A train horn is a warning and signaling device that produces a loud sound to alert people of
the train’s movement. Train horns work by feeding air from the train’s air supply. 125 to 140 pounds
per square inch of compressed air enters through a line to the manifold, which leads to each chime,
this air then enters the power chamber, causing metal diaphragms to vibrate, this oscillation
creates waves of air which produces the sound that is then amplified as it travels down the horn’s
throat. Train horns are incredibly loud, up to 96-110 decibels, and can be heard from very long
distances. For some this warning device is nothing more than an obnoxious intrusion. For others,
at a distance, this is the most soothing sound in the world.
Ocean waves, the pattering of heavy rain, thunderstorms, forest ambiance and white noise.
These are just some of the many sounds people have used to soothe their minds or to help them fall
asleep. You can find hours upon hours of these sounds on YouTube and Spotify playlists, sometimes
with accompanying visuals for a more immersive experience. The existence of these collections
demonstrates a real demand for soothing noise in the modern world. I’m someone who has never
had serious problems with sleep, it’s something I’m grateful for, so the use of using ambient
sounds to aid in falling asleep has always been a curiosity to me. I’m especially interested in
the use of modern sounds for this purpose, the most famous probably being white noise.
The first white noise machine may have been invented in 1667 when Pope
Clement the IX commissioned sculptor Bernini to build a machine to reduce
his insomnia. The machine Bernini made used a wheel which worked in conjunction
with a series of paper globes to imitate the sound of flowing water when struck.
The Marpac Dohm is the first fan based white noise machine and was made in 1962 and is still
being made today. Mechanical white noise machines are sometimes considered “better”
because they are closer to a perceived authentic randomness that digital loops can’t replicate.
True white noise contains all frequencies across the spectrum of audible sound in equal measure,
which produces something that sounds like the static of a TV
or radio. It’s called “white noise” because of it’s analogy to light,
which turns white when all the visible frequencies are summed up into a single beam.
White noise is actually kind of grating in my opinion, so if that doesn’t suit your needs
you can always try pink noise. Pink noise is similar to white noise in that “it contains the
same overall intensity in each octave, but the volume of individual pitches decreases
by 3 decibels with each higher octave.” As a result Pink noise sounds lower pitched so it’s
more similar to the sound of a waterfall than a radio. Brown noise, sometimes called red noise,
gets its name from the type of random movement known as Brownian motion, or red noise gets
its name because its loosely similar to how red light has a low frequency on the visible spectrum.
Brown noise also contains all the frequencies like white noise but the volume of individual
pitches decrease by 6 decibels with each higher octave. However this definition is not always
adhered to and the term “brown noise” sometimes just refers to low pitched noise. This makes it
sound even more like a subdued rumble. Violet noise is the opposite of brown noise meaning
it increases by 6 decibels with each higher octave. The opposite of White noise is Black
noise which means there are no frequencies…yeah this has gotten a bit silly hasn’t it? The idea
is that each colored noise has an analogy with each color on the spectrum of visible light,
so black noise is essentially the absence of light, or in this case, the absence of sound.
There have been several studies done on how and if white noise, pink noise, brown noise,
etc. helps people fall asleep faster, focus better, relax more, alleviate symptoms of ADHD,
alleviate tinnitus, or even help relax those with gambling disorders.
Some have claimed it helps them remove thoughts completely.
But there isn’t enough evidence yet to confidently say colored noises can
significantly help with most of these, even if the theories behind these noises make sense.
It’s unclear whether there are properties in the noise itself that leads to better sleep or
concentration, or whether the idea behind colored noises is to raise the background noise and have
it play constantly so that you don’t notice other bothersome noises like the dripping of a faucet,
or the creaking of floors, or maybe it’s a combination of both. Even if
at the end of the day listening to colored noises is simply a placebo, there doesn’t
seem to be any harm to playing it often, as long as you do so at an appropriate volume.
It seems there’s an interest and industry in creating soothing sounds. So what is the most
soothing sound? Well of course this is very subjective. Some people may find rainstorms
relaxing, even I do to an extent. My dog on the other hand is absolutely terrified of storms of
any kind and makes sure we know about it. The sound of a loved one’s voice may easily win
the prize for most soothing sound, but of course that’s a sound that greatly depends on the person,
it can’t be utilized by the broader population. If we try to objectively find out we would
probably look for the sound that is the most soothing to the most amount of people. Sounds
of nature are overwhelmingly preferred by the population overall, for one its the
habitat we evolved in and sounds of wildlife signified resources and safety, as Trevor Cox,
a professor of Acoustic Engineering explains; “When the birds stop singing,
you suddenly realize there might be something about which is a threat.”
