diff --git a/samplebrain/qt/process_thread.h b/samplebrain/qt/process_thread.h
index 9df8a0f..6155462 100644
--- a/samplebrain/qt/process_thread.h
+++ b/samplebrain/qt/process_thread.h
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ public:
 
     void process();
 
+    void load_source(const std::string &filename);
+    void load_target(const std::string &filename);
+    void save_source(const std::string &filename);
+    void save_target(const std::string &filename);
+
 private:
 	OSC_server m_osc;
     u32 m_source_block_size;
diff --git a/samplebrain/src/brain.cpp b/samplebrain/src/brain.cpp
index 3fefb9e..21f1677 100644
--- a/samplebrain/src/brain.cpp
+++ b/samplebrain/src/brain.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@
 using namespace std;
 using namespace spiralcore;
 
+static const u32 NUM_FIXED_SYNAPSES = 1000;
+static const double usage_factor = 1000000;
+
 brain::brain() :
     m_current_block_index(0),
     m_average_error(0),
@@ -89,8 +92,6 @@ const block &brain::get_block(u32 index) const {
     return m_blocks[index];
 }
 
-static const double usage_factor = 1000000;
-
 // returns index to block
 u32 brain::search(const block &target, const search_params &params) {
     double closest = FLT_MAX;
@@ -129,6 +130,7 @@ u32 brain::rev_search(const block &target, const search_params &params) {
     return furthest_index;
 }
 
+// really slow - every to every comparison of blocks calculating average distance
 double brain::calc_average_diff(search_params &params) {
     double diff=0;
     for (vector<block>::const_iterator i=m_blocks.begin(); i!=m_blocks.end(); ++i) {
@@ -140,7 +142,7 @@ double brain::calc_average_diff(search_params &params) {
     return diff;
 }
 
-void brain::build_synapses(search_params &params, double thresh) {
+void brain::build_synapses_thresh(search_params &params, double thresh) {
     m_average_error = calc_average_diff(params)*thresh;
     double err=m_average_error*thresh;
     u32 brain_size = m_blocks.size();
@@ -150,6 +152,7 @@ void brain::build_synapses(search_params &params, double thresh) {
         status::update("building synapses %d%%",(int)(outer_index/(float)brain_size*100));
         for (vector<block>::const_iterator j=m_blocks.begin(); j!=m_blocks.end(); ++j) {
             if (index!=outer_index) {
+                // collect connections that are under threshold in closeness
                 double diff = i->compare(*j,params);
                 if (diff<err) {
                     i->get_synapse().push_back(index);
@@ -161,6 +164,46 @@ void brain::build_synapses(search_params &params, double thresh) {
     }
 }
 
+void brain::build_synapses_fixed(search_params &params) {
+    //m_average_error = calc_average_diff(params)*thresh;
+    u32 brain_size = m_blocks.size();
+    u32 outer_index=0;
+    for (vector<block>::iterator i=m_blocks.begin(); i!=m_blocks.end(); ++i) {
+        u32 index = 0;
+        vector<pair<int,double>> collect;
+        status::update("building synapses %d%%",(int)(outer_index/(float)brain_size*100));
+
+        // collect comparisons to all other blocks
+        for (vector<block>::const_iterator j=m_blocks.begin(); j!=m_blocks.end(); ++j) {
+            if (index!=outer_index) {
+                double diff = i->compare(*j,params);
+                collect.push_back(pair<int,double>(index,diff));
+            }
+            ++index;
+        }
+
+        // sort them by closeness
+        sort(collect.begin(),collect.end(),
+             [](const pair<int,double> &a,
+                const pair<int,double> &b) -> bool {
+                 return a.second<b.second;
+             });
+
+        // add the closest ones to the list
+        for(u32 n=0; n<NUM_FIXED_SYNAPSES; ++n) {
+            i->get_synapse().push_back(collect[n].first);
+        }
+
+        ++outer_index;
+    }
+}
+
+
+void brain::jiggle() {
+    m_current_block_index=rand()%m_blocks.size();
+}
+
+
 u32 brain::search_synapses(const block &target, search_params &params) {
     const block &current = get_block(m_current_block_index);
     double closest = DBL_MAX;
@@ -168,14 +211,20 @@ u32 brain::search_synapses(const block &target, search_params &params) {
     // find nearest in synaptic connections
 
 //    cerr<<"searching "<<current.get_synapse_const().size()<<" connections"<<endl;
-    for (vector<u32>::const_iterator i=current.get_synapse_const().begin();
-         i!=current.get_synapse_const().end(); ++i) {
+    vector<u32>::const_iterator i=current.get_synapse_const().begin();
+    u32 synapse_count=0;
+    // use m_num_synapses to restrict search
+    // only makes sense when ordered by closeness in fixed mode
+    while (i!=current.get_synapse_const().end() &&
+           synapse_count<params.m_num_synapses) {
         const block &other = get_block(*i);
         double diff = target.compare(other,params);
         if (diff<closest) {
             closest=diff;
             closest_index = *i;
         }
+        ++i;
+        ++synapse_count;
     }
 
     deplete_usage();
diff --git a/samplebrain/src/brain.h b/samplebrain/src/brain.h
index 4076edc..4b6c9db 100644
--- a/samplebrain/src/brain.h
+++ b/samplebrain/src/brain.h
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ public:
     // rewrites whole brain
     void init(u32 block_size, u32 overlap, window::type t, bool ditchpcm=false);
 
+    // randomise the synaptic pointer
+    void jiggle();
+
     class sound {
     public:
         sound(const std::string &name, const sample &sample) :
@@ -70,7 +73,8 @@ public:
 
