Tinnitus Notch Filter and Masker

What Notch Therapy Is

When your ears ring constantly, your brain stays in a state of constant tension: it keeps trying to "pull" that sound out of the silence and focuses on it. Notch therapy is a gentle way to redirect that attention. Imagine listening to a pleasant background noise (like rain or ocean waves) from which a special "surgical" filter has cut out exactly the frequency that rings in your ear. Your auditory center receives a soothing sound, but the part of the brain responsible for the ringing ends up in an "acoustic shadow." It stops receiving external stimulation, the tension drops, and over time the brain learns to "ignore" the internal noise. This is not a magic pill or a cure, but for many it becomes a real lifeline that lets them relax and fall asleep calmly.

How to Pinpoint Your Frequency

Finding your ring is like tuning a guitar: it takes a little patience and quiet around you.

• Where to look: Tinnitus usually "lives" at high frequencies (3,000 to 8,000 Hz), which sounds like a thin whistle or the whine of an old TV. But it can also be a low hum (200 to 1,000 Hz) or a barely perceptible high pitch (above 12,000 Hz).
• Listen carefully: Turn on the tone generator at minimum volume and play it in short 2 to 3 second bursts so you don't overload your hearing.
• Auto-search to help: If it's hard to guess manually, turn on auto-search. The slider will slowly move from 500 to 14,000 Hz. As soon as you feel the generator tone "merge" with your internal ring or become as similar as possible, press "Stop."

Which Noise to Choose

Noise is the base that gently covers the silence. Choose the one that sounds pleasant to your ear:

• Pink Noise: The absolute favorite for therapy. It resembles the even sound of heavy rain or rustling leaves. It sounds natural, soft, and doesn't tire the brain even after an hour of listening.
• White Noise: Similar to the hiss of a radio with no station tuned in. It has equal power at all frequencies, so it masks very high-pitched ringing well, but some may find it too "harsh."
• Brown Noise: A deep, velvety sound similar to the rumble of a distant waterfall or strong wind. Thanks to its powerful low frequencies, it's ideal if your tinnitus is low or if pink noise gives you a headache.

Notch Width and Depth

Here we set how "deep" and "wide" the acoustic pit for your ringing will be. The Q parameter controls the width of the cut range. A narrow notch (Q around 10 to 14) removes only the frequency itself and suits a precise, thin ring. A wide notch (Q around 2.5 to 6) captures neighboring frequencies if the tone "drifts" a bit or feels like a bell.

The suppression depth (from -12 to -60 dB) shows how quiet the cut band will become. For comfortable therapy, Q = 6 to 10 and a depth of -24 to -40 dB is usually enough. Don't make the notch too deep or too wide, otherwise the noise will sound hollow, like it's coming "from a barrel."

How Long to Listen and How to Do It Safely

1. Don't rush: Start with 10 to 15 minutes a day. Watch how you feel. If you're comfortable, you can increase the time to 30 to 60 minutes.
2. Quieter is better: The volume should be such that the noise doesn't completely cover your tinnitus, but rather matches it or is slightly quieter.
3. Getting ready for sleep: If you listen before bed, it's better to play the sound through a speaker on your nightstand rather than leaving headphones on all night. Be sure to set the auto-off timer.

Privacy

All sounds, filters, and calculations are created directly in your browser via the Web Audio API. We don't send your frequency, audio files, or settings to any servers. Your chosen frequency is stored only on your device (in LocalStorage) so you don't have to find it again next time.

When to See a Doctor

Sound therapy is an auxiliary tool for comfort in daily life, but it does not replace medical diagnosis.

See a doctor immediately if:

• The ringing or noise appeared suddenly (within a few hours or days).
• The sound is heard only in one ear.
• Tinnitus is accompanied by hearing loss, congestion, pain, dizziness, or nausea.
• The noise pulses in time with your heartbeat.

With sudden tinnitus, the first 24 to 48 hours are critically important for effective medical treatment!