diff --git a/packages/core/evaluate.mjs b/packages/core/evaluate.mjs
index 9627a2ad..340febe5 100644
--- a/packages/core/evaluate.mjs
+++ b/packages/core/evaluate.mjs
@@ -47,10 +47,5 @@ export const evaluate = async (code, transpiler) => {
   // if no transpiler is given, we expect a single instruction (!wrapExpression)
   const options = { wrapExpression: !!transpiler };
   let evaluated = await safeEval(code, options);
-  if (!isPattern(evaluated)) {
-    console.log('evaluated', evaluated);
-    const message = `got "${typeof evaluated}" instead of pattern`;
-    throw new Error(message + (typeof evaluated === 'function' ? ', did you forget to call a function?' : '.'));
-  }
   return { mode: 'javascript', pattern: evaluated, meta };
 };
diff --git a/packages/core/pattern.mjs b/packages/core/pattern.mjs
index f30d21c8..5a9a3fe8 100644
--- a/packages/core/pattern.mjs
+++ b/packages/core/pattern.mjs
@@ -1178,7 +1178,7 @@ export function reify(thing) {
  * @return {Pattern}
  * @synonyms polyrhythm, pr
  * @example
- * stack(g3, b3, [e4, d4]).note() // "g3,b3,[e4,d4]".note()
+ * stack("g3", "b3", ["e4", "d4"]).note() // "g3,b3,[e4,d4]".note()
  */
 export function stack(...pats) {
   // Array test here is to avoid infinite recursions..
@@ -1193,7 +1193,7 @@ export function stack(...pats) {
  *
  * @return {Pattern}
  * @example
- * slowcat(e5, b4, [d5, c5])
+ * slowcat("e5", "b4", ["d5", "c5"])
  *
  */
 export function slowcat(...pats) {
@@ -1237,7 +1237,7 @@ export function slowcatPrime(...pats) {
  * @synonyms slowcat
  * @return {Pattern}
  * @example
- * cat(e5, b4, [d5, c5]).note() // "<e5 b4 [d5 c5]>".note()
+ * cat("e5", "b4", ["d5", "c5"]).note() // "<e5 b4 [d5 c5]>".note()
  *
  */
 export function cat(...pats) {
@@ -1247,7 +1247,7 @@ export function cat(...pats) {
 /** Like {@link Pattern.seq}, but each step has a length, relative to the whole.
  * @return {Pattern}
  * @example
- * timeCat([3,e3],[1, g3]).note() // "e3@3 g3".note()
+ * timeCat([3,"e3"],[1, "g3"]).note() // "e3@3 g3".note()
  */
 export function timeCat(...timepats) {
   const total = timepats.map((a) => a[0]).reduce((a, b) => a.add(b), Fraction(0));
@@ -1287,7 +1287,7 @@ export function sequence(...pats) {
 /** Like **cat**, but the items are crammed into one cycle.
  * @synonyms fastcat, sequence
  * @example
- * seq(e5, b4, [d5, c5]).note() // "e5 b4 [d5 c5]".note()
+ * seq("e5", "b4", ["d5", "c5"]).note() // "e5 b4 [d5 c5]".note()
  *
  */
 export function seq(...pats) {
@@ -1975,9 +1975,9 @@ export const press = register('press', function (pat) {
  *   s("hh*3")
  * )
  */
-export const hush = register('hush', function (pat) {
+Pattern.prototype.hush = function () {
   return silence;
-});
+};
 
 /**
  * Applies `rev` to a pattern every other cycle, so that the pattern alternates between forwards and backwards.
diff --git a/packages/core/repl.mjs b/packages/core/repl.mjs
index 67e2812d..3645d594 100644
--- a/packages/core/repl.mjs
+++ b/packages/core/repl.mjs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { evaluate as _evaluate } from './evaluate.mjs';
 import { logger } from './logger.mjs';
 import { setTime } from './time.mjs';
 import { evalScope } from './evaluate.mjs';
-import { register } from './pattern.mjs';
+import { register, Pattern, isPattern, silence, stack } from './pattern.mjs';
 
