diff --git a/data/config.yaml b/data/config.yaml
index ad76bfb..cebc926 100644
--- a/data/config.yaml
+++ b/data/config.yaml
@@ -2,24 +2,31 @@ sample_rate: 24_000 # 44_000 for dac
 audio_backend: "vocos" # or dac
 
 models:
-- name: "ar+nar"
-  size: "full"
-  resp_levels: 8
-  prom_levels: 8
-  tasks: 8
-  langs: 2
-  tones: 1
-  arch_type: llama
-  training: True
-  version: 5
-  attention: flash_attention_2
-  dropout: 0.1
-  experimental: False
+- name: "ar+nar" # vanity name
+  size: "full" # model dimensionality
+  resp_levels: 8 # RVQ levels this model targets
+  prom_levels: 8 # should always be the above
+  tasks: 8 # tasks this model can attend to, only tts is supported at the moment
+  langs: 2 # languages this model supports, semi-unused at the moment 
+  tones: 1 # tones this model supports, currently unused
+  arch_type: llama # underlying LLM arch to use, currently focusing on llama
+  training: True # signals this model is to be trained
+  version: 5 # helps keep backwards compatibility for when I add new things to the model
+  attention: auto # attention mechanism to use, "auto" for safety
+  dropout: 0.1 # percentage of the model to disable during training
 
+  # factors for split loss values, remove to have a unified loss calculation
   loss_factors:
-    text: 0.1
-    prom: 0.0
-    resp: 1.0
+    text: 0.1 # text phoneme portion of the sequence
+    prom: 0.0 # input prompt portion of the sequence
+    resp: 1.0 # output audio portin of the sequence
+
+  # experimental settings
+  experimental:
+    hf: False # uses vall_e.models.experimental, a wrapper around a HF model that could technically be used for non-pytorch backends later 
+    interleave: False # interleaves RVQ levels, only works with above for now
+    audio_embedding_mode: "" # "" | "inclusive" | "exclusive", whether to utilize the audio backend's embeddings with the input embeddings
+    audio_embedding_sums: False # whether the input embeddings include all prior RVQ levels (sums) or only the current one, further experimentation is needed to see if this matters
 
 hyperparameters:
   autotune: False
diff --git a/vall_e/config.py b/vall_e/config.py
index 256e962..fc3b144 100755
--- a/vall_e/config.py
+++ b/vall_e/config.py
@@ -201,8 +201,10 @@ class ModelExperimentalSettings:
 	interleave: bool = False # use an interleaved AR rather than a split AR + NAR (worse performance and results due to everything being causal)
 	split_classifiers: bool = False # each RVQ level gets its own classifier / output proj / LM head
 	audio_embedding_sums: bool = False # whether each pass uses the previous RVQ codes or only the current level
-	audio_embeddings_mode: str | None = None # None | "exclusive" | "inclusive", subjugates the audio backend's encoding/decoding model for embeddings
+	audio_embedding_mode: str | None = None # None | "exclusive" | "inclusive", subjugates the audio backend's encoding/decoding model for embeddings
 	kv_heads: int = 0 # MHA or GQA (for supported backends)
+	p_rvq_levels: str = "auto" # determines odds of selecting RVQ levels when training, "equal" will make each level equally likely
+	rvq_level_range: list = field(default_factory=lambda: []) # some cringe to try and limit the RVQ training range
 
 # I really need to clean this up
 @dataclass()
@@ -225,9 +227,6 @@ class Model:
 	loss_factors: dict = field(default_factory=lambda: {})
 	capabilities: list = field(default_factory=lambda: ["ar", "nar"])
 	
