diff --git a/packages/webaudio/sampler.mjs b/packages/webaudio/sampler.mjs
index e08b1084..141dd5f7 100644
--- a/packages/webaudio/sampler.mjs
+++ b/packages/webaudio/sampler.mjs
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ export const samples = async (sampleMap, baseUrl = sampleMap._base || '', option
         }),
       );
     }
-    setSound(key, (t, hapValue) => onTriggerSample(t, hapValue, value), {
+    setSound(key, (t, hapValue, onended) => onTriggerSample(t, hapValue, onended, value), {
       type: 'sample',
       samples: value,
       baseUrl,
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ export const samples = async (sampleMap, baseUrl = sampleMap._base || '', option
 
 const cutGroups = [];
 
-export async function onTriggerSample(t, value, bank) {
+export async function onTriggerSample(t, value, onended, bank) {
   const {
     s,
     freq,
@@ -176,24 +176,19 @@ export async function onTriggerSample(t, value, bank) {
     begin = 0,
     end = 1,
   } = value;
-  const ac = getAudioContext();
-  // destructure adsr here, because the default should be different for synths and samples
-  const { attack = 0.001, decay = 0.001, sustain = 1, release = 0.001 } = value;
   // load sample
   if (speed === 0) {
     // no playback
     return;
   }
+  const ac = getAudioContext();
+  // destructure adsr here, because the default should be different for synths and samples
+  const { attack = 0.001, decay = 0.001, sustain = 1, release = 0.001 } = value;
   //const soundfont = getSoundfontKey(s);
-  let bufferSource;
+  const time = t + nudge;
+
+  const bufferSource = await getSampleBufferSource(s, n, note, speed, freq, bank);
 
-  //if (soundfont) {
-  // is soundfont
-  //bufferSource = await globalThis.getFontBufferSource(soundfont, note || n, ac, freq);
-  //} else {
-  // is sample from loaded samples(..)
-  bufferSource = await getSampleBufferSource(s, n, note, speed, freq, bank);
-  //}
   // asny stuff above took too long?
   if (ac.currentTime > t) {
     logger(`[sampler] still loading sound "${s}:${n}"`, 'highlight');
@@ -201,7 +196,7 @@ export async function onTriggerSample(t, value, bank) {
     return;
   }
   if (!bufferSource) {
-    console.warn('no buffer source');
+    logger(`[sampler] could not load "${s}:${n}"`, 'error');
     return;
   }
   bufferSource.playbackRate.value = Math.abs(speed) * bufferSource.playbackRate.value;
@@ -212,7 +207,6 @@ export async function onTriggerSample(t, value, bank) {
   // "The computation of the offset into the sound is performed using the sound buffer's natural sample rate,
   // rather than the current playback rate, so even if the sound is playing at twice its normal speed,
   // the midway point through a 10-second audio buffer is still 5."
-  const time = t + nudge;
   const offset = begin * bufferSource.buffer.duration;
   bufferSource.start(time, offset);
   const bufferDuration = bufferSource.buffer.duration / bufferSource.playbackRate.value;
@@ -229,19 +223,33 @@ export async function onTriggerSample(t, value, bank) {
   }*/
   const { node: envelope, stop: releaseEnvelope } = getEnvelope(attack, decay, sustain, release, 1, t);
   bufferSource.connect(envelope);
-  if (cut !== undefined) {
-    cutGroups[cut]?.stop(time); // fade out?
-    cutGroups[cut] = bufferSource;
-  }
-  const stop = (endTime) => {
+  bufferSource.onended = function () {
+    bufferSource.disconnect();
+    envelope.disconnect();
+    onended();
+  };
+  const stop = (endTime, playWholeBuffer = !clip) => {
     let releaseTime = endTime;
-    if (!clip) {
+    if (playWholeBuffer) {
       releaseTime = t + (end - begin) * bufferDuration;
     }
     bufferSource.stop(releaseTime + release);
     releaseEnvelope(releaseTime);
   };
-  return { node: envelope, stop };
+  const handle = { node: envelope, bufferSource, stop };
+
+  // cut groups
+  // TODO: sometimes, the cutting won't work for very fast triggering...
+  // it worked before :-/
+  if (cut !== undefined) {
+    const prev = cutGroups[cut];
+    if (prev) {
+      prev.stop(time, false);
+    }
+    cutGroups[cut] = handle;
+  }
+
+  return handle;
 }
 
