How to build a custom sound masking profile for your tinnitus

Most people who try sound masking for tinnitus start with a single sound. They open an app, pick white noise or rain, adjust the volume, and stop there. For some, that is enough. For many, it is not. The sound does not feel right, or it works for a while and then stops being useful, or it just does not interact with their tinnitus in any meaningful way.

The issue is usually not the concept of sound masking, which has been studied since Feldmann (1971) published the first systematic research on the topic. The issue is that a single preset sound is one person's guess at what your ears need. Your tinnitus has its own pitch, character, and behaviour. It changes throughout the day (Pan et al., 2015). A fixed sound cannot account for any of that.

Building a custom sound masking profile means constructing a layered sound environment that matches your specific tinnitus characteristics, your listening preferences, and the context you are in. This guide walks through how to do that, step by step.

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Step 1: Explore your tinnitus pitch

Before choosing sounds, it is useful to know approximately where your tinnitus sits in the frequency spectrum. This is not a medical measurement. It is a piece of information that helps you make more informed decisions about which sounds to use and how to configure them.

Most tinnitus signals fall somewhere between 2,000 Hz and 8,000 Hz, though the range varies widely. Moore, Vinay, and Sandhya (2010) found a strong correlation (r = 0.94) between tinnitus pitch and the audiometric "edge frequency" where hearing loss worsens. Some people perceive a low hum under 1,000 Hz. Others hear a very high tone above 10,000 Hz. Many hear multiple tones.

A pitch exploration tool works by playing a series of reference tones through your headphones. You compare each tone to what you hear internally. When the external tone is close to your tinnitus pitch, you may notice the two signals interact: they blend, create a beating pattern, or seem to occupy the same auditory space. That frequency range is your starting point.

An audiologist can perform this measurement with calibrated equipment for greater precision. Self-guided exploration gives you a useful approximation.

Frequency matching explained covers this concept in more detail.

Step 2: Choose your base sound

The base sound is the foundation layer of your profile. It should be continuous, stable, and broad enough in frequency content to create a consistent background.

If your tinnitus is high-pitched (above 4,000 Hz): Start with pink noise or a nature sound with strong mid-to-high frequency content, like rain or flowing water. These sounds carry energy in the frequency range where your tinnitus likely sits.

If your tinnitus is mid-range (1,000 to 4,000 Hz): Brown noise or a deeper ambient texture can provide a solid foundation. You can then add a higher-frequency layer to reach the tinnitus range specifically.

If your tinnitus is low-pitched (below 1,000 Hz): This is less common but real. A base layer of brown or even lower-frequency rumble may be most relevant. White noise, with its emphasis on higher frequencies, may add energy where you do not need it.

If you are not sure: Pink noise is a reasonable default. Its frequency distribution maps roughly to how human hearing perceives loudness across the spectrum, which makes it feel balanced.

Set the base layer to a comfortable volume. Not loud. Just present enough that the room does not feel silent.

Step 3: Add a frequency-targeted layer

This is where your pitch exploration information becomes useful. Add a second sound layer and use pitch control to shift it toward the frequency range of your tinnitus.

The second layer does not need to be the same type of sound as the base. In fact, variety is better. If your base is pink noise, your second layer might be a tonal masker, a narrow-band noise, or an ambient texture with a different character.

Use the pitch control to move this layer up or down until it sits near your tinnitus frequency. Research supports this frequency-targeted approach: Perez-Carpena et al. (2021) found that pure tones and narrowband noise centred on the individual's tinnitus pitch produced higher rates of temporary tinnitus suppression than broadband noise. You are looking for a point where the external sound and the tinnitus seem to interact acoustically. The two signals should feel like they are in the same neighbourhood.

Set this layer at a lower volume than the base. Its purpose is to add targeted energy, not to dominate the mix.

Step 4: Add depth with a third layer

Two layers is a strong starting point. A third layer adds depth and variety that makes the overall environment harder for your brain to solve and filter out. Norena and Eggermont (2005) demonstrated that enriched acoustic environments (with structured sound covering the relevant frequency range) can counteract maladaptive neural plasticity in the auditory cortex, supporting the value of richer, multi-layered sound environments.

Good options for a third layer:

• A nature sound (wind, stream, ocean) that adds organic variation to the mix without introducing sharp or sudden changes.
• A different noise colour at a contrasting pitch, filling in a frequency gap between your base and targeted layers.
• A textural ambient sound that adds spatial complexity.

Keep the third layer quieter than the first two. It is a complement, not a core element.