-	p_rvq_levels: str = "auto" # determines odds of selecting RVQ levels when training, "equal" will make each level equally likely
-	rvq_level_range: list = field(default_factory=lambda: []) # some cringe to try and limit the RVQ training range
-	
 	experimental: dict | ModelExperimentalSettings | None = None # experimental settings
 
 	def get(self, name=None):
diff --git a/vall_e/models/ar_nar.py b/vall_e/models/ar_nar.py
index b8c8d8c..04a6815 100644
--- a/vall_e/models/ar_nar.py
+++ b/vall_e/models/ar_nar.py
@@ -29,26 +29,10 @@ class AR_NAR(Base):
 			return self.config.capabilities
 		return cfg.model.capabilities
 
-	@property
-	def quant_level_range(self) -> list[int]:
-		if hasattr(self, "config") and self.config.rvq_level_range:
-			return self.config.rvq_level_range
-		return [ 0 if self.causal else 1, self.n_resp_levels ]
-
 	@property
 	def causal(self):
 		return "ar" in self.capabilities
 
-	@property
-	def norm_type(self):
-		return "ln" # if self.n_resp_levels == 1 else "adaln"
-
-	@property
-	def arch_type(self) -> str:
-		if hasattr(self, "config") and self.config:
-			return self.config.arch_type
-		return cfg.model.arch_type
-
 	@property
 	def n_prom_levels(self) -> int:
 		if hasattr(self, "config") and self.config:
@@ -72,12 +56,6 @@ class AR_NAR(Base):
 		if hasattr(self, "config") and self.config:
 			return self.config.tasks
 		return cfg.model.tasks
-
-	@property
-	def p_rvq_levels(self) -> int:
-		if hasattr(self, "config") and self.config:
-			return self.config.p_rvq_levels
-		return cfg.model.p_rvq_levels
 	
 	@property
 	def n_langs(self) -> int:
@@ -159,16 +137,18 @@ class AR_NAR(Base):
 				def sample_task():
 					return "tts"
 
+				p_rvq_levels = self.config.experimental.p_rvq_levels if self.config is not None else "equal"
+
 				# generate task list to train against
 				task_list = [ sample_task() for _ in range(batch_size) ]
 
 				# determines which RVQ level to target per batch
-				quant_level_range = self.quant_level_range
+				quant_level_range = self.config.experimental.rvq_level_range if self.config is not None and self.config.experimental.rvq_level_range else [ 0 if self.causal else 1, self.n_resp_levels ]
 
-				if self.p_rvq_levels == "equal":
+				if p_rvq_levels == "equal":
 					# randomly select a target RVQ-bin level (0 being AR, 1+ being NAR)
 					quant_levels = [ random.randint(quant_level_range[0], quant_level_range[1] - 1) for i in range(batch_size) ]
-				else: # if self.p_rvq_levels == "auto":
+				else: # if p_rvq_levels == "auto":
 					# makes higher levels less likely
 					def generate( lo=0, hi=8 ):
 						index = lo
diff --git a/vall_e/models/base.py b/vall_e/models/base.py
index 5b211f6..1558c95 100755
--- a/vall_e/models/base.py
+++ b/vall_e/models/base.py
@@ -282,14 +282,6 @@ class Base(nn.Module):
 	def causal(self) -> bool:
 		raise NotImplementedError
 
-	@property
-	def arch_type(self) -> str:
-		raise NotImplementedError
-
-	@property
-	def norm_type(self):
-		raise NotImplementedError
-
 	@property
 	def n_prom_levels(self) -> int:
 		raise NotImplementedError
@@ -377,6 +369,9 @@ class Base(nn.Module):
 		self.l_padding = l_padding
 
 		n_prom_tokens = n_audio_tokens
+		arch_type = self.config.arch_type if self.config is not None else "llama"
+
+		self.arch_type = arch_type
 
