.mjs b/packages/hs2js/src/hs2js.mjs
index 4161b0e6..227a42b2 100644
--- a/packages/hs2js/src/hs2js.mjs
+++ b/packages/hs2js/src/hs2js.mjs
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ function curry(patterns, body, scope, ops) {
 export function run(node, scope, ops = {}) {
   let runInScope = (node, scp = scope) => run(node, scp, ops);
   //console.log("node", node.type, node.text);
+  if (ops[node.type]) {
+    return ops[node.type](node);
+  }
   switch (node.type) {
     case 'ERROR':
       throw new Error(`invalid syntax: "${node.text}"`);
diff --git a/packages/tidal/tidal.mjs b/packages/tidal/tidal.mjs
index 00a32021..2c3c8900 100644
--- a/packages/tidal/tidal.mjs
+++ b/packages/tidal/tidal.mjs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import { reify } from '@strudel/core';
-import { miniAllStrings } from '@strudel/mini';
-import { evaluate, loadParser } from 'hs2js';
+import { loadParser, run, parse } from 'hs2js';
 
 function getInfixOperators() {
   let operators = {
@@ -29,12 +28,15 @@ function getInfixOperators() {
   ops['~>'] = (l, r) => reify(l).late(reify(r));
   ops['<~'] = (l, r) => reify(l).early(reify(r));
   ops['<$>'] = (l, r) => reify(r).fmap(l).outerJoin(); // is this right?
+  ops['string'] = (node) => {
+    const str = node.text.slice(1, -1);
+    return m(str, 1);
+  };
   return ops;
 }
 const ops = getInfixOperators();
 
 export async function initTidal() {
-  miniAllStrings(); // TODO: get rid of this and implement custom string parser in hs2js
   // TODO: implement this in regular land
   window.d1 = (pat) => pat.p('d1');
   window.d2 = (pat) => pat.p('d2');
@@ -45,6 +47,10 @@ export async function initTidal() {
   window.d7 = (pat) => pat.p('d7');
   window.d8 = (pat) => pat.p('d8');
   window.d9 = (pat) => pat.p('d9');
+  window.minicurry = (str) => (loc) => {
+    console.log('minicurry', str, loc);
+    return m(str, loc);
+  };
   return loadParser();
 }
 
@@ -52,5 +58,50 @@ export function tidal(code) {
   if (Array.isArray(code)) {
     code = code.join('');
   }
-  return evaluate(code, window, ops);
+  let ast = parse(code).rootNode;
+  // ast = transpile(ast);
+  console.log('ast', ast);
+  return run(ast, window, ops);
+}
+
+function edit(ast, options) {
+  if (!ast || ast.skip) {
+    return ast;
+  }
+  const { enter, leave } = options;
+  ast = enter?.(ast);
+  if (!ast.skip && ast.children) {
+    const children = ast.children.map((child) => edit(child, options));
+    ast = { type: ast.type, text: ast.text, children };
+  }
+  leave?.(ast);
+  return ast;
+}
+
+function transpile(ast) {
+  return edit(ast, {
+    enter: (node) => {
+      if (node.type === 'literal' && node.children[0].type === 'string') {
+        return miniWithLocation(node.text, 1);
+      }
+      return node;
+    },
+  });
+}
+
+function miniWithLocation(string, loc) {
+  return {
+    type: 'apply',
+    children: [
+      {
+        type: 'apply',
+        skip: true,
+        children: [
+          { type: 'variable', text: 'minicurry', children: [] },
+          { type: 'string', text: string, children: [] },
+        ],
+      },
+      { type: 'float', text: loc + '', children: [] },
+    ],
+  };
 }