What is soft white noise?
Soft white noise starts from the same flat, random signal as white noise, which holds equal power per hertz, and rolls off its high end. This preset runs the signal through a low-pass filter at about 1.6 kHz and a second, gentler one at 5 kHz, so the bright hiss becomes a quieter hush while the low and middle range keep their full weight.
In the Veil app this is white noise’s Softer preset, which sets Brightness to Soft and Texture to Balanced. It is the same generator and the same two independent buffers as the standard white noise player; only the filters and a slightly lower output level differ.
Soft white noise output by frequency
Sounds likeA shower heard from the next room, steady rain on a window, a distant air vent.
Try it forCovering background sounds when standard white noise feels sharp or tiring, on small speakers or at low volume.
Skip it ifThe room is genuinely loud. With the highs trimmed there is less energy left to cover voices and sharp sounds.
What white noise may help mask
A steady background can reduce the contrast between a quiet room and an intermittent sound. Try it during a work or study session if nearby conversations distract you, or at bedtime if changing background sounds are the problem. Whether it helps is personal; more volume is not automatically better.
If the hiss is distracting, compare pink noise for a softer high end or brown noise for a deeper sound. Keep whichever feels comfortable at a low volume. White noise is a listening tool, not a treatment for sleep or attention difficulties.
How loud should you set it?
Start with your device volume low, then use the player slider to find the lowest comfortable level that makes the disturbance less noticeable. The percentage on the slider is not a decibel reading: the output also depends on your device, speaker and distance.
If the noise itself feels intrusive, turn it down or try a different color. Read the guide to choosing a masking volume for a practical starting point.
How this generator actually works
This player generates its audio on your device with the Web Audio API, using a port of the generator in Veil. It does not stream a recording or download an audio track.
The source is the same raw uniform random noise. Before playback it passes through two one-pole low-pass filters, at 1.6 kHz (Brightness) and 5 kHz (Texture), the same filters the app applies, and each loop join is crossfaded against the filtered continuation so the filter state carries across it.
Two independently generated buffers, about 30 and 37 seconds long, play together with crossfaded loop boundaries. Their lengths are chosen to avoid a short shared repetition period. This is designed for continuous listening without an obvious repeating join.
What the research says
A small 2021 study of ten New Yorkers who reported noise-related sleep difficulty found improvements in some sleep measures during one week with a white noise device. It does not show that white noise helps everyone. Read the study on PubMed.
A 2014 measurement study found that some infant sleep machines could produce potentially harmful levels when used at maximum volume close to a crib. That supports careful placement and the lowest useful volume. Read the study on PubMed.
Standard, soft or deep: which white noise should you use?
All three come from the same generator; only the Brightness and Texture settings differ. The right one depends on your speaker and your room, so hear them at your real sleeping volume before deciding.
- Standard when the room is genuinely loud: the full spectrum puts the most energy where voices and sharp sounds sit.
- Soft when standard white noise feels sharp or tiring, for low volumes and small speakers.
- Deep for low, steady noise such as traffic hum, or when even the soft preset sounds bright.
Open the standard white noise player or the deep preset, try soft brown noise for a warmer low end, or hear all six noise colors side by side.
Common questions.
What is soft white noise?
How is this different from the regular white noise player?
Is soft white noise better for sleep?
Will it cover a loud room?
Is this soft white noise generator free?
Created by Colin Hanson, maker of Veil. The player uses the same procedural audio approach as the Veil app.