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Naturespace, a "sonic landscape" app, has a special Halloween surprise
Naturespace is simply one of my favorite apps, and that includes every piece of software I've used since 1978. If you've ever had problems with ringing in the ears or going to sleep, Naturespace could also be one of the greatest things ever. In short, it is a sonic landscape app, with access to dozens of expertly recorded and crafted audio "scenes" that play out in a seamless loop for as long as you wish, all in glorious "holographic" (aka 3D) audio. The quality is breathtaking, the choices are vast and the app is a pleasure to use. Here's a video with some info on how and why they do this. But since it's Halloween, Naturespace is offering its Thunder God collection for free! That's $10 of content available to our readers for nothing. Plus, on October 31st they'll post a "Trick or Treat" track on their Facebook page. You can read a review of Naturespace here and or watch our live demo here, but since you can try a few tracks for free there's no reason to not download it and try it. Put on some headphones and lose yourself in the auditory delights of a variety of sonic landscapes and I think you'll agree that this app is a gem on the App Store. If you're looking to buy a few tracks to really experience the magic of the app, here are some thoughts from one of the guys who produces the audio you'll hear: "The Ascendancy of The Redwoods" is an epic track. It took us almost a week of recording to create the piece. It's a perfect track for people that have never visited the Redwoods or for people that want to revisit this ancient forest. We also have three recordings that have trains in them. These recording stand out from the pure nature aspects of the catalog and use our 3D techniques to deliver a truly unique experience. The first called "The Cloud Engine" was created by us by chartering an authentic steam train in the Rocky Mountains. This piece a serious trip back to the 1800's and places the listener on what was considered "advanced tech" back then. The second train piece is called "Serpentine" which includes a fantastic distant train winding through canyons. It is a great piece for anyone whose past holds the sound of trains in the distance. The third piece "The Ghost" is a more ambient steam train experience that puts the listener aboard a train alone. This piece is a ride down into a canyon without the strong "chugging" of "The Cloud Engine". It is meant as a companion piece to "The Cloud Engine".
Origin Stories: Naturespace
I've always been a sucker for soundscapes -- those looping sound effect CD's that whisk you away to the beach, or a rainforest or whatever. As I have a hard time "shutting down" my brain, these sounds give me something to get lost in and focus on, helping relax me. I think it's the same way for a lot of people, but when I introduce them to Naturespace's audio by way of their app, they are blown away. Naturespace captures incredible 3D audio and puts a vast library of it at your fingertips. If you've never tried the app, I highly recommend you download it. The free samples which come with it are enough to get you started, but since the App Store's debut the Naturespace team has consistently grown the in-app purchase content. There's now a dizzying array of sounds, from the real to the imaginary. In fact, there are now two apps but one, Thunder God, focuses solely on thunderstorms. Naturespace, at our request, made a video to explain where they got started. It actually began before the iPhone. But I'll let them tell the story in this fantastic edition of Origin Stories.
Naturespace gets a welcome update for iOS 4
We looked at Naturespace Holographic Audio back in May of 2009. I liked it then, and I like it more now. Naturespace is a free iPhone app that plays back carefully recorded natural environments designed for listening on headphones. The recordings are created using the binaural technique, where two closely spaced microphones approximate the distance between your ears. When you put headphones on, the results can be dramatic and hyper-realistic. The free app has no ads, and comes with six audio environments which are very relaxing and can simply transport you to another place. With good headphones (I use the B&W P5) you get a 3D illusion, at times even hearing things that appear to be above or behind you. %Gallery-100153%
Thundergod gets you out in the rain without getting wet
I'm spending the weekend in Northern Arizona on a photo shoot. It's dry up here, but I took along a little iPhone/iPod touch app that put me in the center of several dramatic thunderstorms. The app is called Thundergod [iTunes link]. With creative microphone technique, and a good set of headphones, you'd swear you were in a raging storm, or a rain forest, or one of 5 other environments, listening to nature at its most spectacular. You can listen and let your mind drift off, consider the state of the universe, or just fall asleep in a soft rain using the built in sleep timer. I suspect the techniques used to make these recording are similar to the highly regarded binaural technique, using 2 microphones separated by the approximate distance between your ears. Then when you play back with good headphones, you are instantly transported to a hyper-realistic, almost holographic place that closely duplicates being in a real space with real sounds. This effect doesn't work through speakers. It can sound nice, but it's not startling or compelling. With headphones the sound comes alive, and you can begin to have an emotional reaction to what you are hearing. The app also allows for a special equalization curve if you are using earbuds like the ones Apple includes, and it is effective. This app as produced by Holographic Audio Theater, who gave us the free app Naturespace that shows off their recording and producing prowess. It's a good introduction to their technique. Thundergod is not cheap. It's a U.S. $9.99 app, but of you look at the App Store reviews you'll be surprised how many purchasers thought the app was worth the money. The sounds are not short repeating loops, but something like a long concert that has a beginning, a middle and a conclusion. I liked the 'Thor' environment the best, because it was the most dramatic and attention-grabbing. It's not for relaxation, but for stimulation. If relaxation is what you want, there are sonic environments included for that as well. My suggestion is that you try the free intro app, and if you like it, then go ahead and get Thundergod. The effect can't really be described, but must be experienced.
Put nature in your head
Naturespace [App Store] for the iPhone and iPod touch is a free app that lets you sample very natural and realistic sounds to relax to. They come from the folks at Holographic Audio Theater, who produce some very serene audio tracks for meditating, relaxing, or helping you sleep.The app itself is attractive and easy to use. It provides 5 different audio environments for headphone listening. While there are some other nice apps that provide similar features, I thought this had the best audio and the most enveloping sound I had sampled. I especially liked the sound of waves lapping on a beach because of the gentle right to left movement. I listened on both regular headphones, and iPhone earbuds. The software has a switch to turn earbud equalization on, and it did seem to deepen the bass and improve the realism of the presentation. The app is very well thought out, and if you change to one of the other ambient recordings the sounds slowly fade down and then the new selection fades up. You can go to sleep using these sounds and turn on the iPhone sleep timer. The developers will be glad to sell you additional low cost ambient recordings, but the free app is not crippled in any way and has no advertising. The positive reviews at the App Store are a pretty good indication that this is a well conceived piece of software.This app will be worth a couple of bucks to many people, but since it is free, I think it's a no-brainer to try and see if you get swept into the sonic environments that are provided. The loops are seamless, so there is nothing to interrupt your reverie as you s l o w l y... r e l a x... a n d... b e g i n... t o... n o d... o f f ...........Here are some screen shots: %Gallery-63790%
