Grey Noise Generator
Grey noise, shaped so every pitch sounds about equally loud to your ears. Press play, then use the ten faders to tune it to your hearing. It keeps going with your screen locked.
What is grey noise?
Grey noise is noise shaped to sound equally loud at every pitch. Your ears are most sensitive in the upper midrange, roughly 2 to 5 kHz, and much less sensitive to deep bass and the very highest treble. White noise has equal energy everywhere, so to your ears its upper middle stands out. Grey noise turns that range down and the extremes up, following an equal-loudness curve, so no part of it jumps out.
The result sounds flatter and more neutral than white noise, with more low end but without the heavy rumble of brown noise.
The Grey preset here approximates that curve across the ten faders. It's highest at 31 Hz, dips lowest around 4k where hearing is sharpest, and rises again at 16k. Equal-loudness curves vary with volume and from person to person, so treat it as a starting point.
Tuning grey noise to your ears
Play it at the volume you'll actually use, then listen for any pitch that stands out. Lower that fader a step at a time until the sound feels even.
If it sounds too boomy on small speakers or headphones, lower 31 and 63. Many phone and laptop speakers can't reproduce those octaves anyway.
Save the result as a mix so you don't have to tune it again.
Why people use it
Grey noise is a favorite of people who find white noise too harsh and brown noise too muffled. Because it's balanced to human hearing, it can sit in the background at a lower volume.
It also comes up in conversations about tinnitus, the ringing some people hear in their ears. Sound therapy for tinnitus often uses broadband noise, and some people find a grey or custom-shaped noise easier to live with. If you have tinnitus, talk to an audiologist, who can match a sound to your hearing.
Questions
What's the difference between grey and white noise?
White noise has equal energy at every frequency. Grey noise has equal perceived loudness, so it has more bass and less upper midrange. Tap White and Grey above to compare them.
Is grey noise the same as pink noise?
No, though they sound somewhat alike. Pink noise follows a simple slope of 3 dB per octave. Grey noise follows the shape of human hearing, which dips in the upper midrange and rises at both ends.
Can grey noise help with tinnitus?
Some people find it helps cover the ringing, but it isn't a treatment. An audiologist can recommend sound therapy suited to your hearing.
Does it loop or have gaps?
No. Your browser generates the noise live instead of playing a recording, so you won't hear a gap or seam where a track starts over.
Does it keep playing when I lock my phone?
Yes. It plays like a music track, so it keeps going with the screen locked and you can pause it from the lock screen. The built-in browser inside some apps may still stop it. If that happens, open this page in Safari or Chrome.