Behind the Scenes: Recording the sounds for the timer

Hey fellow meditators 👋

I thought it might be fun to share a little behind-the-scenes look at how I record the sounds you hear in the free meditation timer and the premium meditation timer

All of our sounds are recorded in-house, using professional gear and careful techniques. Every tone is created organically — we don’t use stock sounds or synthetic shortcuts (unless we want that vibe! which I dont!).

Step 1: Finding the Right Source Object

First, I choose the object I want to record. In this case, it’s a humble bike bell — simple, but with a beautifully gentle and pure tone that I love for meditation.

Step 2: The Recording Setup

I use an SE Electronics SE2200A condenser microphone, plugged into a Zoom H5 recorder. This setup captures high-quality audio with lots of clarity.

Step 3: Creating the Best Possible Sound

To make sure the sound is clean and clear, I record in WAV format, use a quiet room to eliminate background noise, and minimize room reverb using sound shields, padding, and even pillows around the mic.

I usually record several takes to capture different nuances, then bring them into my audio editor of choice: Reaper.

Step 4: Editing and Processing

In Reaper, I:

• Select the best take
• Trim the audio to remove any silence before or after
• Normalize the volume to match the rest of the sounds in the timer
• Apply a strong high-pass EQ to remove unwanted low frequencies
• Adjust the final volume to just below 0dB

Once everything sounds right, I export it as a 160kbps MP3 file and bring it into the timer app.

And that’s it — it’s ready for you to use in your practice!

What’s Available in the Premium Timer

For those using the premium version of the timer, you get access to a growing library of carefully recorded sounds, including:

• Multiple authentic Tibetan bowls
• A variety of Tingsha bells
• Soft, gentle bell tones
• Crystal bowls
• 440hz tuning fork
• Hang drum
• Select synthetic tones

Each sound is crafted to support a calm, focused, and grounded meditation experience. Thanks for letting our little tones be part of your journey 🙏

You can find out more about the Meditation timer and hear more of the high quality sounds here.

You can use the free meditation timer here.