Focus like a copyist monk
If you are used to finding your focus zone in a public library, this sound generator will delight you! Imagine traveling back in time, and being given the opportunity to work in a monastery library.
This composite sound generator faithfully recreates the gentle noises that could have been your surroundings: the fireplace that heats the cold and dark stone-walled room, the copyist monks working alongside you, and the occasional church bell and distant Gregorian chants reminding you of the spirituality of the place.
Some of my listeners have kindly informed me that during the historical period we're talking about, the mechanical clocks we're familiar with today didn't exist. Instead, clocks were big, public structures, often found in town squares, not inside houses. It wasn't until the 15th century, with the introduction of spring-driven clocks, that we started to see clocks indoors. Interestingly, this was just as the middle ages were coming to an end.
However, the ticking of a clock can create a unique atmosphere and help many people concentrate. So, I thought it might be neat to incorporate it into this soundscape. Imagine being in a library in a wealthy abbey during the later part of the medieval period. These places were typically centers of innovation and might have had access to the latest technological advancements, including clocks. So, it's not entirely out of the question that a mechanical clock could be there ;-)
Not quite convinced yet? No worries at all. You can simply bring the 8th slider all the way down to zero. It's as easy as that!
Published by Stéphane on June 12th, 2020
User Stories
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I love it! Great for doing university projects.
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It's very cool and helps me study A LOT.
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This feels like Christmas somehow...
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Though I love all these settings, turning the "Beatae Memoriae" and "Gregorian Voices" settings to maximum while silencing all others really has the good cop-bad cop effect for intense studying. Unconventionally beautiful. Amazing.
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This soundscape has been perfect to listen to while I read through the Harry Potter series. It makes me feel like I'm studying at Hogwarts!
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I eagerly wait for the chants to say "amen" near the end. It gives me great joy and something for my brain to do so I won't doze off as much haha.
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I love this. I feel like I am in Hogwarts during my OWLs. It's very delicious. :)
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I love turning up the Gregorian chants 75% or so of the way up. Oddly, this set of sounds makes me feel part of a community, and while I am not directly with other monks, I am sharing these sounds with the hundreds (thousands? millions?) of other people listening to this sound to concentrate.
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This is amazing. I feel in a divine space and absolutely helpful to concentrate.
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Since I was a little kid, I would roleplay as a medieval scribe when I had dull book reports to write so this takes me really back in time. I have this combined with the "Fire Noise Ambience" and "Thunder & Rain" which umps the effect even higher.
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I'm a medical student and I'm studying latin terms, I wanted to feel like a medieval healer by using this sound. It works for now.
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I actually also love the colour scheme of the website, too, and how anyone can comment without having to share personal details, or knowing anyone else’s. I also really like how I can view the pictures taken and be able to imagine stories of adventures and magic! The only thing that infuriates me is that when I listen to this before I go to sleep, the screen turns off before I am asleep!
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This feels so beautiful and sacred and puts my mind at ease. Thank you!
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I really love this and believe it or not it was my first ever introduction to myNoise back in 2021, on YouTube, which was a huge lifesaver since it helped me go through and concentrate in very tough times, so thank you!
I highly recommend this to anyone who is under stress or anxiety, have a sit down, take a deep breath, have a cup of tea, and relax, your health is worth more than your troubles.
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It's ironic - when I'm working from home, I want Vintage or Calm Office. When I'm working in the office, I go straight to Medieval library and use the "Quiet Room" setting. WHY?!
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My workspace was quiet; too quiet for my ADD brain. This setup filled the space perfectly.
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Quiet focused feelings- paired with writing sounds from Examination Time, this is a delight :)
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I love this. The noise of the pen, the sound of the pages flipping, the fire, the wind, it all combines perfectly. The only things I didn't like were the Gregorian noises and Beatae Memoriae but you can just turn them off. Overall 10/10
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Serious studying, no surprises!
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Now this feels like I am actually in a premium medieval library!
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Out of all of the soundtracks, surprisingly this is my favourite! It’s so peaceful how the voices are so deep and slow and I really like this one. Also I would recommend listening to rain by the river.
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I love this sound so much; it helps me with studying, doing work, art, etc. I'm a huge fan of the book series "Harry Potter." This sound makes me feel like I'm put into the Hogwarts library.
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I love this it is really good for studying I can even watch a video with it going.
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I love to use it for doing my homework and it just helps me focus in general.
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A preset that I find useful for writing fantastical stories.
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It helps me focus when writing my story, painting, and working out 10/10 would recommend.
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I can work with this sound for long periods of time, it's great. As a wh40k fan, I feel like I'm in the imperial library.
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Comfy vibes that help me stay productive.
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This one sets my mind right to get some work done!
