MetaChat - White noise

MetaChat is an informal place for MeFites to touch base and post, discuss and chatter about topics that may not belong on MetaFilter. Questions? Check the FAQ. Please note: This is important.

18 August 2009

White noise Why didn't I discover this before? I've got it playing on my computer and my super loud co-worker's voice doesn't bother me in the least now.

post by: reenum at: 09:37 | 10 comments

I've been using the same old-fashioned white noise machine to get to sleep since high school. I'm dreading the night the fan motor finally gives out and I'm forced to replace it with one of those new-fangled sound effects machines.

posted by Atom Eyes 18 August | 10:14

AM radio static worked great for me the year in college where I had to get up insanely early and needed to drown out the TV in the living room.

posted by Slack-a-gogo 18 August | 10:38

Free online white noise generator. I prefer the brown/red noise generator (the little button over to the right). The white and pink noise both have a high frequency in them that bugs my ears.

Speaking of which, noise that only consists of the higher frequences is called "light blue noise." True fact. That always makes me chuckle.

posted by BoringPostcards 18 August | 10:43

SimplyNoise was where I went for the MP3 I'm currently playing. I chose the white noise, as the red noise was too low for my tastes.

I checked out the other colors of noise on Wikipedia, and blue noise seems to be the best for me. I'm going to have to find an MP3 of that and then I can be in a cocoon all day at the office.

posted by reenum 18 August | 11:12

Pink noise is the best sound for me, it sounds like rain. We have fans running most of the time and they're approximately that same pitch/tone.

posted by deborah 18 August | 11:45

I learned about pink and brown noise from Martin Gardner.

posted by Wolfdog 18 August | 11:46

Wow, thanks. This is such an after-the-fact brilliant and obvious idea. Am forwarding this to multiple friends with "atmospheric" co-workers.

posted by foxy_hedgehog 18 August | 16:40

If you have an iphone check out the Ambiance app. That + my shure earphones keep me in a whole other world when I need it.

My office is almost always quiet so when I work there I listen to Forest at noon which is just delightful.

Can't listen to music when I am working

posted by special-k 18 August | 17:40

Hey, that's super cool. I like brown noise the best.

Sometimes I also use an ambient rain sounds file made by someone on MeFi, which I really like as well. There's a recording of the surf on that thread, too, but I haven't downloaded it, so I can't vouch for it.

posted by unsurprising 18 August | 21:34

I used to use a cassette tape of jungle noise a long time ago. I think I'd prefer more natural noise over time, like surf.

posted by dhartung 18 August | 22:25

← paging orange swan to the green... || Remember Charles? →

HOME || REGISTER || LOGIN