Best way to simulate "silence" with headphones (canalphones)?

[erikiksaz]

I was thinking of recording the ambient noise in my room. I'm guessing it'd be somewhere in the 20s, even though it'd sound silent. Now, if i were to burn this to a cd and turn up the volume, would the "silence" be any louder?

I know it's a bit confusing, but i was mainly wondering if you could amplify something you can't hear. When listening to music with my canalphones, i can't hear a damn thing around me. I was hoping to simulate the same thing, but to replace music with silence.

I want to be able to read in a silent environment, and that sure as hell isn't always possible in the dorms.

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: erikiksaz
I want to be able to read in a silent environment, and that sure as hell isn't always possible in the dorms.

noise cancelling headphones, perhaps?

 

[erikiksaz]

Originally posted by: iamme

Originally posted by: erikiksaz
I want to be able to read in a silent environment, and that sure as hell isn't always possible in the dorms.

noise cancelling headphones, perhaps?

Hrmm, i haven't had any experience with that. But, i'd still rather do it the cheaper way, if it's even possible!

 

[Heisenberg]

Record the ambient noise, invert the waveform, and play it back.

 

[iamme]

http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/

this would be your best bet for anything headphone related.

 

[NuclearFusi0n]

Yes you can amplify that, but you are going to need a damn lot of stellar equipment to get a clean recording like that.

 

[erikiksaz]

Originally posted by: NuclearFusi0n
Yes you can amplify that, but you are going to need a damn lot of stellar equipment to get a clean recording like that.

Yeah, i think i'd get a whole lot of hissing!

 

[Viper0329]

How about ear plugs? Cost like $.50s. Work wonders for stuff like this.

 

[LongCoolMother]

nearly no way you can amplify the silent signal and get no "noise". almost all amplified signals produce noise, even the cleanest signals do. if you just want to be isolated, just go pick up a pack of ear plugs. they will do better than any noise-cacellation headphones. and better than er4p canalphones.

 

[CubicZirconia]

Originally posted by: LongCoolMother
nearly no way you can amplify the silent signal and get no "noise". almost all amplified signals produce noise, even the cleanest signals do. if you just want to be isolated, just go pick up a pack of ear plugs. they will do better than any noise-cacellation headphones. and better than er4p canalphones.

Not to mention much cheaper.

 

[0roo0roo]

wonder how much a microphone that sensitive owuld be. otherwise you'd just be recording static

 

[dighn]

try some white noise. it's not exactly silent, actually quite the opposite but it is fairly soothing (to me at least, it sounds like water fall) and drowns out other sounds

 

[erikiksaz]

Originally posted by: LongCoolMother
nearly no way you can amplify the silent signal and get no "noise". almost all amplified signals produce noise, even the cleanest signals do. if you just want to be isolated, just go pick up a pack of ear plugs. they will do better than any noise-cacellation headphones. and better than er4p canalphones.

Well, i do use those ear plugs. For the most part, they cancel out ambient noises, but i can still hear people talking, keyboards clacking, doors opening, etc. All i know is that with music playing on my er4s, i cannot hear a single thing! I was just hoping to simulate that situation, but with silence.

But, i don't care so much if there's some "noise." So long as the noise is relatively static, such as the whizzing of a fan.

Durn, i didn't bring my mic with me. Off to find some crappy headphones to use as a mic!

 

[LongCoolMother]

Originally posted by: erikiksaz

Originally posted by: LongCoolMother
nearly no way you can amplify the silent signal and get no "noise". almost all amplified signals produce noise, even the cleanest signals do. if you just want to be isolated, just go pick up a pack of ear plugs. they will do better than any noise-cacellation headphones. and better than er4p canalphones.

Well, i do use those ear plugs. For the most part, they cancel out ambient noises, but i can still hear people talking, keyboards clacking, doors opening, etc. All i know is that with music playing on my er4s, i cannot hear a single thing! I was just hoping to simulate that situation, but with silence.

But, i don't care so much if there's some "noise." So long as the noise is relatively static, such as the whizzing of a fan.

Durn, i didn't bring my mic with me. Off to find some crappy headphones to use as a mic!

i dont know if you can do this. i also use my etymotic er4p/s and cannot hear a single world thing (except low frquencies) when music is on. however, even there is "silence" in the track, i can still hear the grain, and then i can snap my fingers and hear them. . what i HAVE found works though , is the ear tips they sell in drug stores. they isolate better than the foam and silicon rubber tips with the er4s imo. what i actually did was melt a hole in them and then use them to replace the tips on my headphones.

but yea, i dont know if theres a way to do it. if there is, id be interested.