SBaGen

First, a word of warning: While all the information on this page is provided with the hope that it will be useful, it is provided without warranty of any kind, implied or otherwise, and I cannot guarantee its complete accuracy. Binaural beats can be harmful to some people. For example, those with epilepsy may induce seizures in themselves. If you have any doubts, talk with your doctor before using any of the information on this page and before using binaural beats at all.

SBaGen is a free tool capable of generating binaural beats. Those who understand music theory know that when two tones very near each other in frequency are played, a beating effect can be heard at the difference in pitches. So, if you play a 440Hz and a 445Hz tone at the same time, you will hear a 5Hz beat in the tones. Binaural beats rely on a similar effect that occurs when one tone is played on each side in a pair of headphones--the brain actually mixes the signals! While the sounds do not have the opportunity physically to mix, a beat is still perceived, and this beat can entrain the brain towards the frequency of this beat.

"Papercut Suicide" contains an extensive frequency listing including useful binaural frequencies as well as frequencies of other types. This listing generally provides my starting point when I want to create a new toneset or sequence.

Probably my most often used toneset is a simple (in sbagen syntax): pink/67 300-10/2. It is very useful for a gentle wakeup or even for relaxation before bed. While rarely necessary, it has helped me immensely when used to stabilize my sleep schedule and make my days more functional.

Another favorite is 12Hz. I find it often useful as a bridge between frequencies, although I've had bad experiences playing it for an extended period of time without playing 10Hz for a bit first. It has a great way of blanking the mind in a way that goes away as soon as you kill the tone, at which point it can resume normal functioning at an often improved efficiency.

5Hz, followed by 10Hz, can be useful for quick and refreshing naps when sleeping is inconvenient or impossible. I have used this to carry me for days, with decent results... certainly better than just dosing up on caffeine!

I've also used 5Hz to get to sleep, but my favorite toneset for sleep is: 125.28+3.915/10 117.45-3.915/10 pink/40 (with some variation on the relative volumes depending on what feels appropriate at the time and with the current headphones or earphones). This is in a 'harmonic box X' construction best explained here, and thus it creates an 'accidental' 7.83Hz in addition to the obvious 3.915Hz. I've found that this construct can empower a toneset, so long as you don't mind the harmonically related binaural appearing (in this case it is complementary and furthers the purpose of getting to sleep). This can knock me out for many, many hours... using it without an alarm clock is a bad idea!

Another potentially beneficial toneset: 316.8+19.8/10 277.2-19.8/10 pink/40--useful for a quick jolt back into wakefulness. I never play it for too long though, except for in combination with a 12Hz that also preceeds it, and even then the high frequencies aren't allowed to play for too long... at least with me, they can induce headaches or otherwise trash my mood.

Well, I hope you have found this helpful! I will update this page as I gain more experience in binaural beats, so feel free to check back!