diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 54d8134..e5066d1 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,14 +22,14 @@ FetchContent_Declare(
     GIT_REPOSITORY  https://github.com/thestk/rtmidi.git
     GIT_TAG         6.0.0
 )
-# FetchContent_Declare(
-#     libconfig
-#     GIT_REPOSITORY  https://github.com/hyperrealm/libconfig.git
-#     GIT_TAG         v1.8.2
-# )
+FetchContent_Declare(
+    libconfig
+    GIT_REPOSITORY  https://github.com/hyperrealm/libconfig.git
+    GIT_TAG         v1.8.2
+)
 FetchContent_MakeAvailable(rtaudio)
 FetchContent_MakeAvailable(rtmidi)
-# FetchContent_MakeAvailable(libconfig)
+FetchContent_MakeAvailable(libconfig)
 
 # needs to be preinstalled
 find_package(Qt6 REQUIRED COMPONENTS
@@ -53,12 +53,18 @@ target_link_libraries(sonobulus_core PRIVATE
     Qt6::Quick
     rtaudio
     rtmidi
+    libconfig++
 )
 
 target_include_directories(sonobulus_core PRIVATE 
     ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/
     ${rtaudio_SOURCE_DIR}
     ${rtmidi_SOURCE_DIR}
+    ${libconfig_SOURCE_DIR}/lib
+)
+
+target_compile_definitions(sonobulus_core PRIVATE
+    BINARY_DIR="${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}"    
 )
 
 qt_add_executable(sonobulus
@@ -74,6 +80,7 @@ qt_add_qml_module(sonobulus
 target_include_directories(sonobulus PRIVATE 
     ${rtaudio_SOURCE_DIR}
     ${rtmidi_SOURCE_DIR}
+    ${libconfig_SOURCE_DIR}/lib
 )
 
