Soundscape Modulation
Adding a new way to customize and modulate soundscapes to the Yudemon HRV app
Imagine a soundscape that breathes with you as you practice resonance breathing. That’s essentially what the most recent Yudemon HRV app update offers.
Customizable soundscapes — specifically designed for heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback training and resonance breathing — are at the heart of the Yudemon experience. The latest version of the iOS app, now available on the App Store, adds a new section to the settings called “Modulation.”
Similar to the existing “Effects” section, modulation allows for customization and increased sonic variation of the soundscapes. Whereas effects are applied to the soundscape in a consistent way, modulation applies changes to the soundscape that shift over the course of each breathing cycle.
The first type of modulation, introduced with this update, is “Loudness.” This allows you to apply a loudness envelope to the soundscape, so that the volume changes in a rhythmic pattern along with your breathing.
A neutral setting means no modulation is applied, while a positive (negative) setting means the soundscape gets quieter towards the end of the inhale (exhale), giving the soundscape itself a breath-like feeling.
This idea was inspired by research out of Georgia Tech and MIT Media Lab, published in the article Engineering Music to Slow Breathing and Invite Relaxed Physiology, which showed that applying simple cyclic loudness envelopes to background music could induce a state of calmness in listeners (measured via breathing rate and variability as proxy metrics).
Just like every other soundscape and visualization parameter, loudness modulation can also be randomized automatically, providing entirely unique listening experiences with every new breathing session.
Expect more types of modulation, like a low-pass filter, to come in the near future. And bigger updates might also be in the works at the moment, so stay tuned.
