Do you find water sounds intrinsically "relaxing" ?

[rasputin1963]

Guess what I did today. I was at THE HOME DEPOT and wandered out into their plant nursery section.

 

They had all these garden water fountains going. One of them caught my eye, and before I knew it, I was lugging this huge fountain home. Now bear in mind this isn't one of those petite little WALGREEN'S desk fountains.... This is a quite large outdoor fiberglass garden fountain, measuring approximately 4' x 4' x 4'. I sure didn't need it, shouldn't spend $$$ on it. But...

 

In direct defiance of the instructions, I brought that dam fountain indoors and set it up in my den! I lu-uurve it.

 

The water sound is not quite a "gush", but it is much more than a "trickle". The water sound is quite loud, about as loud as an industrial strength toilet overflowing. I'm actually liking the sound and do find it "relaxing", as they say.

 

Do you find water sounds relaxing? Now why do you suppose water sounds are relaxing? Every SHARPER IMAGE/BROOKSTONE bedside sound effects unit includes "babbling brook", "waterfall" and "ocean waves" presets.

 

I've noticed that if I play around with NATIVE INSTRUMENTS plugin called SPEKTRAL DELAY (in which all the delay hits feedback at quite narrow frequency bands), you can make almost any input audio sound much like trickling water.

 

I remember on the first Kraftwerk album AUTOBAHN (1973), there was a cut called "Morgenspaziergang" ("Morning walk") in which Hutter/Schneider used some kind of random LFO wave on a pink noise signal, with a slightly whistling "Q", and the result sounded much like a babbling brook.

 

Your thoughts? Lore? Convictions? Experiences?

[Jimbroni]

I have a backyard pond with a trickle and bell fountain. Its very relaxing to chill out to.

 

Once I took trip to Tequamenon falls in Northern Michigan. At the lower falls there is place to sit right next to a small medium sized fall, the sound is very loud. You can't hear yourself talk or really think, but if you sit. It shuts your mind off into meditation land. Mesmorizing.

[Annoying Twit]

I find it's no so much splashing watery sounds that's relaxing. I find that it's the accompanying slow release of pressure in my bladder that has more effect.

[UstadKhanAli]

If it's more of a bubbling, babbling small fountain sort of thing, I find it relaxing. If it's more water and it's creating a lot of white noise, then not so much.

[blue2blue]

Just be careful. Stuff happens with fountains. Also make sure you're eletrical stuff is properly grounded. The first version of my old backyard fountain was improvised (I picked up a pump motor on the spur of the moment in the garden department one day and rigged up a cascading waterfall using a couple big bowl-shaped plastic pots). I just kind of plugged it in, even though it said to only plug it into an outlet with an attached breaker, yadda yadda. And, you know, standing in my barefeet in a puddle of water on concrete and reaching into the water, yeah, I could definitely feel the juice. You bet.

 

Then one day my tenant had someone visiting, who brought her toddler, and, of course, kids are attracted to splashing, sparkling water.

 

I walked out just about as the kid was going to stick her hand in the water (which was kinda funky, besides, I mean, that's how fountains are even if you're on top of your chlorine). I don't think she would have got a nasty shock or worse or not but I yelled so loud I scared myself. Then I had to do some fancy explaining that I wasn't mad at the two year old but mad at myself and I'm sure she got it. Uh huh. Anyhow, no one got hurt and hopefully the scary old man didn't feature to prominently into her nightmares that night.

 

 

 

But -- all that aside -- I love the sound of running water and I really miss sitting in my backyard and listening to the sound of my fountain (particularly after I broke down and bought a proper one -- with a lonely little cherub on top). I could literally just sit there and listen. And I don't sit and do nothing very easily at all under most circumstances.

 

 

[i couldn't find a good picture on this machine of the whole fountain... but that's the best part. Imagine three progressively larger half shells underneath that and an old peace rose bush wrapping its thorny branches and big pink roses around it. Sometimes when I think the nice times in my backyard with my cats and all, daylight all but shut out by the overhang of trees and shrubs... I almost kind of miss the old place. Of course, all it would take would be to drive over there and see all that city around it to put things back in perspective. But for a few years I managed to somehow feel like I had a little peaceful world of my own. At least for short periods. Then the tire shop on the other side of the alley would use their air wrench or one of the many guys with 2000 watt stereos in their jeeps would drop off their high school age GFs or... yeah. Memories. ]

[Dean Roddey]

I definitely find it so. I used to have one of those little electrical ones on my desk until I ran out of space and gave it to a neighbor. It was kind of nice. Wish I had it back now that you mention it.

[jennyankles]

I think so. One of my friends has an electronic box thing that sythesizes the sound.

[Rudolf von Hagenwil]

I always liked vacuum cleaners and railway tracks

 

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[elsongs]

Not when I am in the hull of a ship and I hear that stuff gushing in.

[Rabid]

I find the sound of rain relaxing. The sound of running water makes me want to pee.

[oldman2]

Yup

Spend lots of time in my back yard watching the birds and other wildlife. I put in a small waterfall next to my hot tub deck added a small creek and pond. Nice way to melt away the stress of the day.

Cold beverage, watching the deer,turkey,owls,hawks and sometimes an eagle. Nature adds it's music to my favorite studio. I have feeders that help provide food to the critters year round.

:)

[kurdy]

I keep my "sounds of a waterfall" CD on repeat in my bedroom at night. Usually for when I go to bed way too late and can't sleep for fear of not getting enough sleep (which happens too frequently, I'm afraid).

[blue2blue]

I have a CD with a (stereo mic) recording of my old (and lamented) backyard fountain (on a sunday morning, early -- about halfway through, the birds start waking up). I've played it once or twice since I moved but, for a while, I used to play it in my bedroom, because I couldn't actually hear the fountain itself most nights. Now that I've lived within earshot of storm breakers on the beach for a few years, it's a pretty dislocative feeling ... the sound of the fountain and the birds and the place...

[ermghoti II]

Pretty much, rain as well. I'm a fishing junkie, so any kind of stream/river/ocean noise plugs directly into my sub-conscious.

[halljams]

 

 

You just think of "Pretty" when you think of water?

 

Water is the king of all things. Water does not strive so it does not get tired.

Water resides in the places men reject.

Water sets an example for mankind. All streams and rivers flow to the lowest point, the most humble point.

Water renews all things.

Water's way is the way.

Yes water is relaxing.

[Gus Lozada]

{censored}...

I am at Bogota, Colombia right now.

 

I travel like crazy so I really have to take about 10 seconds when waking up to figure out where the hell am I.

 

... so... this morning I listened something strange... 10 seconds... hey, I am in Bogota... what is that sound?? ... sounds like... like... THE SEA??? In Bogota??? WTF??

 

... It was an alarm clock with "nature sounds" and it was playing back a sound of the sea waves...

 

 

BTW I did NOT set the alarm. I hate when this people do not verify the alarm clocks are not active.

[rasputin1963]

Water is the king of all things. Water does not strive so it does not get tired. Water resides in the places men reject. Water sets an example for mankind. All streams and rivers flow to the lowest point, the most humble point. Water renews all things. Water's way is the way .

 

 

Hey, Dr. Seuss, right? Good call, bro.

[halljams]

Hey, Dr. Seuss, right? Good call, bro.

Yes, i think it was!

[philbo]

I've had a small (4' tall) waterfall type fountain in my dining room for a couple of years. I love it!! Plus it keeps the entire house humidified in the winter.