What is White Noise?
White noise is a combination of all the frequencies of sound playing simultaneously. Since white noise is a combination of all sound of all possible frequencies, it is often used as a static or as a sound blocker. Most people refer to white noise as ’static’ and think of it as a nuisance, but it actually has quite a few helpful uses.
Some Common Uses of White Noise
- Recording studios use it to set the levels of equipment
- City dwellers use white noise machines to block out other sounds like noisy neighbors, or sounds from the busy streets
- Tinnitus sufferes use it to help them deal with the ringing in their ears, they tend to avoid silence since that is when they hear the ringing
- New parents use it to sooth colic in colicky babies, it reminds them of womb
- Some people use it to meditate and/or to improve concentration
- Home theater buffs, much like recording studios, use white noise to calibrate their sound systems
Where To Get It
You can get CDs, MP3s, and even DVDs online that have all types of white noise sounds on them. What is great about those is that you can loop them for continous noise. You can make your own by leaving on or recording the sound of a common fan, hair dryer, vacuum, and many more sounds around your home. While those are not pure white, their continous tone is generally very close.
For office use or any larger scale application you may want to buy a machine specifically designed for white noise applications. These are great for cubicle settings.