Methodology
This page explains how Binaural Beat Machine generates audio — engineering choices by a professional audio engineer, not medical claims. Use stereo headphones or earbuds. Speakers mix both ears together and the intended beat does not form.
1. True stereo binaural carriers
Each ear receives a continuous pure-tone (or program-driven) carrier. The beat is the frequency difference between left and right. Speakers collapse that difference; headphones keep L/R isolated so the effect can form.
- Carrier — base tone (typically tens to hundreds of Hz)
- Beat — designed difference (e.g. delta / theta / alpha / beta / gamma ranges as listening targets)
- Master path — stereo mix, meters, gentle limiting to avoid harsh peaks
2. Programs as timed phase timelines
Automated programs are ordered phases: each phase has a start minute, label, and parameter snapshot (carrier, beat, tone level, ambient, optional drum/guide levels). The runner crossfades parameters over several seconds so transitions are not hard cuts.
Free library: 60 programs. Member library: 250 additional sessions (drum / sage / general / combo / journey designs). Guests can play the first 6 free titles in-app.
3. Ambient, DRUM, and GUIDE buses
- Ambient — procedural BRN/PNK/RAIN/NTR for all tiers, plus field-recording beds (Pick Amb: water / weather / rural / people). Free Subs get free beds; Members get the full collection. Optional Binaural Ambience (Hilbert IFD, Free Sub + Members) layers imaging on the ambient bus
- DRUM — one-shot kit samples scheduled from the beat grid (tempo related to band/divisor via Full Time / Half Time), not a free-running drum machine loop. Free Subs: Djembe. Members: full kit list via Pick Drum. Guests: no kit (subscribe free for Djembe)
- GUIDE (Members) — phrase banks (Sages + General themes) with gaps between complete lines so binaural field remains primary
4. Build A Program
Users design multi-phase journeys by capturing Console snapshots. Free tier: up to 6 phases / 90 minutes design & run. Members: up to 9 phases / 150 minutes, save to profile / computer, cloud sync on login, and optional WAV export of the built timeline.
5. WAV export (Members)
Offline render of FREQ + ambient, plus DRUM hits and GUIDE phrases when the program or live faders include them. Levels follow the Member’s faders where applied. Full program length (not a short teaser). Prefer a desktop with free disk space — files are large. Limit: 15 exports per week.
6. Headphones, speakers, and one-ear listening
Binaural mode (the console) requires independent stereo presentation to both ears. Single-sided deafness, speakers, or mono Bluetooth cannot produce a binaural beat. That is the mechanism — the free tier is not broken.
Isochronic / monaural is a different listening mechanism (pulses or mixed tones in one stream). The console does not currently expose that mode. An educational A/B lives on Binaural vs monaural.
7. What we do not claim
- Not a medical device; not a diagnosis, cure, or treatment
- No guaranteed EEG match or clinical outcome
- Individual results vary (volume, sleep debt, expectation, environment)
- Keep levels comfortable; stop if you feel unwell
Deeper history and science: History & science · How binaural beats work