[Baron]

like i'm sure many of you do, i own a white noise generator or two. they've been alright–but nothing to write home about in terms of efficacy and i've usually gotten bored with them or just plain didn't love the limited choices when it came to the sounds they generated.

enter ambiance http://ambianceapp.com — a background, or ambient noise generator application, and imho it's quite fantastic. it's available on almost every conceivable platform in desktop and mobile app mediums. mac/windows/linux for desktops and laptops; iphone/ipad/android/blackberry for smart phones. it works like an “itunes” for background sounds, allowing you access to a substantial library of different background noises to choose from, all of which are free after you purchase the app which i think is only $10 for the desktop os version and $5 for the mobile phone versions.

i have found the sounds to be meditative and calming, and entirely conducive to creativity, productivity and relaxation. i usually have something like “museum gallery”, “clock shop” or “crowd” going on while i work, “north sea at north berwick”, “loch tay” or “rapids stream” when i want to create a peaceful and zen environment, and last night, suffering from a migraine (usually a recipe for bad sleep unless i seriously drug myself), i put my blackberry on its charging cradle, ran “heavy snow storm”, and ended up sleeping like a baby. i also woke up feeling pretty good! i was quite astonished, needless to say, and am thus writing about this here to share my experience.

i normally wouldn't “endorse” a product so wholeheartedly, but the price of entry is so low that i think trying this is a risk-free proposition. not to mention the app comes with a free trial, so it's not like you have to shell out ten bucks before you gauge its benefits for you. i have a copy on my macbook pro, one for my iphone and one for my blackberry so i don't have an excuse not to use it. i've been using it to great effect around my apartment for a little while but last night was the first time i used it to sleep, and wish i'd tried it sooner.

(for something simpler and cheaper, http://simplynoise.com lets you use the white/pink/brown noise generator + oscillator for free on their website, with donate-ware downloads and is 99c for your iphone/android.)

sleep well!

* i'm not affiliated with the app or the developers in any way.

[Martin Reed]

Thanks for sharing, Baron. How long have you used the app for? Would you be interested in writing up a review for the Insomnia Land blog?

—

If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.

The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

[Baron]

been using the app for a couple of weeks now. since around 1st week of february. i don't know what else i'd say in a review! everyone should just go try the free trial and see if they like the app. have you checked it out?

[Martin Reed]

I haven't checked it out yet – but I'd love to hear the thoughts of any other members who give it a go.

Maybe I can edit your post and publish it on the blog as a review – would that be OK?

I recently bought a sound recorder and have thought about capturing some good nature sounds here in Oregon. Things like the rain, the ocean, waterfalls etc. When I get some good results, I can share them with the Insomnia Land community.

If anyone has any tips or suggestions – ie, what you like or don't like about what's already out there, I can make sure I don't make the same mistakes and offer something that will be genuinely useful for other members.

—

If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.

The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

[Baron]

of course that'd be okay! please, by all means, republish the post as a review.

the oregon coast must sound gorgeous. funny thing–one of the ambient tracks i've been using for ambiance is “oregon waves”! used it the other night to sleep! 😀

what's the sound recorder you bought, btw? i bought an excellent sony for a class that records straight into podcast-ready mp3 format for $50. it seems like just yesterday, the old olympus cassette recorders were $200-400 for a good one!

[seenafterscene]

Baron–

Thanks for the suggestion. I've tried a few white noise apps over the years, even a sleep/relaxation hypnosis tape on “cassette” (yes, pre-iTunes, pre-CD.) The one that I tried for iTunes (iPod) was mediocre at best, it was actually kind of obnoxious so I'll be checking this one out. Thanks for the suggestion.

Martin–

if you're thinking of making your own, I'll happily be a test subject. Forest and nature may not be my cup of tea in “real life” but I do like the sounds. I think it would be nice to hear things besides wind rustling through the trees, the “scrunch” of footsteps as one walks through the forest, and some other less traditional sounds. (Those are the only two that I can think of right now, and they may be more conventional than I think.)

[Martin Reed]

'Baron' wrote on '24:

what's the sound recorder you bought, btw? i bought an excellent sony for a class that records straight into podcast-ready mp3 format for $50. it seems like just yesterday, the old olympus cassette recorders were $200-400 for a good one!

I picked up a Sony PCM-M10 as it's meant to have the lowest amount of self-noise in its class. We shall see!

http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-audio/resource.latest.bbsccms-assets-cat-audio-solutions-pcmm10.shtml

I've started a thread about the upcoming sound recordings. Please do get involved:

http://www.insomnialand.com/topic/259-insomnia-land-sound-therapy/

—

If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.

The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

[henway]

I love my air purifier. It helps with allergies AND drowns out other noises!

[Baron]

'Martin' wrote on '28:

I picked up a Sony PCM-M10 as it's meant to have the lowest amount of self-noise in its class. We shall see!

http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-audio/resource.latest.bbsccms-assets-cat-audio-solutions-pcmm10.shtml

I've started a thread about the upcoming sound recordings. Please do get involved:

http://www.insomnialand.com/topic/259-insomnia-land-sound-therapy/

ooh, fancy gear! mine's like a $50 unit that turns them all into podcast-ready mp3s.

not that you'd need it with that sweet piece of gear, but here's a recent article on how to use a noise gate to get rid of unwanted noise in your recordings–just in case!

http://lifehacker.com/#!5767979/how-to-use-a-noise-gate-to-get-rid-of-unwanted-noise-in-your-audio-recordings

[Author]

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