diff --git a/repl/src/App.tsx b/repl/src/App.tsx
index de3b55ad..ee24c12c 100644
--- a/repl/src/App.tsx
+++ b/repl/src/App.tsx
@@ -11,8 +11,15 @@ import hot from '../public/hot';
 import { isNote } from 'tone';
 import { useWebMidi } from './midi';
 
+// TODO: use https://www.npmjs.com/package/@monaco-editor/react
+
 const [_, codeParam] = window.location.href.split('#');
-const decoded = atob(decodeURIComponent(codeParam || ''));
+let decoded;
+try {
+  decoded = atob(decodeURIComponent(codeParam || ''));
+} catch (err) {
+  console.warn('failed to decode', err);
+}
 
 const getHotCode = async () => {
   return fetch('/hot.js')
@@ -48,6 +55,7 @@ function App() {
   const [activePattern, setActivePattern] = useState<Pattern>();
   const dirty = code !== activeCode;
   const activateCode = (_code = code) => {
+    !cycle.started && cycle.start();
     if (activeCode && !dirty) {
       setError(undefined);
       return;
@@ -62,11 +70,11 @@ function App() {
       setError(err);
     }
   };
+  // TODO: move to activateCode + remove hot mode..
   const activatePattern = (_pattern) => {
     try {
       setActivePattern(() => _pattern);
       window.location.hash = '#' + encodeURIComponent(btoa(code));
-      !cycle.started && cycle.start();
     } catch (err: any) {
       setError(err);
     }
@@ -123,6 +131,7 @@ function App() {
         switch (e.code) {
           case 'Enter':
             activateCode();
+            !cycle.started && cycle.start();
             break;
           case 'Period':
             cycle.stop();
@@ -233,10 +242,13 @@ function App() {
         <button
           className="flex-none w-full border border-gray-700 p-2 bg-slate-700 hover:bg-slate-500"
           onClick={() => {
+            // TODO: find out why sometimes, after a longer time coming back to the strudel repl, the button wont do anything
             if (!cycle.started) {
+              // console.log('start');
               // activatePattern();
               activateCode();
             } else {
+              // console.log('stop');
               cycle.stop();
             }
           }}
diff --git a/repl/src/shapeshifter.js b/repl/src/shapeshifter.js
index b9d56a78..b55d516a 100644
--- a/repl/src/shapeshifter.js
+++ b/repl/src/shapeshifter.js
@@ -24,3 +24,7 @@ export default (code) => {
   });
   return codegen(shifted);
 };
+
+// TODO: turn x.groove['[~ x]*2'] into x.groove('[~ x]*2'.m)
+// and ['c1*2'].xx into 'c1*2'.m.xx ??
+// or just all templated strings?? x.groove(`[~ x]*2`)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/repl/src/tone.ts b/repl/src/tone.ts
index 5cd28adf..1b624264 100644
--- a/repl/src/tone.ts
+++ b/repl/src/tone.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 import { Pattern as _Pattern } from '../../strudel.mjs';
 import { AutoFilter, Destination, Filter, Gain, isNote, Synth, PolySynth } from 'tone';
 
+// what about 
+// https://www.charlie-roberts.com/gibberish/playground/
+
 const Pattern = _Pattern as any;
 
