Dear Roxy
good to see you posting again.
To understand this we need to look at the processes detailed in the Abhidhamma and Commentaries. Or the wonderful summary of the Abhidhamma in the Abhidhammatthasangaha.
Nina Van Gorkom’s books are also helpful as they are written in a clear way that is easy to digest- and are highly accurate as she took pains to keep strictly to the orthodox.
Nevertheless I will give a shorter reply than reading an entire book.
My first comment is that your question pertains to what is occurring repeatedly at every moment and so it is highly pertinent to our lives. It relates to causes and effects.
vis. XVI 85
As long as a man is vague about the world,
About its origin, about its ceasing,
About the means that lead to its cessation,
So long he cannot recognize the truths
In fact all life is a continual round of defilements leading to kamma which produce results (vipaka) now and in future lives.
There is the round of defilements (kilesa-vaṭṭa),
the round of kamma(kamma-vaṭṭa),
and the round of results(vipāka-vaṭṭa).
Let us consider the senses now.
Take a moment of hearing (sota-vinnana). For the hearing to arise it needs sound (a rupa) which is conditioned by many factors. It also needs ear base - a rupa (matter) which is conditioned by past kamma .
(Note that as venerable Subhuti mentioned we can`t know what the kamma (the deed) was from the past ) .
The sound that is experienced by the sota-vinnana is either the result of past good kamma or past bad kamma: if the sound is anittha (unpleasing undesirable) this is due to past bad kamma and vice versa if ithha ( desirable, pleasing). This experience is the round of results(vipāka-vaṭṭa) that I mentioned earlier.
Often we are not sure whether the experience was result of past good or bad kamma. My daughters like to play Taylor Swift songs sometimes- to me that is unwelcome sound. But is hearing it the result of past bad kamma or…?
After the sound there are processes which either attach to it or are averse to it or are ignorant about it (or possibly understand it) and this is the round of defilements (kilesa-vaṭṭa), Concepts are formed up at this time based on the sound(s).
If there is very strong disliking of the sound perhaps it can condition even kamma-vatta : some fathers might break the sound device that plays Taylor Swift
It should also be noted that while past kamma is the main reason that desirable or undesirable sound is experienced there are also supporting conditions that are needed.
And the ear base is produced by a different kamma than the past kamma which conditioned the hearing.
Now as far as accumulations: as well as the kilesa conditioning kamma, they also accumulate tendencies that are beneficial or not…
So we see it is complex and yet this can be understood. It can begin to be seen to be happening now. And thus understanding can gradually replace ignorance. This is not mere theory, it really is the way things are.
There is much more to be said but maybe first see if this post helps.