Bilateral Audio Mixer

Upload a song or sound and apply rhythmic left–right stimulation. Fine-tune rate, depth, and shape. Includes quick presets.

1) Upload

Drop or choose an audio file (mp3, wav, ogg, m4a).


Try it now — no upload
Warm Breather (0.85 Hz)
Ocean Hush Noise (0.9 Hz)
Golden Triangle (1.25 Hz)
Soft Chime Mist (1.1 Hz)

2) Presets
Focus 1.2 Hz
Calm 0.8 Hz
Quick 2.0 Hz
Subtle 0.4 Hz
Pulses 1.0 Hz

3) Controls

Rate

1.00 Hz

Depth

0.80

Wet

1.00

Dry

0.00

Bias

0.00

Output

0.90

Shape

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FAQ

What is bilateral audio?

A gentle left–right alternation. The sound moves between ears at a steady rate. Many people use it for focus or to unwind.

Does it change pitch or tempo?

No. It modulates stereo position only. Your file plays as-is; pan is animated.

Which rate should I pick?

Common choices are ~0.8–1.5 Hz. Try the presets, then fine-tune rate and depth to taste.

Can I keep some original stereo?

Yes. Use Dry/Wet. Dry keeps your file’s native stereo; Wet applies the moving pan.

ADHD, attention, and why bilateral audio might feel helpful

This tool rhythmically shifts sound between left and right ears. Some people find such stimulation calming or focusing. It is not a medical treatment, but it can be a practical sound aid while studying or unwinding. Here is what research says that is relevant:

1) Music can engage dopamine and reward circuits

PET and fMRI work shows that enjoyable music can trigger dopamine responses in striatal areas (anticipation in caudate; peak responses in nucleus accumbens). See Salimpoor et al., 2011 (Nature Neuroscience) and a broader review in Ferreri et al., 2019.

2) Auditory stimulation can support attention in some listeners with ADHD

Recent work discusses how added rhythmic modulation can aid attention for some individuals, consistent with optimal-stimulation accounts of ADHD. See Woods et al., 2024 (Communications Biology). A 2023 systematic review also summarizes music’s effects in ADHD: Martín-Moratinos et al., 2023.

3) Bilateral stimulation is established in EMDR; mechanisms include orienting response and working-memory load

In trauma therapy research, alternating bilateral stimulation (eyes/tones/taps) is linked to an orienting response and working-memory accounts. See Landin-Romero et al., 2018 (review) and classic theory on the orienting response: Armstrong & Vaughan, 1996. While EMDR targets PTSD and not ADHD, these mechanisms help explain why left–right patterns can feel settling.


How to use here: try a gentle rate (~0.8–1.5 Hz), moderate depth, and keep some Dry mix if your song already has strong stereo cues. If it helps you focus, great—if it feels distracting, lower the depth or slow the rate.

This page is for personal use and learning. For diagnosis or treatment, talk to a qualified clinician.

About this tool & what research says

The Bilateral Audio Mixer runs locally in your browser (Web Audio API). It applies a low-frequency left↔right pan modulation (sine/triangle/square) with precise control over rate, depth, bias, and wet/dry mix. Below are research points that are relevant when people use rhythmic bilateral audio for focus or calming. This page does not provide treatment.

1) EMDR & bilateral stimulation in PTSD care

Alternating bilateral stimulation (eyes/tones/taps) is a core element in EMDR, an evidence-based therapy for PTSD. Major guidelines list EMDR among first-line options: U.S. VA/DoD & other guidelines, WHO (2013) guideline, APA PTSD guideline.

Mechanisms discussed in reviews include the orienting-response and working-memory load accounts as well as neurophysiological hypotheses (e.g., sleep-like processing) (Pagani et al., 2017). Classic orienting-response theory in EMDR: Armstrong & Vaughan, 1996.

2) Why left↔right audio can feel settling

Reviews indicate bilateral/alternating stimulation can trigger an orienting response and add a controlled working-memory load that reduces the vividness/emotionality of distressing content during processing (Landin-Romero et al., 2018). This mixer provides a non-clinical variant: gentle stereo alternation without exposure protocols.

3) Music, reward, and attention (context for focus use)

Music engages dopaminergic reward circuits (caudate during anticipation; nucleus accumbens at peak emotion) (Salimpoor et al., 2011, Nat Neurosci) and dopamine manipulations bidirectionally modulate musical pleasure/motivation (Ferreri et al., 2019). Reviews summarize this reward link and memory effects (Ferreri et al., 2019 review).


This page is for personal use and learning. For diagnosis or treatment, talk to a qualified clinician.

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