 		# check if requested arch is unavailable
 		if self.arch_type in ERROR_ARCHES:
@@ -392,7 +387,7 @@ class Base(nn.Module):
 
 		audio_embedding_sums = self.config.experimental.audio_embedding_sums if self.config is not None else False
 		split_classifiers = self.config.experimental.split_classifiers if self.config is not None else False
-		audio_embeddings_mode = self.config.experimental.audio_embeddings_mode if self.config is not None else ""
+		audio_embedding_mode = self.config.experimental.audio_embedding_mode if self.config is not None else ""
 
 		self.text_emb = Embedding(n_text_tokens, d_model)
 		self.langs_emb = None
@@ -420,12 +415,12 @@ class Base(nn.Module):
 			self.proms_emb = AudioEmbedding(
 				[n_prom_tokens] * self.n_prom_levels, d_model,
 				sums=audio_embedding_sums,
-				external_mode=audio_embeddings_mode,
+				external_mode=audio_embedding_mode,
 			)
 			self.resps_emb = AudioEmbedding(
 				l_tokens, d_model,
 				sums=audio_embedding_sums,
-				external_mode=audio_embeddings_mode,
+				external_mode=audio_embedding_mode,
 			)
 
 		# useless since I actually removed using these with the input processing overhaul...
@@ -471,7 +466,7 @@ class Base(nn.Module):
 				n_heads=n_heads,
 				p_dropout=p_dropout if training else 0.0,
 				causal=self.causal,
-				norm_type=self.norm_type,
+				norm_type="ln", # adaln
 				n_levels=self.n_resp_levels,
 			) for _ in range(n_layers) ])
 		elif self.arch_type in ["mistral", "mixtral"]:
diff --git a/vall_e/models/nar.py b/vall_e/models/nar.py
index 8acceca..d5f0e9c 100644
--- a/vall_e/models/nar.py
+++ b/vall_e/models/nar.py
@@ -27,26 +27,10 @@ class NAR(Base):
 			return self.config.capabilities
 		return cfg.model.capabilities
 
-	@property
-	def quant_level_range(self) -> list[int]:
-		if hasattr(self, "config") and self.config.rvq_level_range:
-			return self.config.rvq_level_range
-		return [ 0 if self.causal else 1, self.n_resp_levels ]
-
 	@property
 	def causal(self):
 		return "len" in self.capabilities
 
-	@property
-	def norm_type(self):
-		return "ln" # if self.n_resp_levels == 1 else "adaln"
-
-	@property
-	def arch_type(self) -> str:
-		if hasattr(self, "config") and self.config:
-			return self.config.arch_type
-		return cfg.model.arch_type
-
 	@property
 	def n_prom_levels(self) -> int:
 		if hasattr(self, "config") and self.config:
@@ -71,12 +55,6 @@ class NAR(Base):
 			return self.config.tasks
 		return cfg.model.tasks
 
-	@property
-	def p_rvq_levels(self) -> int:
-		if hasattr(self, "config") and self.config:
-			return self.config.p_rvq_levels
-		return cfg.model.p_rvq_levels
-	
 	@property
 	def n_langs(self) -> int:
 		if hasattr(self, "config") and self.config:
@@ -159,12 +137,14 @@ class NAR(Base):
 			task_list = [ sample_task() for _ in range(batch_size) ]
 
 			# determines which RVQ level to target per batch
-			quant_level_range = self.quant_level_range
+			quant_level_range = self.config.experimental.rvq_level_range if self.config is not None and self.config.experimental.rvq_level_range else [ 0 if self.causal else 1, self.n_resp_levels ]
 
-			if self.p_rvq_levels == "equal":
+			p_rvq_levels = self.config.experimental.p_rvq_levels if self.config is not None else "equal"
+
+			if p_rvq_levels == "equal":
 				# randomly select a target RVQ-bin level (0 being AR, 1+ being NAR)
 				quant_levels = [ random.randint(quant_level_range[0], quant_level_range[1] - 1) for i in range(batch_size) ]
-			else: # if self.p_rvq_levels == "auto":
+			else: # if p_rvq_levels == "auto":
 				# makes higher levels less likely
 				def generate( lo=0, hi=8 ):
 					index = lo