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I use this one for writing novels, particularly for NaNoWriMo. It helps so much, and I can really focus and get the writing done.
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I don't understand why, but this one really works for me.
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You've just arrived into the Prince's study. His hands are at tedious work, he's slouching over a mahogany desk with what looked like millions of papers to read and sign.
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Little do my colleagues know that mentally I am not in this office building from the 1970s, but in a medieval monastery library. Helps me immensely to keep concentrated and is my go-to tune for any brain work I need to do, and also calms me down during stressful periods.
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I love this, especially the fire and that sound of the page turning. Splendid!
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This helps me study peacefully.
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This has most definetly been my favorite sound so far. Like I'm in an old medival library surrounded by ancient manustscripts and other scholars.
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Had this on while lesson planning... And realized I was reading Aquinas and listening to sounds he would've been familiar with. What a lovely way to spend time reading the Angelic Doctor.
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They just don't make library noises like they used to. - an actual librarian who's listening to this in the library.
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This is so good never felt repetitive and is very immersive.
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Feels like in Hogwarts!
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The wind howls off Lake Michigan as I sit in my office. Instead of covering it, I use this gen to blend the eerie moan into a medieval soundscape.
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I keep coming back to this noise.
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Medieval Library helped me finish my dissertation (which was on early medieval saints' lives!). I love this combo.
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This is my favorite to focus on work. You really did a marvelous job creating this website. Thank you!
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I'm doing an intense Latin study, and this is the PERFECT soundscape. I also love all the evocative comments others have made, creates a sense of a community of scholars in the library.
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No matter how many great soundscapes are uploaded to myNoise, I keep coming back to this one. It creates a peaceful and productive environment instantly, every time, and it just elevates whatever I'm doing to a higher plane.
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A beautiful soundscape that elevates my mind from the chaotic world to a simpler and more focused way of life. As a college student who reads many ancient texts, I love the opportunity to immerse myself in the sounds the authors I read might've heard, complete with samples of the chant which inspired them.
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Love this! Tickles the ears just right to help focus, thank you so much. I think it's best when combined with one of the rain noise generators, but absolutely solid on its own too!
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This is great for focusing! I add the 'Dark Seas' generator to this, and pretend I'm imprisoned on a ship out at sea by warring copyist monks. (But they let me do my work in their library.) Great for an active imagination that needs to focus! :D
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I love this generator! It makes me calm :] Thank you.
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I'm a PhD student studying 17th century libraries. These sounds really put me in the mood and help me concentrate on writing my dissertation. I love the sounds of pen on parchment paper and the wood fire crackling in the background!
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This is amazing - I tried alot of different types of focus music including paid services such as Brain.FM but this works by far the best for me!
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This is my new favorite! I love the combination of the low-level rumble with the higher pitched details. Personally it feels a little too empty for me, so i like to open up cafe in another tab and add in just a bit of pseudo babble and rumble so it feels like im studying with other people :) This is perfect for when I need to read for my thesis but without the distraction of audible conversation.
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I swear I can smell the fire when I'm listening to this one!
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Getting a PhD in Physics and having to read and write code all day with ADHD means I am really often loosing track of what I need to do. When I feel like I can't focus, I go to this site, put my headphones on, and it helps so much. I feel like I can actually get my work down without a paralyzing anxiety or pressure. So relaxing! (I love the fireplace setting and turning up the calm office)
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This is just awesome! I work remotely, and how well this sound helps me to focus! Amazing! It is very cool! My productivity has increased significantly! Thank you!
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I love pairing this setup with the Harry Potter soundtracks! Makes me feel like I'm right there in the Hogwarts library studying alongside my classmates.
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Use this setting for some calm fire and scribbles. Love this site. It's amazing.
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My go-to whenever I visit the site. I listen to this whenever I'm in class or in desperate need of focus. As someone who has a hard time focusing, this ambience does the trick. The atmosphere is amazing, especially with headphones. It makes you feel as if you're actually in the library.
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I used this when teaching my class remotely on Teams during lockdown, to provide a shared, quiet soundscape while the students were working on an individual task. Perfect for unobtrusively keeping us together in the same environment despite our physical separation.
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Oh yes, this one is on my list, added a little water from a fountain and this is prefect for concentration. AND for feeling of safeness/comfort.
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I'm a PhD student and programmer. Having to withstand COVID-19 quarantine and being forced to work from home, I was looking for the ultimate motivational background, and this is the best one I've heard so far. Even better than the noises from my lab :) This, plus the occasional voices of some friends working over voice chat, changed the endurability of my quarantine. Thank you Stephane!
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Doing homework in my 21st century bedroom feeling like I'm a 14th century monk transcribing ancient texts.
