diff --git a/packages/tone/tone.mjs b/packages/tone/tone.mjs
index 34d19dc4..5ad55edc 100644
--- a/packages/tone/tone.mjs
+++ b/packages/tone/tone.mjs
@@ -30,13 +30,16 @@ import { getPlayableNoteValue } from '@strudel.cycles/core/util.mjs';
 
 // "balanced" | "interactive" | "playback";
 // Tone.setContext(new Tone.Context({ latencyHint: 'playback', lookAhead: 1 }));
-export const defaultSynth = new PolySynth().chain(new Gain(0.5), getDestination());
-defaultSynth.set({
-  oscillator: { type: 'triangle' },
-  envelope: {
-    release: 0.01,
-  },
-});
+export const getDefaultSynth = () => {
+  const s = new PolySynth().chain(new Gain(0.5), getDestination());
+  s.set({
+    oscillator: { type: 'triangle' },
+    envelope: {
+      release: 0.01,
+    },
+  });
+  return s;
+};
 
 // what about
 // https://www.charlie-roberts.com/gibberish/playground/
diff --git a/repl/src/App.js b/repl/src/App.js
index 4b5ffc83..71307f55 100644
--- a/repl/src/App.js
+++ b/repl/src/App.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import CodeMirror, { markEvent, markParens } from './CodeMirror';
 import cx from './cx';
 import logo from './logo.svg';
 import playStatic from './static.mjs';
-import { defaultSynth } from '@strudel.cycles/tone';
+import { getDefaultSynth } from '@strudel.cycles/tone';
 import * as tunes from './tunes.mjs';
 import useRepl from './useRepl.mjs';
 import { useWebMidi } from './useWebMidi';
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ function getRandomTune() {
 }
 
 const randomTune = getRandomTune();
+const defaultSynth = getDefaultSynth();
 
 function App() {
   const [editor, setEditor] = useState();
diff --git a/repl/src/static.mjs b/repl/src/static.mjs
index dc0d76e2..0fc70537 100644
--- a/repl/src/static.mjs
+++ b/repl/src/static.mjs
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ import { Tone } from '@strudel.cycles/tone';
 import { State, TimeSpan } from '@strudel.cycles/core';
 import { getPlayableNoteValue } from '@strudel.cycles/core/util.mjs';
 import { evaluate } from '@strudel.cycles/eval';
-import { defaultSynth } from '@strudel.cycles/tone';
+import { getDefaultSynth } from '@strudel.cycles/tone';
+
+const defaultSynth = getDefaultSynth();
 
 // this is a test to play back events with as less runtime code as possible..
 // the code asks for the number of seconds to prequery