Step 5: Fine-tune pitch and volume across layers

With three layers running, the next step is refinement. This is where precision controls make the difference between a generic sound background and a profile that feels specifically right for you.

Pitch adjustments. Small pitch shifts can change how a layer interacts with your tinnitus. Moving a layer up or down by even a small amount may change the perceived relationship between the masking sound and the internal signal. Go slowly. Listen for a few seconds at each position before moving on.

Volume balance. The relative volume between layers matters as much as the absolute volume of the overall mix. Smith et al. (1991) found that experienced tinnitus-masker users chose levels that only partially masked their tinnitus, suggesting that partial masking (where both the masking sound and the tinnitus remain audible) is preferred. If the targeted layer is too loud, it will dominate. If it is too quiet, it will not contribute to the masking effect. The goal is a cohesive blend where no single layer stands out.

Spatial character. If your tool offers DSP effects (reverb, filtering), these can add spatial width and depth to the mix. A small amount of reverb on one layer, for example, can make the overall sound environment feel more enveloping.

Step 6: Save and iterate

A custom profile is not a permanent configuration. Tinnitus fluctuates. Your perception changes across the day, across stress levels, across seasons. What works at night may not work during the day. What works on a quiet day may need adjustment when your tinnitus is more prominent.

Save your profile so you can recall it instantly. Then create variations:

• A daytime profile with slightly higher volume and more mid-range energy for working alongside ambient noise.
• An evening profile with lower volume and more low-frequency emphasis as the environment quiets down.
• An active tinnitus profile with the targeted layer adjusted for days when the signal feels more prominent.

Over time, you will build a library of profiles that cover different situations. The ability to switch between them quickly is the practical advantage of a customizable tool over a preset-only app.

Using a 5-layer mixer effectively

Three layers is a strong starting point, but a 5-layer mixer opens additional possibilities for people who want more control.

Layer 4: environmental context. A very quiet layer of environmental sound (a distant room tone, subtle wind) can add a sense of place that makes the overall mix feel less synthetic.

Layer 5: pitch variation. A second frequency-targeted layer at a slightly different pitch than your primary one can widen the frequency band you are covering. If your tinnitus has some bandwidth (it is not a pure tone but a range) two targeted layers at slightly different pitches can cover more of that range.

The principle with five layers is the same as with three: each layer should serve a distinct purpose, and the volume balance should feel cohesive. More layers does not mean louder. It means richer.

Why this approach works better than presets

Preset-only apps limit you to sounds that someone else designed for a generic audience. A custom profile is built around your tinnitus, your preferences, and your context. The difference is control.

Siasola Tinnitus Masking Sounds was built for exactly this kind of sound construction. It includes 95+ sounds, a 5-layer mixer with independent volume and pitch controls per layer, DSP effects, and the ability to save and recall configurations. Justin, the developer, built it because he has tinnitus and wanted a tool with the precision to build profiles like the ones described in this guide. It is a sound customization tool, not a medical device.

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References

1. Feldmann H. Homolateral and contralateral masking of tinnitus by noise-bands and by pure tones. Audiology. 1971;10(3):138-144. doi:10.3109/00206097109072551

2. Moore BCJ, Vinay, Sandhya. The relationship between tinnitus pitch and the edge frequency of the audiogram in individuals with hearing impairment and tonal tinnitus. Hearing Research. 2010;261(1-2):51-56. doi:10.1016/j.heares.2010.01.003

3. Norena AJ, Eggermont JJ. Enriched acoustic environment after noise trauma reduces hearing loss and prevents cortical map reorganisation. Journal of Neuroscience. 2005;25(3):699-705. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2226-04.2005

4. Pan T, Tyler RS, Ji H, Coelho C, Gogel SA. Differences among patients that make their tinnitus worse or better. American Journal of Audiology. 2015;24(4):469-476. doi:10.1044/2015_AJA-15-0020

5. Perez-Carpena P, Bibas A, Lopez-Escamez JA, Vardonikolaki K, Kikidis D. Systematic review of sound stimulation to elicit tinnitus residual inhibition. Progress in Brain Research. 2021;262:1-21. doi:10.1016/bs.pbr.2021.01.020

6. Smith PA, Parr VM, Lutman ME, Coles RR. Comparative study of four noise spectra as potential tinnitus maskers. British Journal of Audiology. 1991;25(1):25-34. doi:10.3109/03005369109077861

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siasola Tinnitus Masking Sounds is a sound customization tool. It is not a medical device and does not claim to produce any health outcome. If you have tinnitus, consult an audiologist or healthcare provider for professional guidance. Individual experiences with sound masking vary widely.