diff --git a/pop/imab/bin/aesthetivox-alignment-video.py b/pop/imab/bin/aesthetivox-alignment-video.py
index c634ecd51f..9dd4f6b2f9 100644
--- a/pop/imab/bin/aesthetivox-alignment-video.py
+++ b/pop/imab/bin/aesthetivox-alignment-video.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ SPB = 60.0 / BPM
 PXB = 96
 PXS = PXB / SPB
 PLAYHEAD_X = 560
-PLACE = 2 * 4 * SPB                      # vocal enters after a 2-bar count-in
+PLACE = 1 * 4 * SPB                      # one-bar count-in — short feedback loop
 SYNC_MS = float(os.environ.get("SYNC_MS", "50"))   # measured on synccal: 50 ms locks on this display
 
 THEME = os.environ.get("SCORE_THEME") or ("light" if 7 <= datetime.datetime.now().hour < 19 else "dark")
diff --git a/pop/imab/bin/boundfix.py b/pop/imab/bin/boundfix.py
index a1cb172a0b..32d30a9597 100644
--- a/pop/imab/bin/boundfix.py
+++ b/pop/imab/bin/boundfix.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ is a windows file holyvox.mjs merges over the whisper timings.
 
   pop/.venv/bin/python pop/imab/bin/boundfix.py <stem.wav> <syllnote.json> <out.json>
 """
-import json, sys, re
+import json, os, sys, re
 import numpy as np
 import librosa
 
@@ -59,6 +59,15 @@ for i in idx:
 else:
     if idx.size: last["toMs"] = int(times[idx[-1]] * 1000)
 
+# hand overrides (tracked, singer-confirmed) win over everything
+ov_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))),
+                       f"boundaries-{wav.split('whistlegraph-')[-1].split('/')[0]}.json")
+if os.path.exists(ov_path):
+    ov = json.load(open(ov_path))["overrides"]
+    for w in seq:
+        o = ov.get(str(w["ti"]))
+        if o: w.update(o)
+    print(f"  (+{len(ov)} hand overrides from {os.path.basename(ov_path)})")
 json.dump({"source": wav.split("/")[-1], "words": seq}, open(outp, "w"), indent=1)
 for w in seq:
     print(f"  {w['text']:<12}{w['fromMs']/1000:6.2f} – {w['toMs']/1000:6.2f}")
diff --git a/pop/imab/bin/holyvox.mjs b/pop/imab/bin/holyvox.mjs
index 44e91b49eb..28945b4798 100644
--- a/pop/imab/bin/holyvox.mjs
+++ b/pop/imab/bin/holyvox.mjs
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ if (!existsSync(SEP)) {
 }
 // boundaries: energy-valley refined (boundfix.py), REQUIRED
 const BOUNDS = JSON.parse(readFileSync(`${WORK}/bounds-${TAKE}.json`, "utf8")).words;
+const doc = JSON.parse(readFileSync(`${WORK}/stem-${TAKE}.syllnote.json`, "utf8"));
 const NSYL = { butterfly: 3, flapping: 2, costume: 2 };
 // the melody is fully @jeffrey's — absolute pitches, no detection involved
 // notepat truth (@jeffrey): c g c c c · c h c c c · g f e d e e d c c c
diff --git a/pop/imab/bin/lyricline.mjs b/pop/imab/bin/lyricline.mjs
index 2fa03bb0ff..c5d017e726 100644
--- a/pop/imab/bin/lyricline.mjs
+++ b/pop/imab/bin/lyricline.mjs
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ const readF32 = (wav) => {
   return new Float32Array(b.buffer, b.byteOffset, Math.floor(b.length / 4));
 };
 const vox = readF32(VOX);
-const PLACE = 2 * BAR;
+const PLACE = 1 * BAR;
 const total = PLACE + vox.length / SR + 2 * BAR;
 const NT = Math.ceil(total * SR);
 const mix = new Float32Array(NT);
diff --git a/pop/imab/boundaries-7311159624588070175.json b/pop/imab/boundaries-7311159624588070175.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6628ef5e1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pop/imab/boundaries-7311159624588070175.json
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+  "note": "hand overrides on the energy-valley pass — by template word index; the flapping/for/you region from voiced-run analysis (PING vowel = 6.03-6.77 C#4 hold), whisper swallowed 'for you' into flapping",
+  "overrides": {
+    "0": { "fromMs": 100, "toMs": 950 },
+    "1": { "fromMs": 950, "toMs": 1320 },
+    "2": { "fromMs": 1320, "toMs": 4550 },
+    "3": { "fromMs": 4820, "toMs": 6850 },
+    "4": { "fromMs": 6850, "toMs": 7350 },
+    "5": { "fromMs": 7350, "toMs": 7900 },
+    "6": { "fromMs": 7900, "toMs": 9500 }
+  }
+}