Violet noise
The very top of the range, above 6 kHz. A thin, fine hiss. Few people use it alone; it can add air to a mix at low volume.
Generated in your browser with the same code as the app, nothing to download. Start with your volume low. Keep this tab open.
About this sound
Violet (or purple) noise sits at the very top of the audible range. It sounds like a thin, fine hiss, lighter than blue noise. People with reduced high-frequency hearing may hear very little of it.
Strictly, violet noise rises by 6 dB per octave. Ours is white noise sent through two high-pass filters at 6 kHz in a row, which gives a steep cut below that point. It is generated in your browser with the app's code, from a 30-second buffer with a crossfaded seam, and trimmed to play as loud as the other sounds.
How people use it
Few people use it alone. At a low volume it can add air on top of a dark sound like brown or deep brown noise. Some people with tinnitus try high-frequency noise to blend with a high-pitched ringing; if you have tinnitus that is new, one-sided or pulsing, see a doctor first.
Keep it quiet. Treble at volume gets tiring quickly, and you rarely need much of it to notice the difference in a mix.
Questions
What is the difference between blue and violet noise?
Violet noise is even higher. Here blue noise starts at about 4 kHz with one filter, violet at about 6 kHz with two filters in series, so violet is thinner and finer.
Does violet noise help with tinnitus?
Some people use high-frequency noise to make a high-pitched ringing less noticeable. Sound can make tinnitus easier to ignore, but it does not treat it, and the evidence for sound therapy is weak.
Mix it with
Get violet noise on your phone
Nightwool is coming to iPhone and Android. One e-mail when it launches, then we delete the list.