Mix Space: an online stem mixer in 3D space

A mix is a place, not a list of faders

The classic mixing interface is a row of identical channels with numbers on top, and that presentation hides exactly what needs understanding: that the elements of a song occupy positions, and that two elements in the same position compete. Masking is hard to see in a column of decibels.

Mix Space turns each stem into a sphere on a stage. Drag it sideways to pan it; pull it closer or push it away to bring it forward or send it back. These are the same decisions you'd make with a fader, a pan pot and a reverb send, but placed where the brain understands them without translating. And with the stage in front of you, stacking three elements dead centre stops looking normal.

The material comes from the Artist Pool: songs by real independent artists, with their stems separated. Practising on actual music matters more than it sounds, because synthetic examples are too clean — they lack the overlap, the room noise and the arrangement decisions that make mixing hard. You can also upload your own stems.

How to use it, step by step

  1. 1.Pick a song from the Artist Pool catalogue, or upload your own: it accepts WAV or MP3 up to 60 MB and 7 minutes.
  2. 2.If you upload your own material, it's separated automatically into vocals, drums, bass and the rest. It takes one to three minutes.
  3. 3.Each stem appears as a sphere on the stage. Everything plays together from the start: the mix is the starting point, not the result.
  4. 4.Drag a sphere sideways to pan it, and toward you or away to bring it forward or push it back. The second combines level and reverb, which is what the brain does with distance.
  5. 5.Compare. Return a sphere to its original spot and move it again: the exercise is noticing what happens to the rest of the mix, not where that sphere ends up.

What you can mix here

Artist Pool catalogue
Songs by real independent artists with their original stems. Practising on actual music matters: synthetic examples lack the overlap and the arrangement decisions that make mixing hard.
Your own demo
Upload a WAV or MP3 and it's split into four layers with AI. The separation is good in the full mix; soloed you may hear artefacts, and it's worth knowing that before judging your own material.
Nothing to install
It runs in the browser without signing up. It isn't a DAW and doesn't try to be: it's the step before, where you work out which decisions matter before wrestling with a channel strip.

Four things moving spheres teaches

  • Start by removing, not placing. Push an element away from the centre before raising another: the problem is almost always someone in the way, not missing volume.
  • Don't pan the bass or the kick. Off-centre they lose power when summed to mono, and that's more people listening than you think.
  • Use depth for hierarchy. What matters goes forward; filler goes back. A mix where everything is up front has no focus, it has noise.
  • Check in mono now and then. An image that only exists in stereo is one half your listeners won't receive.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free, and do I need an account?

It runs free in the browser without signing up. Uploading your own song and separating it into stems works the same way, within the size and length limits.

What formats does it accept and how long does separation take?

WAV or MP3, up to 60 MB and 7 minutes. Separation into vocals, drums, bass and the rest takes one to three minutes.

Are AI-separated stems good enough to really mix with?

To understand a mix, yes. To release, carefully: separation sounds very good in the whole and leaves audible artefacts soloed. It's a study tool, not a substitute for having the original stems.

How is this different from a DAW?

A DAW gives you total control and no hint about what to do with it. Here the decisions are reduced to position and distance, the two that change a mix most and read worst in a row of faders.

Where to go next

The reasoning behind moving a sphere sideways is in the stereo image guide, and what happens when you push it back, in reverb and delay. You can meet the artists you're hearing in the artists section.