 target_link_libraries(sonobulus PRIVATE
@@ -95,6 +102,7 @@ if (WIN32)
         TARGET sonobulus POST_BUILD
         COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy_if_different
         $<TARGET_FILE:rtaudio>
+        $<TARGET_FILE:libconfig++>
         $<TARGET_FILE_DIR:sonobulus>
     )
 endif()
diff --git a/config/.gitkeep b/config/.gitkeep
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/config/sonobulus.cfg b/config/sonobulus.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7498971
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/sonobulus.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+
+Loggers = (
+    {
+        Id = "Engine";
+
+        FlagsEnabled = (
+            "Debug",
+            "Info",
+            "Warning",
+            "Error"
+        );
+
+        ShowTime = true;
+        ShowSourceTrace = false;
+        CoutEnabled = true;
+
+        FileEnabled = true;
+        FilePath = "Engine.log";
+    }
+);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/ConfigService.cpp b/src/ConfigService.cpp
index e69de29..da4d2d5 100644
--- a/src/ConfigService.cpp
+++ b/src/ConfigService.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+
+#include "ConfigService.hpp"
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <exception>
+
+ConfigService::ConfigService(const std::string& filePath) {
+
+    if(!loadFromFile(filePath)) {
+        std::cout << "Error loading file " << filePath << std::endl;
+    }
+
+}
+
+bool ConfigService::loadFromFile(const std::string& filePath) {
+    try {
+        config_.clear();
+        config_.readFile(filePath.c_str());
+        lastError_.clear();
+        return true;
+    } catch (const libconfig::FileIOException&) {
+        lastError_ = "Unable to read config file: " + filePath;
+    } catch (const libconfig::ParseException& error) {
+        lastError_ = std::string("Parse error in ") + error.getFile() + ":" +
+                     std::to_string(error.getLine()) + " - " + error.getError();
+    } catch (const std::exception& error) {
+        lastError_ = error.what();
+    }
+
+    return false;
+}
+
+bool ConfigService::getLoggerConfig(const std::string& id, LoggerConfig* loggerConfig) const {
+    try {
+        const libconfig::Setting& loggers = config_.lookup("Loggers");
+        for (int index = 0; index < loggers.getLength(); ++index) {
+            const libconfig::Setting& loggerSetting = loggers[index];
+
+            std::string loggerId;
+            if (!loggerSetting.lookupValue("Id", loggerId) || loggerId != id) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            return parseLoggerConfig(loggerSetting, loggerConfig);
+        }
+    } catch (const libconfig::SettingException& ex) {
+        std::cout << "libconfig setting exception: " << ex.what() << std::endl; 
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    return false;
+}
+
+const std::string& ConfigService::lastError() const {
+    return lastError_;
+}
+
+bool ConfigService::parseLoggerConfig(const libconfig::Setting& loggerSetting, LoggerConfig* loggerConfig) const {
+
+    if (!loggerSetting.lookupValue("Id", loggerConfig->id)) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    try {
+        const libconfig::Setting& flags = loggerSetting.lookup("FlagsEnabled");
+        for (int index = 0; index < flags.getLength(); ++index) {
+            loggerConfig->flagsEnabled.push_back(static_cast<const char*>(flags[index]));
+        }
+    } catch (const libconfig::SettingException&) {
+        loggerConfig->flagsEnabled.clear();
+    }
+
+    loggerSetting.lookupValue("ShowTime", loggerConfig->showTime);
+    loggerSetting.lookupValue("ShowSourceTrace", loggerConfig->showSourceTrace);
+    loggerSetting.lookupValue("CoutEnabled", loggerConfig->coutEnabled);
+    loggerSetting.lookupValue("FileEnabled", loggerConfig->fileEnabled);
+    loggerSetting.lookupValue("FilePath", loggerConfig->filePath);
+
+    return true;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/ConfigService.hpp b/src/ConfigService.hpp
index 9f248c1..c135da0 100644
--- a/src/ConfigService.hpp
+++ b/src/ConfigService.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,47 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#include <libconfig.h++>
+
+#include <optional>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+
+struct LoggerConfig {
+    std::string id;
+    std::vector<std::string> flagsEnabled;
+    bool showTime = false;
+    bool showSourceTrace = false;
+    bool coutEnabled = false;
+    bool fileEnabled = false;
+    std::string filePath;
+};
+
+struct AudioConfig {
+    uint32_t sampleRate;
+    uint32_t channels;
+    uint32_t stereoMode;
+    uint32_t bufferSize;
+    float pitchStandard;
+    int32_t midiHome;
+    int32_t notesPerOctave;
+};
+
 class ConfigService {
 
