OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Ambient Sound Mixer
Rain, Wind, Waves, Fire, Stream and Crickets
OneTask is free, with no sign-up, and built by one person.
If this tool saved you time, a coffee helps keep new ones coming.
How the Ambient Sound Mixer works
This ambient sound mixer lets you build your own background soundscape from six layers: rain, wind, ocean waves, a crackling fire, a running stream and crickets. Press Play, raise the sliders you like and lower the rest. Changes take effect at once, and the sleep timer fades everything out slowly over twenty seconds instead of stopping dead.
How the ambient sound mixer makes its sounds
Every layer is synthesised live in your browser rather than played from a recording, so it never loops or repeats. Rain is pink noise shaped to sit in the upper mids. Wind is noise through a narrow filter that slowly sweeps up and down while the level gusts. Waves use deep brown noise that swells and recedes about every eleven seconds. Fire mixes a low rumble with random sharp crackles, and the stream is bright noise with a fast, bubbling filter. Crickets are a high chirp gated in short bursts.
Building a mix
Start with one steady bed, such as rain or waves, at around half volume. Add one moving layer like fire or wind at a lower level for interest. Keep the total quiet: background sound works best when it covers distractions without drawing your attention. The waveform shows the combined signal so you can see when it is too hot.
How this differs from a noise generator
The noise generator plays plain white, pink and brown noise for masking. This mixer adds movement and texture so the sound reads as a place rather than a hiss, which many people find more pleasant to work or sleep with.
FAQ
Can I leave it running all night?
Yes. Nothing is downloaded and the layers never loop, so you can leave it playing as long as the tab is open. Set the sleep timer if you would rather it fade out after you have dropped off. Keep the device plugged in on long sessions.
Why do I hear nothing after pressing Play?
Check that at least one layer slider is above zero and that the master volume is up. On phones, the silent switch can mute web audio, and some browsers need you to tap the page once before sound is allowed, so press Play again.
Which mix is best for sleep or focus?
Many people sleep well to steady rain or waves with very little else, since constant sounds are easy to tune out. For focus, rain plus a little fire or a stream works well. Avoid crickets at night if high-pitched sounds bother you.
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