diff --git a/com/danitheskunk/skunkworks/TestSound.java b/com/danitheskunk/skunkworks/TestSound.java
index 4d0e51e..a310c81 100644
--- a/com/danitheskunk/skunkworks/TestSound.java
+++ b/com/danitheskunk/skunkworks/TestSound.java
@@ -19,18 +19,34 @@ import static org.lwjgl.openal.ALC10.*;
 
 public class TestSound {
 	public static void main(String args[]) throws InterruptedException {
-		var engine = new AudioEngine(44100, 256, 8);
+		var engine = new AudioEngine(44100, 256, 16);
 		var mix = new Mixer(engine, 4);
 		var sin1 = new Sine(engine, 440);
 		var sin2 = new Sine(engine, 659.25);
 		var sin3 = new Sine(engine, 523.25);
-		Node.connect(sin1, 0, mix, 0);
-		Node.connect(sin2, 0, mix, 1);
-		Node.connect(sin3, 0, mix, 2);
 		engine.setNode(mix);
-		for(int i = 0; i < 120; ++i) {
+		Node.connect(sin1, 0, mix, 0);
+		Node.connect(sin3, 0, mix, 1);
+		Node.connect(sin2, 0, mix, 2);
+
+		var sample = engine.loadSample("C:\\Users\\dani\\Downloads\\Untitled" +
+			".wav");
+		/*
+		for(int i = 0; i < 60; ++i) {
 			engine.refill();
 			Thread.sleep(20);
 		}
+
+		for(int i = 0; i < 60; ++i) {
+			engine.refill();
+			Thread.sleep(20);
+		}
+
+		for(int i = 0; i < 60; ++i) {
+			engine.refill();
+			Thread.sleep(20);
+		}
+
+		 */
 	}
 }
diff --git a/com/danitheskunk/skunkworks/audio/AudioEngine.java b/com/danitheskunk/skunkworks/audio/AudioEngine.java
index fa525a1..7d72a7f 100644
--- a/com/danitheskunk/skunkworks/audio/AudioEngine.java
+++ b/com/danitheskunk/skunkworks/audio/AudioEngine.java
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@ import com.danitheskunk.skunkworks.audio.nodes.Node;
 import org.lwjgl.openal.AL;
 import org.lwjgl.openal.ALC;
 
+import javax.sound.sampled.AudioInputStream;
+import javax.sound.sampled.AudioSystem;
+import javax.sound.sampled.UnsupportedAudioFileException;
+import java.io.BufferedInputStream;
+import java.io.FileInputStream;
+import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.nio.IntBuffer;
 
@@ -97,4 +104,53 @@ public class AudioEngine {
 	public void setNode(Node node) {
 		this.node = node;
 	}
+
+	public ISample loadSample(String path) {
+		//todo: clean up this code
+		FileInputStream file = null;
+		try {
+			file = new FileInputStream(path);
+		} catch(FileNotFoundException e) {
+			throw new RuntimeException(e);
+		}
+		var bufFile = new BufferedInputStream(file);
+		AudioInputStream audio;
+		byte[] bytes;
+		try {
+			audio = AudioSystem.getAudioInputStream(bufFile);
+		} catch(UnsupportedAudioFileException | IOException e) {
+			throw new RuntimeException(e);
+		}
+		var format = audio.getFormat();
+		int channels = format.getChannels();
+		if(channels <= 0 || channels > 2) {
+			throw new RuntimeException("can only handle mono or stereo " +
+				"samples");
+		}
+		int bytesPerFrame = format.getFrameSize();
+		if(bytesPerFrame / channels != 2) {
+			throw new RuntimeException("currently only 16-bit audio samples " +
+				"supported");
+		}
+
+		try {
+			bytes = audio.readAllBytes();
+			audio.close();
+			file.close();
+		} catch(IOException e) {
+			throw new RuntimeException(e);
+		}
+		var sample = new Samplei(bytes.length / 2 / channels, channels == 2);
+		for(int i = 0; i < bytes.length / 2 / channels; ++i) {
+			var l = bytes[i * 2 * channels] + bytes[i * 2 * channels + 1] << 8;
+			if(channels == 2) {
+				var r = bytes[i * 2 * channels + 2] +
+					bytes[i * 2 * channels + 3] << 8;
+				sample.setSamplei(i, (short) l, (short) r);
+			} else {
+				sample.setSamplei(i, (short) l);
+			}
+		}
+		return sample;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/com/danitheskunk/skunkworks/audio/ISample.java b/com/danitheskunk/skunkworks/audio/ISample.java
index e9f4b6e..7de4628 100644
--- a/com/danitheskunk/skunkworks/audio/ISample.java
+++ b/com/danitheskunk/skunkworks/audio/ISample.java
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ public interface ISample {
 
 	double getSampleRight(int pos);
 
-	void setSample(int pos, int left);
+	void setSamplei(int pos, short left);
 
-	void setSample(int pos, int left, int right);
+	void setSamplei(int pos, short left, short right);
 
-	void isStereo();
+	boolean isStereo();
 }
diff --git a/com/danitheskunk/skunkworks/audio/Samplei.java b/com/danitheskunk/skunkworks/audio/Samplei.java
index 84db8ce..6c0ecd0 100644
--- a/com/danitheskunk/skunkworks/audio/Samplei.java
+++ b/com/danitheskunk/skunkworks/audio/Samplei.java
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
 package com.danitheskunk.skunkworks.audio;
 
 public class Samplei implements ISample {
-	private double[] left;
-	private double[] right;
+	private short[] left;
+	private short[] right;
 
 	public Samplei(int length, boolean stereo) {
-		left = new double[length];
-		right = stereo ? new double[length] : left;
+		left = new short[length];
+		right = stereo ? new short[length] : left;
+	}
+
+	public Samplei(short[] left, short[] right) {
+		this.left = left;
+		this.right = right == null ? left : right;
 	}
 
 	@Override
@@ -16,27 +21,27 @@ public class Samplei implements ISample {
 
 	@Override
 	public double getSampleLeft(int pos) {
-		return left[pos];
+		return (double) left[pos] / 32768.0;
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public double getSampleRight(int pos) {
-		return right[pos];
+		return (double) right[pos] / 32768.0;
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	public void setSample(int pos, int left) {
+	public void setSamplei(int pos, short left) {
 		this.left[pos] = left;
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	public void setSample(int pos, int left, int right) {
+	public void setSamplei(int pos, short left, short right) {
 		this.left[pos] = left;
 		this.right[pos] = right;
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	public void isStereo() {
-
+	public boolean isStereo() {
+		return left != right;
 	}
 }