According to a survey done in the United Kingdom, 46% of British people said that waves
crashing against the shore was their favorite sound, followed by birdsong, and rainfall.
According to a survey done by YouGovAmerica, 59% of Americans found the noise of a rainstorm
to be the most relaxing. The pattering of heavy rain may be the most soothing
sound experienced by the most amount of people simply because rain is a natural, random sound,
that is neither grating nor too repetitive, is very consistent and has been experienced
by nearly every human in history. Even when people talk about pink noise or brown/red noise
they often compare it to aping the patterns of random natural noises such as a waterfall,
ocean waves, or rain. So while the answer of what is the most soothing sound for Americans
is a rainstorm and for the British it’s the sound of waves, I find it interesting they
all have roughly the same signature, artificially expressed in it’s more pure form: colored noise.
If you want something with a bit more artistry you can always pause to take a listen to the
most relaxing song, at least according to Mindlab International. The British Ambient
band Marconi Union worked with sound therapists to create “Weightless” an
eight minute dream-like ambient song that has been said to reduce anxiety by 65%.
Now I personally would also recommend Rhubarb or Stone in Focus by Aphex Twin or
Echus by Boards of Canada for some of the most relaxing songs I’ve ever heard.
In case you were wondering what the most un-soothing sounds are.
According to this study the world’s worst sound was the sound of someone vomiting,
followed by microphone feedback and wailing babies.
According to YouGov America, the sound of scratching on a
chalkboard was the most irritating but I don’t know if the sound of someone
vomiting was an option or not but they’re wrong that sound is worse.
None of this comes as a surprise to me but that only sparks my curiosity in the
wide variety of audio that people can find relaxing, and yes I’m aware of the whole
ASMR scene but that’s been covered a lot and I consider it a different category of
sensations than what this video is about. There is an entertaining smorgasbord of
soundscapes people have crafted online that includes nearly anything and everything including
fan noises, the sound of a hairdryer, vacuum cleaner sounds, exterior refrigerator ambience,
interior refrigerator ambience, lawnmower sounds, chainsaw sounds, rule of thumb if it
has a motor someone somewhere finds the sound of it relaxing, the sound of someone falling,
being inside a submarine, argh pirate ship sound ambience // wooden sailboat
ocean waves sleepsound 8hours, microwave noises, airplane noises, oil rig in the ocean ambience,
and of course, distant train horn noises. The sound of a train horn is one of the more
unique sleeping sounds, for one it’s very different from sounds of nature,
most people find them quite irritating at close distances, and it’s a lot more sporadic
than white noise or the constant hum of a motor. Train engineers must sound train horns at least
15 seconds before all public grade crossings, this sound is a standardized pattern of 2 long,
1 short, and 1 long blasts. This pattern is then repeated until the train occupies the crossing.
So if you ever hear a train in the distance you will be able to recognize this pattern.
The more musically pleasing horns are multi-chime horns which can play chords. The most used train
horns come from the Nathan K-series, with the Nathan K5LA being one of the most popular,
which plays a B Major 6th chord. Chances are if you hear a train horn in North America,
it’s a Nathan. It’s fascinating discovering so much information behind a background
sound I’ve heard for practically my entire life, even more so when you realize there
are yet again people out there that share your extremely niche interest.
What makes a sound soothing is also dependent on what we associate with those sounds. Being
outside when it’s raining heavily is not very fun, it’s a lot cozier when you know you’re in a stable
structure and you’re at a comfortable temperature, and when you have this positive experience a
couple of times, it becomes nostalgic. The sound of a train horn in the distance is something I’ve
only noticed well into the night, typically right before bed. I live a few miles from some trains
so I’ve heard this sound many times before. As a result I now associate it as the sound of peace
after a long day. It’s a reminder that there are other people still out there, working and living,
and that you are far away from whatever those events are at the moment. Right now,
you have no responsibility for the great machine that is civilization,
you can rest, and it will carry on just fine.
It’s the last reminder of other life like yourself before you slip out of consciousness.