+public:
+
+    ConfigService(const std::string& filePath);
+    ~ConfigService() = default;
+
+    bool loadFromFile(const std::string& filePath);
+
+    bool getLoggerConfig(const std::string& id, LoggerConfig* loggerConfig) const;
+    const std::string& lastError() const;
+
+private:
+    bool parseLoggerConfig(const libconfig::Setting& loggerSetting, LoggerConfig* loggerConfig) const;
+
+    libconfig::Config config_;
+    std::string lastError_;
 };
diff --git a/src/LoggerService.cpp b/src/LoggerService.cpp
index e69de29..c88d9e2 100644
--- a/src/LoggerService.cpp
+++ b/src/LoggerService.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+
+#include <chrono> // Tracking the time when the log function is called
+#include <string>
+#include <source_location> 
+#include "LoggerService.hpp"
+#include <iostream>
+#include <iomanip>
+#include <fstream>
+#include <filesystem>
+
+namespace fs = std::filesystem;
+
+LoggerService::LoggerService(ConfigService* config, const std::string& loggerId) {
+
+    if(!(config->getLoggerConfig(loggerId, &configuration_))) {
+        std::cout << "Failed to get logger configuration fom config service" << std::endl;
+        return;
+    }
+
+    standardOutputEnabled_ = configuration_.coutEnabled;
+    fileOutputEnabled_ = configuration_.fileEnabled;
+    additionaldetailsEnabled_ = configuration_.showSourceTrace;
+    timeEnabled_ = configuration_.showTime;
+    id_ = configuration_.id;
+    
+    for(std::string& flag : configuration_.flagsEnabled) {
+        bool found = false;
+        for(const char* validFlag : LogFlagStrings) {
+            if(flag == std::string(validFlag)) {
+                found = true;
+                for(int i = 0; i < LogFlag::Count; i++) {
+                    if(LogFlagStrings[i] == flag) {
+                        activeFlags_.emplace_back(static_cast<LogFlag>(i));
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        if(!found) {
+            std::cout << "Log flag '" << flag << "' in configuration file is not a valid log flag" << std::endl;
+        }
+    }
+
+    const auto now = std::chrono::system_clock::now();
+    const std::time_t t_c = std::chrono::system_clock::to_time_t(now);
+
+    std::string finaltime = std::ctime(&t_c);
+
+    finaltime.pop_back(); // removing the newline
+
+    std::replace(finaltime.begin(),finaltime.end(), ':' , '-'); // filenames cant have dashes
+    std::replace(finaltime.begin(),finaltime.end(), ' ' , '_');
+
+    fs::create_directories(std::string(BINARY_DIR) + "/" + finaltime);
+    std::string logPath = std::string(BINARY_DIR) + "/" + finaltime + "/" + configuration_.filePath;
+
+    if(fileOutputEnabled_) outfile_.open(logPath);
+
+    log("Logger", LogFlag::Info, "Logger initialized.");
+}
+
+LoggerService::~LoggerService() {
+    if(outfile_) outfile_.close();
+}
+
+void LoggerService::log(std::string component, LogFlag flag, std::string message, std::source_location Source) {
+
+    // check if flag is in the list of active flags
+    bool culled = true;
+    for(LogFlag& testFlag : activeFlags_) {
+        if(flag == testFlag) {
+            culled = false;
+            break;
+        }
+    } 
+    if(culled) return;
+
+    std::string finalmessage = "";
+
+    if(timeEnabled_) {
+        finalmessage = finalmessage + "[" +  "Not Implemented" + "] "; 
+    }
+
+    std::string componentTrace = "[" + id_ + ": " + component + "] ";
+    finalmessage += componentTrace; // component is the section of the program (For example Mesh or Engine) that is calling the logger
+            
+    std::string level = "";
+
+    level = LogFlagStrings[flag];
+
+    // level.append(7 - level.length(), ' ') pads out the level string with whitespace so every line is aligned the same
+    // it looked weird though
+    finalmessage = finalmessage + "[" + level + "] "; 
+    finalmessage = finalmessage + message + " "; 
+
+    if (additionaldetailsEnabled_) {
+        finalmessage = finalmessage  + "[Function: " + Source.function_name() + "]" + " " + "[Line: "  +  std::to_string(Source.line()) + "]" + " " + "[File: "  +  Source.file_name() + "]";
+    }
+
+    if(standardOutputEnabled_) {
+        std::cout << finalmessage << std::endl;
+    }
+
+    if(fileOutputEnabled_) {
+        outfile_ << finalmessage << std::endl;
+    }
+    return;
+}
diff --git a/src/LoggerService.hpp b/src/LoggerService.hpp
index e69de29..fea8281 100644
--- a/src/LoggerService.hpp
+++ b/src/LoggerService.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+
+#pragma once
+#include <vector>
+#include <string>
+#include <fstream>
+#include <source_location>
+
+#include "ConfigService.hpp"
+
+enum LogFlag {
+    Debug,
+    Info,
+    Warning,
+    Error,
+    Count
+};
+
+static constexpr const char* LogFlagStrings[] = {
+    "Debug",
+    "Info",
+    "Warning",
+    "Error"
+};
+
+class LoggerService {
+    
+public:
+
+    LoggerService(ConfigService* config, const std::string& loggerId);
+    ~LoggerService();
+
+    void log(std::string component, LogFlag flag, std::string message, std::source_location Source = std::source_location::current()); // Using the <source_location> 
+
+private: 
+
+    bool standardOutputEnabled_;
+    bool fileOutputEnabled_;
+    bool additionaldetailsEnabled_;
+    bool timeEnabled_;
+    std::ofstream outfile_;
+    std::string id_;
+
+    std::vector<LogFlag> activeFlags_;
+
+    LoggerConfig configuration_;
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index c65c613..fc9f0bc 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 #include <QQmlContext>
 