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Fireplace + Library = Focus
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Love the sound of the grandfather clock in the background, feels like my grandma's old house with her various clocks that always went off at each hour. Doo-doo-doo-doo...
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This sound is so beautiful, inspiring, and profound... all while having just the right amount of "zen" to study with. The atmosphere is so perfectly curated that I can envision myslef transported back to a time when prevalence of technology was never such a distraction. I can't count the hours that I've listened to this while writing notes or cramming for a test. Pure bliss, extremely grateful!!
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Amazing atmosphere. Recalling "The Name of the Rose" and the good old "Undying" videogame.
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This one has quickly become a favorite of mine when combined with both Sleeping Dragon and White Rain.
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I'm such a history nut and this is so cool! Thank you myNoise :]
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This is undoubtedly the perfect environment for writing, and it's amazing how well the entirety of the environment has been captured. It really feels as if the centuries that have passed have fallen away and you can immerse yourself completely in the quiet solitude of studying, writing, or reading, the way it was done for ages upon ages in human history.
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This composite really helps me settle my mind to work.
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Transports me instantly to the historical athenaeum library in Providence, a temple to bygone sanctuaries of study, steeped in the scent of aged paper and echoing with the murmurs of old architecture.
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I actually cannot believe what an awesome effect the music and sounds effects have on my productivity! I love them sooooo much because i can customise to my liking, so thanks for making this delightful website! I feel so transported back in time to a place I've never even been, and yet I can feel the crackling of the fire's warmth, hear the footsteps and imagine what life would have been like x
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Ornate as it is, the towering clock beside your table ticks a steady, simple rhythm. People come and go from this hall quietly to work and respect one another's blissful work ethic. The bellower directly above the hall is a comforting, reverberating time piece, bringing all aware to the present as it fills the candle lit vaulted ceilings with it's warm baritone.
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Wonderful! I'm using this to study physics and linear algebra. I can almost feel the firelight. Very comforting... I like animating the sliders and believing that the singers are taking breaks at rehearsal, haha. I may combine this with a distant rain generator if I want some variation. Thanks!!!
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I'm soooooo glad I found it! And quite emotional about That Polish background photo! This one suits my essay topic perfectly so it'll accompany me while a long journey...
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A background music that evokes a remote ancient time.
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This brings me back to my childhood house, sitting in the living room on a dark winter night. The fire crackles warmly while the wind howls safely outside. My sisters are diligently doing school work and I'm probably reading goosebumbs or something. This generator makes me feel safe and secure just like that old house had. Thanks for another flawless generator.
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This is SO relaxing. I can't stop listening to it. I'm obsessed, I don't even wanna do anything I just wanna close my eyes and hear this.
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I couldn't go to class and had to work on my own, but my room in wayyyy too quiet. This had a weirdly calming and focusing effect on me. I has trouble to focus when there either too much or too little background noises and boyyy this helped me so much! Thank you for your work!
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My favorites to pair with this are Singing Bowls and Marimba. It makes me feel like a wizard doing research in old tomes, while others around me do the same.
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What a delightful feeling of absolute peace. A quiet place to think, relax, and to dream. The distant chants offer the barest hint of a spiritual place. I can feel my pulse slowing just writing this. Well done.
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Glorious this ambience. The howling wind, the fire, the choir and the bell. Simply perfect. It's a bit of a relaxing time when you're out and about.
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Imagine sitting in a lighthouse, stormy weather outside...
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Of all the excellent myNoise soundscapes, this is my favourite to listen to while I'm working. It's atmospheric without being distracting -- and I would have expected Gregorian chanting to be a distraction! I can listen for hours.
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Wonderful atmosphere, very conducive to focus. I boosted the 'cosiness' of it by adding in 'Distant Thunder' generator, set a little bit quieter than this one. Now, working away in this quiet warm place is definitely more attractive than the storm outside!
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I am so happy to find this gen. Libraries are a place of peace, solace, and safety. When I'm doing school work (I'm a prof now), this background is soothing and helps me stay focused.
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Please add even more libraries. And even other rooms. This background is so cool. I'm always looking for things that help me focus on work or make it more pleasant. Thanks for this one.
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I teach sacred geometry and sacred sculpture. I take my inspiration from all over the world, it is all one at its root source. This is just as it feels. Sitting in candlelight in the library, compass in hand, colours of berry juice for the quills lightly brushed with holy oils. Vespers, the hammers of the cathedrals, the bells of the nearby abby wafting thru the air. Most wondrously captured.
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I like the long silent periods in some of the sliders. It feels quite real as if it is truly happening now. It also helps me stay on track much longer. It looks like our ear (well brain) needs changes so it can rest and refocus - like a computer-restart only on a small scale. Well done.
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