{"id":42655,"date":"2020-04-15T16:45:08","date_gmt":"2020-04-15T20:45:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=42655"},"modified":"2020-04-15T16:45:08","modified_gmt":"2020-04-15T20:45:08","slug":"mynoise-possibly-the-best-ambient-sound-generator-on-the-planet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/04\/mynoise-possibly-the-best-ambient-sound-generator-on-the-planet\/","title":{"rendered":"myNoise: possibly the best ambient sound generator on the planet"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>My wife has an amazing ability: when she’s deep into research, writing, editing, or creating something, she has a laser-focus like none other: she can tune out the world around her to the point that it’s honestly hard to get her attention. She can work in almost any environment, and tune out (nearly!) all distractions. It’s quite impressive. She credits this ability to focus in distracting surroundings to our children, who at a young age developed the less-rare ability to generate noise, both wide in variety and sometimes quite intense in volume.<\/p>\n

Me?<\/strong> Completely<\/em> the opposite.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I’m writing or working on a project\u2013\u2013indeed, whenever I need to concentrate\u2013\u2013I either have to work in a controlled environment where I have few interruptions, or I have to artificially create<\/em> that controlled environment.\u00a0 I usually do this through the use of an ambient noise or instrumental (non-vocal) music. It’s rare that I’m working in an environment with no interruptions, so being able to manufacture my own audio space is important for my productivity.<\/p>\n

When I’m here at SWLing Post<\/em> HQ, I’ll often tune to an HF frequency that has no signal occupying the space. In other words, I’ll listen to shortwave radio static that might include the odd ionosonde sweep and occasional static crash….it creates a white noise that, in essence, nulls out everything else around me. Plus, as a radio geek, I confess to feeling quite at home in that static.<\/p>\n

To help me catch some zzzs<\/em> when I travel, I’ll often do the same: simply tuning to an unoccupied HF frequency and letting it play through the night. I find that it nulls out hotel hallway traffic, like doors banging and loud talking, allowing me to get some needed rest.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Photo by Jp Valery<\/p><\/div>\n

I also turn to noise generators and numerous YouTube channels that specialize in long ambient field recordings, because finding a reliable (unoccupied) radio frequency doesn’t always work due to garrulous local radio interference or simply a lack of free space on the FM band.<\/p>\n

Introducing myNoise<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>This year at the Winter SWL Fest<\/em> my friend, David Goren<\/a>, recommended a website\u2013\u2013and accompanying application\u2013\u2013called MyNoise.net<\/a>. As an audio engineer and radio producer, David has a finely-tuned ear and can notice looped sounds, audio irregularities, and poorly-made recordings. So I knew if David Goren was impressed with this collection of ambient noises, they would be first-class.<\/p>\n

MyNoise.net is the product of Dr. Stephane Pigeon, a man with an impressive CV<\/a> that includes consultant work for Roland Corporation and numerous audio websites and applications.<\/p>\n

What makes his site so unique is: 1) the sheer number and variety of ambient soundscapes, and 2) the ability to finely-tune and customize each sound in a remarkable number of ways.<\/p>\n

Want to travel to a pebble beach, a primeval forest, a Japanese garden, or fall asleep on the bridge of a starship? Yeah, you’re covered\u2013\u2013really. And not with, as is typical, short hiccuping loops with background muck imbedded: the MyNoise collection (at time of this post) contains over 200 customizable sound generators, with lengthy live field recordings, and they’re clean.<\/em> The real deal…high fidelity at its best.<\/p>\n

If you like ambient audio, his site provides an incredibly rich deep-dive…<\/p>\n

But don’t take my word for it.\u00a0 Listen for yourself!<\/p>\n

Radio Soundscapes<\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>

myNoise slider controls allow you to change the level of audio tracks and loops.<\/p><\/div>\n

When David first introduced me to myNoise, he pointed out two soundscapes in particular: one was called “Shortwaves,” the other, “Numbers Stations.” (Now that’s<\/em> what I’m talking about!) Every night of the SWL Fest, I listened to these two noise machines as I slept. It was wonderful.<\/p>\n

With permission, I have made a couple one-minute audio recordings of the two radio-specific soundscapes from myNoise.net. Keep in mind that these recordings were set at a preset level and left alone; in other words, I did not move the control sliders during the recording. In reality, the sounds can be tailored to your listening pleasure via the sliders and generous array of controls. By the way, I suggest wearing headphones.<\/p>\n

Sample of “Shortwaves”<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shortwave-MyNoise.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Sample of “Numbers Stations”<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/numbers-mynoise.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

While I love these two radio sound generators, I have to say, I’ve truly enjoyed exploring the more than 200 sound generators also available on myNoise.<\/p>\n

How to listen<\/h1>\n

MyNoise.net is a free website<\/strong><\/a> supported by user donations.\u00a0 (Donations, by the way, can unlock an array of extra features and sounds.) Even though I have the app (see below), I still sent a bit of extra support though their website; after all, this is just the sort of project I love supporting.<\/p>\n

MyNoise is also available as an iOS<\/a><\/strong> or Android<\/a><\/strong> app. If you have a mobile device or tablet, I highly recommend downloading the app and purchasing the full set of recordings for a mere $10.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