 // with this function, you can play the pattern with any tone synth
diff --git a/repl/src/tunes.ts b/repl/src/tunes.ts
index f373636b..93a21479 100644
--- a/repl/src/tunes.ts
+++ b/repl/src/tunes.ts
@@ -462,3 +462,66 @@ export const caverave = `() => {
     synths
   ).slow(2);
 }`;
+
+export const caveravefuture = `() => {
+  const delay = new FeedbackDelay(1/8, .4).chain(vol(0.5), out);
+  const kick = new MembraneSynth().chain(vol(.8), out);
+  const snare = new NoiseSynth().chain(vol(.8), out);
+  const hihat = new MetalSynth().set(adsr(0, .08, 0, .1)).chain(vol(.3).connect(delay),out);
+  const bass = new Synth().set({ ...osc('sawtooth'), ...adsr(0, .1, .4) }).chain(lowpass(900), vol(.5), out);
+  const keys = new PolySynth().set({ ...osc('sawtooth'), ...adsr(0, .5, .2, .7) }).chain(lowpass(1200), vol(.5), out);
+  
+  const drums = stack(
+    \`c1*2\`.tone(kick).bypass(\`<0@7 1>/8\`),
+    \`~ <x!7 [x@3 x]>\`.tone(snare).bypass(\`<0@7 1>/4\`),
+    \`[~ c4]*2\`.tone(hihat)
+  );
+  
+  const thru = (x) => x.transpose(\`<0 1>/8\`).transpose(-1);
+  const synths = stack(
+    \`<eb4 d4 c4 b3>/2\`.scale(timeCat([3,'C minor'],[1,'C melodic minor']).slow(8)).groove(\`[~ x]*2\`)
+    .edit(
+      scaleTranspose(0).early(0),
+      scaleTranspose(2).early(1/8),
+      scaleTranspose(7).early(1/4),
+      scaleTranspose(8).early(3/8)
+    ).edit(thru).tone(keys).bypass(\`<1 0>/16\`),
+    \`<C2 Bb1 Ab1 [G1 [G2 G1]]>/2\`.groove(\`x [~ x] <[~ [~ x]]!3 [x x]>@2\`).edit(thru).tone(bass),
+    \`<Cm7 Bb7 Fm7 G7b13>/2\`.groove(\`~ [x@0.5 ~]\`.fast(2)).voicings().edit(thru).every(2, early(1/8)).tone(keys).bypass(\`<0@7 1>/8\`.early(1/4)),
+  )
+  return stack(
+    drums.fast(2),
+    synths
+  ).slow(2);
+}`;
+
+export const caveravefuture2 = `const delay = new FeedbackDelay(1/8, .4).chain(vol(0.5), out);
+const kick = new MembraneSynth().chain(vol(.8), out);
+const snare = new NoiseSynth().chain(vol(.8), out);
+const hihat = new MetalSynth().set(adsr(0, .08, 0, .1)).chain(vol(.3).connect(delay),out);
+const bass = new Synth().set({ ...osc('sawtooth'), ...adsr(0, .1, .4) }).chain(lowpass(900), vol(.5), out);
+const keys = new PolySynth().set({ ...osc('sawtooth'), ...adsr(0, .5, .2, .7) }).chain(lowpass(1200), vol(.5), out);
+
+const drums = stack(
+  "c1*2".tone(kick).bypass("<0@7 1>/8"),
+  "~ <x!7 [x@3 x]>".tone(snare).bypass("<0@7 1>/4"),
+  "[~ c4]*2".tone(hihat)
+);
+
+const thru = (x) => x.transpose("<0 1>/8").transpose(-1);
+const synths = stack(
+  "<eb4 d4 c4 b3>/2".scale(timeCat([3, 'C minor'], [1, 'C melodic minor']).slow(8)).groove("[~ x]*2")
+  .edit(
+    scaleTranspose(0).early(0),
+    scaleTranspose(2).early(1/8),
+    scaleTranspose(7).early(1/4),
+    scaleTranspose(8).early(3/8)
+  ).edit(thru).tone(keys).bypass("<1 0>/16"),
+  "<C2 Bb1 Ab1 [G1 [G2 G1]]>/2".groove("x [~ x] <[~ [~ x]]!3 [x x]>@2").edit(thru).tone(bass),
+  "<Cm7 Bb7 Fm7 G7b13>/2".groove("~ [x@0.5 ~]".fast(2)).voicings().edit(thru).every(2, early(1/8)).tone(keys).bypass("<0@7 1>/8".early(1/4)),
+)
+$: stack(
+  drums.fast(2),
+  synths
+).slow(2);
+`;
diff --git a/strudel.mjs b/strudel.mjs
index a9085968..7c7b124f 100644
--- a/strudel.mjs
+++ b/strudel.mjs
@@ -588,6 +588,22 @@ class Pattern {
     hush() {
       return silence;
     }
+/* 
+    _resolveTies() {
+      return this._withEvents((events)=>{
+        return events.reduce((tied, event, i) => {
+          const value = event.value?.value || event.value;
+          if (value !== '_') {
+            return tied.concat([event]);
+          }
+          console.log('tie!', lastEvent);
+          tied[i - 1] = tied[i - 1].withSpan((span) => span.withEnd((_) => event.part.end));
+          // above only works if the tie is not across a cycle boundary... how to do that???
+          // TODO: handle case that there is a gap between tied[i-1].part.end and event.part.begin => tie would make no sense
+          return tied;
+        }, []);
+      })
+    } */
 }
 
 // methods of Pattern that get callable factories