 export function repl({
   interval,
@@ -24,22 +24,37 @@ export function repl({
     getTime,
     onToggle,
   });
-  let playPatterns = [];
+  let pPatterns = {};
+  let allTransform;
+
+  const hush = function () {
+    pPatterns = {};
+    allTransform = undefined;
+    return silence;
+  };
+
   const setPattern = (pattern, autostart = true) => {
     pattern = editPattern?.(pattern) || pattern;
     scheduler.setPattern(pattern, autostart);
   };
   setTime(() => scheduler.now()); // TODO: refactor?
-  const evaluate = async (code, autostart = true) => {
+  const evaluate = async (code, autostart = true, shouldHush = true) => {
     if (!code) {
       throw new Error('no code to evaluate');
     }
     try {
       await beforeEval?.({ code });
-      playPatterns = [];
+      shouldHush && hush();
       let { pattern, meta } = await _evaluate(code, transpiler);
-      if (playPatterns.length) {
-        pattern = pattern.stack(...playPatterns);
+      if (Object.keys(pPatterns).length) {
+        pattern = stack(...Object.values(pPatterns));
+      }
+      if (allTransform) {
+        pattern = allTransform(pattern);
+      }
+      if (!isPattern(pattern)) {
+        const message = `got "${typeof evaluated}" instead of pattern`;
+        throw new Error(message + (typeof evaluated === 'function' ? ', did you forget to call a function?' : '.'));
       }
       logger(`[eval] code updated`);
       setPattern(pattern, autostart);
@@ -62,10 +77,32 @@ export function repl({
     return pat.loopAtCps(cycles, scheduler.cps);
   });
 
-  const play = register('play', (pat) => {
-    playPatterns.push(pat);
-    return pat;
-  });
+  Pattern.prototype.p = function (id) {
+    pPatterns[id] = this;
+    return this;
+  };
+  Pattern.prototype.q = function (id) {
+    return silence;
+  };
+
+  const all = function (transform) {
+    allTransform = transform;
+    return silence;
+  };
+
+  for (let i = 1; i < 10; ++i) {
+    Object.defineProperty(Pattern.prototype, `d${i}`, {
+      get() {
+        return this.p(i);
+      },
+    });
+    Object.defineProperty(Pattern.prototype, `p${i}`, {
+      get() {
+        return this.p(i);
+      },
+    });
+    Pattern.prototype[`q${i}`] = silence;
+  }
 
   const fit = register('fit', (pat) =>
     pat.withHap((hap) =>
@@ -80,7 +117,8 @@ export function repl({
   evalScope({
     loopAt,
     fit,
-    play,
+    all,
+    hush,
     setCps,
     setcps: setCps,
     setCpm,
diff --git a/packages/transpiler/test/transpiler.test.mjs b/packages/transpiler/test/transpiler.test.mjs
index 1d14986d..5f1b754f 100644
--- a/packages/transpiler/test/transpiler.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/transpiler/test/transpiler.test.mjs
@@ -17,9 +17,6 @@ describe('transpiler', () => {
   it('wraps backtick string with mini and adds location', () => {
     expect(transpiler('`c3`', simple).output).toEqual("m('c3', 0);");
   });
-  it('replaces note variables with note strings', () => {
-    expect(transpiler('seq(c3, d3)', simple).output).toEqual("seq('c3', 'd3');");
-  });
   it('keeps tagged template literal as is', () => {
     expect(transpiler('xxx`c3`', simple).output).toEqual('xxx`c3`;');
   });
diff --git a/packages/transpiler/transpiler.mjs b/packages/transpiler/transpiler.mjs
index 256be1d2..4e66a57c 100644
--- a/packages/transpiler/transpiler.mjs
+++ b/packages/transpiler/transpiler.mjs
@@ -47,11 +47,6 @@ export function transpiler(input, options = {}) {
           });
         return this.replace(widgetWithLocation(node));
       }
-      // TODO: remove pseudo note variables?
-      if (node.type === 'Identifier' && isNoteWithOctave(node.name)) {
-        this.skip();
-        return this.replace({ type: 'Literal', value: node.name });
-      }
     },
     leave(node, parent, prop, index) {},
   });