Editing White noise (section)

==Practical applications==
{{more citations needed section|date=January 2022}}

===Music===
White noise is commonly used in the production of [[electronic music]], usually either directly or as an input for a filter to create other types of noise signal. It is used extensively in [[audio synthesis]], typically to recreate percussive instruments such as [[cymbal]]s or [[snare drum]]s which have high noise content in their frequency domain.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Dexxter |title=Did you know all these white noise secrets? (music production tips) |url=https://www.learnhowtoproducemusic.com/blog-how-to-start-music-production/white-noise-in-music-production |access-date=2022-07-25 |website=www.learnhowtoproducemusic.com |language=en}}</ref> A simple example of white noise is a nonexistent radio station (static).

===Electronics engineering===
White noise is also used to obtain the [[impulse response]] of an electrical circuit, in particular of [[amplifier]]s and other audio equipment. It is not used for testing loudspeakers as its spectrum contains too great an amount of high-frequency content. [[Pink noise]], which differs from white noise in that it has equal energy in each octave, is used for testing transducers such as loudspeakers and microphones.

===Computing===
White noise is used as the basis of some [[hardware random number generator|random number generators]]. For example, [[Random.org]] uses a system of atmospheric antennas to generate random digit patterns from sources that can be well-modeled by white noise.<ref>{{Cite news |last=O'Connell |first=Pamela LiCalzi |date=8 April 2004 |title=Lottery Numbers and Books With a Voice |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/08/technology/online-diary.html |access-date=25 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090726093822/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/08/technology/circuits/08diar.html |archive-date=26 July 2009}}</ref>

===Tinnitus treatment===
White noise is a common synthetic noise source used for sound masking by a [[tinnitus masker]].<ref>{{ cite book|last=Jastreboff |first= P. J.|chapter= Tinnitus Habituation Therapy (THT) and Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT)|title= Tinnitus Handbook|location= San Diego|publisher=Singular|year= 2000|pages=357–376}}</ref> [[White noise machine]]s and other white noise sources are sold as privacy enhancers and sleep aids (see [[music and sleep]]) and to mask [[tinnitus]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Evidence based complementary intervention for insomnia |journal=Hawaii Med J |volume=61 |issue=9 |pages=192, 213 |date=September 2002 |pmid=12422383 |url=http://cogprints.org/5032/1/2002_H.M.J_White-noise_for_PTSD.pdf |last1=López |first1=HH |last2=Bracha |first2=AS |last3=Bracha |first3=HS}}</ref> The Marpac Sleep-Mate was the first domestic use white noise machine built in 1962 by traveling salesman Jim Buckwalter.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Green|first=Penelope|date=2018-12-27|title=The Sound of Silence|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/27/style/white-noise-machines.html|access-date=2021-05-20|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Alternatively, the use of an AM radio tuned to unused frequencies ("static") is a simpler and more cost-effective source of white noise.<ref>{{Cite journal | issn = 0016-867X | volume = 58 | issue = 2 | pages = 28–34 | last = Noell | first = Courtney A |author2=William L Meyerhoff  | title = Tinnitus. Diagnosis and treatment of this elusive symptom | journal = Geriatrics | date = February 2003 | pmid=12596495}}</ref> However, white noise generated from a common commercial radio receiver tuned to an unused frequency is extremely vulnerable to being contaminated with spurious signals, such as adjacent radio stations, harmonics from non-adjacent radio stations, electrical equipment in the vicinity of the receiving antenna causing interference, or even atmospheric events such as solar flares and especially lightning.

===Work environment===
The effects of white noise upon cognitive function are mixed. Recently, a small study found that white noise background stimulation improves cognitive functioning among secondary students with [[attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]] (ADHD), while decreasing performance of non-ADHD students.<ref>{{Cite journal| volume = 6| issue = 1| page = 55| last = Soderlund| first = Goran|author2=Sverker Sikstrom |author3=Jan Loftesnes |author4=Edmund Sonuga Barke | title = The effects of background white noise on memory performance in inattentive school children| journal = Behavioral and Brain Functions| year = 2010| doi=10.1186/1744-9081-6-55| pmid = 20920224| pmc = 2955636| doi-access = free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01749.x | pmid = 17683456 | issn = 0021-9630 | volume = 48 | issue = 8 | pages = 840–847 | last = Söderlund | first = Göran |author2=Sverker Sikström |author3=Andrew Smart  | title = Listen to the noise: Noise is beneficial for cognitive performance in ADHD. | journal = Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry | year = 2007 | citeseerx = 10.1.1.452.530 }}</ref> Other work indicates it is effective in improving the mood and performance of workers by masking background office noise,<ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1177/0013916592243006 | volume = 24 | issue = 3 | pages = 381–395 | last = Loewen | first = Laura J. |author2=Peter Suedfeld  | title = Cognitive and Arousal Effects of Masking Office Noise | journal = Environment and Behavior | date = 1992-05-01 | bibcode = 1992EnvBe..24..381L | s2cid = 144443528 }}</ref> but decreases cognitive performance in complex card sorting tasks.<ref>{{Cite journal | issn = 0022-1309 | volume = 120 | issue = 3 | pages = 339–355 | last = Baker | first = Mary Anne |author2=Dennis H. Holding  | title = The effects of noise and speech on cognitive task performance. | journal = Journal of General Psychology | date = July 1993 | doi=10.1080/00221309.1993.9711152| pmid = 8138798 }}</ref>

Similarly, an experiment was carried out on sixty-six healthy participants to observe the benefits of using white noise in a learning environment. The experiment involved the participants identifying different images whilst having different sounds in the background. Overall the experiment showed that white noise does in fact have benefits in relation to learning. The experiments showed that white noise improved the participants' learning abilities and their recognition memory slightly.<ref>Rausch, V. H. (2014). White noise improves learning by modulating activity in dopaminergic midbrain regions and right superior temporal sulcus . Journal of cognitive neuroscience, 1469-1480</ref>