 #include "TimerComponent.hpp"
+#include "LoggerService.hpp"
+#include "ConfigService.hpp"
 #include "synth/AudioEngine.hpp"
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
@@ -28,8 +30,12 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
         return -1;
     }
 
+    // create app objects
+    ConfigService config = ConfigService("config/sonobulus.cfg");
+    LoggerService logger = LoggerService(&config, "Engine");
+
     // audio synthesizer doohickey
-    AudioEngine audioEngine = AudioEngine();
+    AudioEngine audioEngine = AudioEngine(&logger);
     audioEngine.start();
 
     // execute app
diff --git a/src/synth/AudioEngine.cpp b/src/synth/AudioEngine.cpp
index 093a109..19854aa 100644
--- a/src/synth/AudioEngine.cpp
+++ b/src/synth/AudioEngine.cpp
@@ -5,12 +5,14 @@
 #include <cmath>
 #include <numbers>
 
-AudioEngine::AudioEngine() {
+AudioEngine::AudioEngine(LoggerService* logger) : logger_(logger) {
 
     if(audioDevice_.getDeviceCount() < 1) {
         std::cout << "No audio devices found" << std::endl;
     }
 
+    if(logger_ == nullptr) std::cout << "err: logger nullptr" << std::endl;
+
 }
 
 AudioEngine::~AudioEngine() {
@@ -41,7 +43,8 @@ bool AudioEngine::start() {
     } 
 
     // sanity check
-    std::cout << "sample rate: " << sampleRate_ << "  buffer frames: " << bufferFrames_ << std::endl;
+    std::string msg = "sample rate: " + std::to_string(sampleRate_) + ", buffer frames: " + std::to_string(bufferFrames_);
+    logger_->log("AudioEngine", LogFlag::Info, msg);
     return true;
 
 }
@@ -58,7 +61,7 @@ bool AudioEngine::stop() {
 int32_t AudioEngine::audioCallback(void* outputBuffer, void* inputBuffer, uint32_t nFrames, double, RtAudioStreamStatus status, void* userData) {
 
     // error if the callback is late
-    if(status) std::cout << "stream underflow" << std::endl;
+    if(status) static_cast<AudioEngine*>(userData)->logger_->log("AudioEngine", LogFlag::Warning, "Audio buffer underflow");
 
     return static_cast<AudioEngine*>(userData)->process(static_cast<float*>(outputBuffer), static_cast<size_t>(nFrames));
 
diff --git a/src/synth/AudioEngine.hpp b/src/synth/AudioEngine.hpp
index 83b3bce..9abe9ed 100644
--- a/src/synth/AudioEngine.hpp
+++ b/src/synth/AudioEngine.hpp
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
 
 #include <RtAudio.h>
 
+#include "LoggerService.hpp"
+
+
 #if defined(_WIN32)
     #define AUDIO_API RtAudio::WINDOWS_WASAPI
 #else
@@ -15,7 +18,7 @@ class AudioEngine {
 
 public:
 
-    AudioEngine();
+    AudioEngine(LoggerService* logger);
     ~AudioEngine();
 
     bool start();
@@ -36,4 +39,6 @@ private:
 
     float phase_ = 0.0f;
 
+    LoggerService* logger_;
+
 };