 /*const getSoundfontKey = (s) => {
@@ -262,3 +270,4 @@ export async function onTriggerSample(t, value, bank) {
   }
   return;
 };*/
+// bufferSource = await globalThis.getFontBufferSource(soundfont, note || n, ac, freq);
diff --git a/packages/webaudio/synth.mjs b/packages/webaudio/synth.mjs
index 426e6573..f3be1ce6 100644
--- a/packages/webaudio/synth.mjs
+++ b/packages/webaudio/synth.mjs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ export function registerSynthSounds() {
   ['sine', 'square', 'triangle', 'sawtooth'].forEach((wave) => {
     setSound(
       wave,
-      (t, value) => {
+      (t, value, onended) => {
         // destructure adsr here, because the default should be different for synths and samples
         const { attack = 0.001, decay = 0.05, sustain = 0.6, release = 0.01 } = value;
         let { n, note, freq } = value;
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@ export function registerSynthSounds() {
         const g = gainNode(0.3);
         // envelope
         const { node: envelope, stop: releaseEnvelope } = getEnvelope(attack, decay, sustain, release, 1, t);
+        o.onended = () => {
+          o.disconnect();
+          g.disconnect();
+          onended();
+        };
         return {
           node: o.connect(g).connect(envelope),
           stop: (t) => {
diff --git a/packages/webaudio/webaudio.mjs b/packages/webaudio/webaudio.mjs
index c2bca304..06b2ab49 100644
--- a/packages/webaudio/webaudio.mjs
+++ b/packages/webaudio/webaudio.mjs
@@ -155,8 +155,10 @@ export const webaudioOutput = async (hap, deadline, hapDuration, cps) => {
   } = hap.value;
   const { velocity = 1 } = hap.context;
   gain *= velocity; // legacy fix for velocity
-  // the chain will hold all audio nodes that connect to each other
-  const chain = [];
+  let toDisconnect = []; // audio nodes that will be disconnected when the source has ended
+  const onended = () => {
+    toDisconnect.forEach((n) => n?.disconnect());
+  };
   if (bank && s) {
     s = `${bank}_${s}`;
   }
@@ -166,7 +168,7 @@ export const webaudioOutput = async (hap, deadline, hapDuration, cps) => {
     sourceNode = source(t, hap.value);
   } else if (soundMap.get()[s]) {
     const { onTrigger } = soundMap.get()[s];
-    const soundHandle = await onTrigger(t, hap.value);
+    const soundHandle = await onTrigger(t, hap.value, onended);
     if (soundHandle) {
       sourceNode = soundHandle.node;
       soundHandle.stop(t + hapDuration);
@@ -183,6 +185,7 @@ export const webaudioOutput = async (hap, deadline, hapDuration, cps) => {
     logger('[webaudio] skip hap: still loading', ac.currentTime - t);
     return;
   }
+  const chain = []; // audio nodes that will be connected to each other sequentially
   chain.push(sourceNode);
 
   // gain stage
@@ -227,8 +230,9 @@ export const webaudioOutput = async (hap, deadline, hapDuration, cps) => {
   // connect chain elements together
   chain.slice(1).reduce((last, current) => last.connect(current), chain[0]);
 
-  // disconnect all nodes when source node has ended:
-  chain[0].onended = () => chain.concat([delaySend, reverbSend]).forEach((n) => n?.disconnect());
+  // toDisconnect = all the node that should be disconnected in onended callback
+  // this is crucial for performance
+  toDisconnect = chain.concat([delaySend, reverbSend]);
 };
 
 export const webaudioOutputTrigger = (t, hap, ct, cps) => webaudioOutput(hap, t - ct, hap.duration / cps, cps);