mixing

This example shows how to control the amplitude of multiple signals with the matrix~ object, instead of with line~ and *~ objects. In effect, matrix~ has the linear interpolation and multiplication capabilities of those objects embedded within it.

This demonstrates a linear interpolation formula for achieving a weighted balance of two signals.

Mixing or blending two things—whether it’s two sounds or two videos—just means taking a certain amount of thing A and a certain amount of thing B and adding them together.

The matrix~ object is an audio mixer/router that can be configured with any number of inlets and outlets. The arguments specify the number of audio inlets, the number of audio outlets (there's always one additional outlet on the right), and the initial gain for the connections of inlets to outlets. Each inlet is potentially connectable to each outlet with a unique gain setting. The gain of the connections is changed by sending messages in the left inlet.

To mix two sounds together equally, you just add them together. If you know that both sounds will frequently be at or near full amplitude (peak amplitude at or near 1) then you probably want to multiply each sound by 0.5 after you add them together, to avoid clipping. However, if you want to mix two sounds unequally, with one sound having a higher gain than the other, a good way to accomplish that is to give one sound a gain between 0 and 1 and give the other sound a gain that's equal to 1 minus that amount.