     // synaptic search
     double calc_average_diff(search_params &params);
-    void build_synapses(search_params &params, double threshold);
+    void build_synapses_thresh(search_params &params, double threshold);
+    void build_synapses_fixed(search_params &params);
     u32 search_synapses(const block &target, search_params &params);
     double get_current_error() { return m_current_error/m_average_error; }
 
diff --git a/samplebrain/src/main.cpp b/samplebrain/src/main.cpp
index 1890053..2b6480f 100644
--- a/samplebrain/src/main.cpp
+++ b/samplebrain/src/main.cpp
@@ -54,45 +54,61 @@ void run_audio(void* c, unsigned int frames) {
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
-    unit_test();
+//    unit_test();
+    u32 len=1000;
+    search_params p(0.5,0,0,99,0);
 
     cerr<<"starting"<<endl;
-    brain source, target;
+/*    {
+        brain source;
 //    source.load_sound("../sound/source/shostakovich6.wav");
 
 //    source.load_sound("../sound/source/808.wav");
-    source.load_sound("../sound/source/joey.wav");
-    source.load_sound("../sound/source/pw2.wav");
+//    source.load_sound("../sound/source/joey.wav");
+//    source.load_sound("../sound/source/pw2.wav");
 //    source.load_sound("../sound/source/pw3.wav");
-    source.load_sound("../sound/source/claps.wav");
+//    source.load_sound("../sound/source/claps.wav");
 //    source.load_sound("../sound/source/eagle.wav");
-    // source.load_sound("../sound/source/rise.wav");
-//    source.load_sound("../sound/source/totalsine.wav");
-//    target.load_sound("../sound/source/apache.wav");
-
+  // source.load_sound("../sound/source/rise.wav");
 //    source.load_sound("../sound/source/totalsine.wav");
 
-    //target.load_sound("../sound/source/sailingbybit.wav");
+//    source.load_sound("../sound/source/sailingbybit.wav");
+//    source.load_sound("../sound/source/dreambit.wav");
+    source.load_sound("../sound/source/KONG.WAV");
+    source.load_sound("../sound/source/BIRD.WAV");
+    source.load_sound("../sound/source/CCBEGIN.WAV");
+    source.load_sound("../sound/source/cc-end.wav");
+    source.load_sound("../sound/source/cc-extra.wav");
+    source.load_sound("../sound/source/cc-high.wav");
+    source.load_sound("../sound/source/cc-magic.wav");
+    source.load_sound("../sound/source/cc-start.wav");
+    source.load_sound("../sound/source/cc-warp.wav");
 
-    target.load_sound("../sound/source/apache.wav");
-    //target.load_sound("../sound/source/dreambit.wav");
-
-    //target.load_sound("../sound/source/sb-left.wav");
-    //target.load_sound("../sound/source/rise.wav");
     cerr<<"loaded sounds"<<endl;
     cerr<<endl;
-    u32 len=3000;
     source.init(len,len-len,window::HANN);
-    target.init(len,len-len/8,window::HANN);
 
-    cerr<<"synapse stuff"<<endl;
-    cerr<<"synapse stuff"<<endl;
-    cerr<<"synapse stuff"<<endl;
-
-    search_params p(0.5,0,0,99,0);
-    source.build_synapses(p,0.9);
+    source.build_synapses_fixed(p);
     source.set_usage_falloff(0.9);
 
+    ofstream of("8bit.brain",ios::binary);
+    of||source;
+    of.close();
+    }
+*/
+
+    brain source;
+    ifstream ifs("8bit.brain",ios::binary);
+    ifs||source;
+    ifs.close();
+
+    brain target;
+    target.load_sound("../sound/source/apache.wav");
+    //target.load_sound("../sound/source/pw2.wav");
+    //target.load_sound("../sound/source/sailingbybit.wav");
+
+    target.init(len,len-len/8,window::HANN);
+
     cerr<<"ready..."<<endl;
     cerr<<"we have "<<source.get_num_blocks()<<" brain blocks ("<<source.get_num_blocks()*len/44100.0<<" secs)"<<endl<<endl;
 
@@ -102,8 +118,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
     renderer rr(source,target);
     rr.set_playing(true);
-    rr.get_params()->m_ratio=0.5;
+    rr.get_params()->m_ratio=0;
     rr.get_params()->m_usage_importance=0.5;
+    rr.get_params()->m_num_synapses=150;
     rr.set_slide_error(5.5);
     rr.set_search_algo(renderer::SYNAPTIC);
 
diff --git a/samplebrain/src/renderer.cpp b/samplebrain/src/renderer.cpp
index 9bf9403..0d19c29 100644
--- a/samplebrain/src/renderer.cpp
+++ b/samplebrain/src/renderer.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ void renderer::reset() {
     m_render_time=0;
     m_target_index=0;
     m_render_blocks.clear();
+    m_source.jiggle();
 }
 
 void renderer::process(u32 nframes, float *buf) {
diff --git a/samplebrain/src/search_params.h b/samplebrain/src/search_params.h
index f7c90b8..10ded88 100644
--- a/samplebrain/src/search_params.h
+++ b/samplebrain/src/search_params.h
@@ -26,13 +26,16 @@ public:
         m_n_ratio(n_ratio),
         m_fft1_start(s1),
         m_fft1_end(e1),
-        m_usage_importance(usage_importance) {}
+        m_usage_importance(usage_importance),
+        m_num_synapses(100)
+        {}
 
     float m_ratio;
     float m_n_ratio;
-    int m_fft1_start;
-    int m_fft1_end;
+    u32 m_fft1_start;
+    u32 m_fft1_end;
     float m_usage_importance;
+    u32 m_num_synapses;
 };
 
 }