A screenshot of the myNoise app running on my iPad<\/p><\/div>\n

Stephane also has a YouTube Channel<\/a> with a number of soundscapes.<\/p>\n

Click here to check out myNoise.net.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My wife has an amazing ability: when she’s deep into research, writing, editing, or creating something, she has a laser-focus like none other: she can tune out the world around her to the point that it’s honestly hard to get her attention. She can work in almost any environment, and tune out (nearly!) all distractions. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4199,3,129,554],"tags":[8442,8443,8441,8444,2650,1541,4085],"class_list":["post-42655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-accessories","category-news","category-reviews","category-slightly-off-topic","tag-ambient-noise","tag-dr-stephane-pigeon","tag-mynoise-review","tag-mynoise-net-review","tag-noise","tag-radio-as-noise","tag-reviews"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-b5Z","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":45288,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/09\/field-notes-comparing-the-tecsun-pl-990x-and-pl-880\/","url_meta":{"origin":42655,"position":0},"title":"Field Notes: Comparing the Tecsun PL-990x and PL-880","author":"Thomas","date":"September 11, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many of you have been asking about the new Tecsun PL-990, especially as compared with the venerable PL-880. If you haven't checked out Dan Robinson's post yet, I highly recommend you do so. His long-format video will also give you a good indication of how both radios compare. Also check\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Tecsun-PL-990-and-Tecsun-PL-880-1-4.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Tecsun-PL-990-and-Tecsun-PL-880-1-4.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Tecsun-PL-990-and-Tecsun-PL-880-1-4.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Tecsun-PL-990-and-Tecsun-PL-880-1-4.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Tecsun-PL-990-and-Tecsun-PL-880-1-4.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58319,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2023\/12\/checking-out-some-headphones-for-dxing\/","url_meta":{"origin":42655,"position":1},"title":"Checking out BHI’s HP-1 and NCH headphones for DXing","author":"Jock Elliott","date":"December 3, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM As an oldster with a bit of hearing deficit, I am a big fan of anything that helps me to hear better when I am trying to tease out hard-to-hear signals, whether medium wave broadcast, shortwave broadcast, or single-sideband signals on the HF ham bands. Toward\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Accessories"","block_context":{"text":"Accessories","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/accessories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hp-1-wired-stereo-headphones.1-ece10a7e.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hp-1-wired-stereo-headphones.1-ece10a7e.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hp-1-wired-stereo-headphones.1-ece10a7e.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28235,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/10\/lunch-with-a-friend-and-a-hearty-side-of-enabling\/","url_meta":{"origin":42655,"position":2},"title":"Lunch with a friend (and a hearty side of enabling)","author":"Thomas","date":"October 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"A few weeks ago, I had lunch with my good friend, BJ Leiderman. \u00a0If you ever listen to public radio programming, especially NPR, you've probably heard BJ's name. BJ is a musician, singer, and composer, and has written the bulk of the theme music you hear on National Public Radio\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Accessories"","block_context":{"text":"Accessories","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/accessories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/BJ-Leiderman-and-Thomas-Witherspoon.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/BJ-Leiderman-and-Thomas-Witherspoon.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/BJ-Leiderman-and-Thomas-Witherspoon.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/BJ-Leiderman-and-Thomas-Witherspoon.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":50761,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/11\/jock-reviews-the-bhi-compact-in-line-noise-eliminating-module\/","url_meta":{"origin":42655,"position":3},"title":"Jock reviews the BHI Compact In-Line Noise Eliminating Module","author":"Thomas","date":"November 7, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0contributor,\u00a0Jock Elliott, who shares the following guest post: The noise, the neighbor, and the box By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM Imagine the annual meeting of an international corporation called SWLing Inc. (or SWLing LTD). The CEO, looking splendid in his custom-tailored suit, is addressing the assembled multitudes. On\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Accessories"","block_context":{"text":"Accessories","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/accessories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bhi-compact-in-line-dsp-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bhi-compact-in-line-dsp-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bhi-compact-in-line-dsp-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bhi-compact-in-line-dsp-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bhi-compact-in-line-dsp-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":61373,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/12\/johns-updated-review-of-the-choyong-lc90-multi-band-internet-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":42655,"position":4},"title":"John’s Updated Review of the Choyong LC90 Multi-Band & Internet Radio","author":"Thomas","date":"December 13, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"A Further Review Update on the Choyong LC90 By John Figliozzi, NASWA Journal Shortwave Center Editor Prepared December 12, 2024 Having previously reviewed the overall performance of the Choyong LC90 and then updated that review to include firmware upgrades the radio\u2019s manufacturer has implemented to address some initial problems or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LC90.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LC90.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LC90.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LC90.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17902,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/03\/the-society-of-broadcast-engineers-urges-fcc-to-improve-mediumwave-rfi\/","url_meta":{"origin":42655,"position":5},"title":"The Society of Broadcast Engineers urges FCC to Improve Mediumwave RFI","author":"Thomas","date":"March 23, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: ARRL via Eric McFadden, WD8RIF) The Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) has told the FCC that the regulatory agency needs to take another tack in its efforts to tackle AM revitalization. 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