iPhone Application Watch: SoundCurtain
Here's a brilliant concept for those who find themselves easily distracted by outside noises -- me definitely included.
SoundCurtain is an iPhone application from Royal College of Art graduate and founder of FutureAcoustic, Andreas Raptopoulos.
He developed it from personal need, trying to drown out distracting noises of other students when he had to finish assignments.
The technology has been around for ten years, and on the surface it seems to be just another white/natural noise generator for masking out distracting external noises. However, the iPhone application is different in that it monitors the external sound via the microphone on the standard headset (or other compatible headphones) and adjusts the sound accordingly.
"SoundCurtain doesn't block out outside noise, as much as replace it with something environmentally kinder," Raptopoulos explained. "What we try to create through the transformation is a sound environment that can actually be neglected by the brain. Imagine the sound of the sea, always fluctuating. At first you listen to it, then it just fades into the background."
The application currently comes with three different "soundscapes" -- noise masker, rain masker and harmonic masker.
As you'd probably expect, there's an element of white noise in the background, so the noises aren't completely natural although, once they're tuned out, the brain tends to ignore the synthetic elements.
Noises change in both volume and timbre based on external sound stimuli. The rain and noise maskers currently work better than the harmonic masker -- in fact I'd like to use the harmonic masker as it sounds good but there are too many popping and crackling sounds at present to make it pleasant to listen to.
It only costs 59p so it's worth a go. I've got several different audio applications which are great for different moods or needs. I wouldn't want to use this one all the time (you do need to wear headphones to get the most from it) but combined with others, it creates a useful arsenal of applications to use when you're trying to escape external noise or create a calming or energising mood.
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