Ask HN: What do you listen to when you code? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What do you listen to when you code?

#51

Post by cyen » Tue, Aug 18, 2009, 9:34 AM UTC

when i focus - soundtrack music. this means john williams (jaws, memoirs of a geisha, minority report, star wars), bear mcreary (bsg), hans zimmer (gladiator, last samurai, the dark knight), howard shore (LOTR soundtrack!), michael giacchino (ratatouille), klaus badelt (pirates), etc.

it let me concentrate, by not having words, but also lets me register some background noise in order for me to focus on my code.

Re: Ask HN: What do you listen to when you code?

#52

Post by trapper » Tue, Aug 18, 2009, 9:48 AM UTC

mindhacker wrote: post #9

http://www.simplynoise.com/ http://www.simplynoise.com/download.html#soundscapes

Is there a rationale for this? I read on wikipedia but couldn't find anything - have links to any good papers?

Re: Ask HN: What do you listen to when you code?

#53

Post by rjprins » Tue, Aug 18, 2009, 11:04 AM UTC

mindhacker wrote: post #9

http://www.simplynoise.com/ http://www.simplynoise.com/download.html#soundscapes

Thanks for this, I usually listen to deep house/trance, but this is really relaxing.. I especially like the brown/red noise with oscillation.

Re: Ask HN: What do you listen to when you code?

#54

Post by kennu » Tue, Aug 18, 2009, 11:49 AM UTC

I usually watch tv or movies on my iMac's secondary screen while coding in vim on the primary. Most of the time it's not distracting. If it is, I switch to techno or trance on iTunes to get into the flow.

However, when reading books, I am unable to watch or listen to anything at the same time.. Silence required.

Re: Ask HN: What do you listen to when you code?

#55

Post by mindhacker » Tue, Aug 18, 2009, 11:59 AM UTC

trapper wrote: post #52

mindhacker wrote: post #9

http://www.simplynoise.com/ http://www.simplynoise.com/download.html#soundscapes

Is there a rationale for this? I read on wikipedia but couldn't find anything - have links to any good papers?

White noise is a common synthetic noise source used for sound masking by a Tinnitus masker.

White noise machines are sold as privacy enhancers and sleep aids and to mask tinnitus. White noise CDs, when used with headphones, can aid concentration by blocking out irritating or distracting noises in a person's environment. In open plan offices, large corporations such as ExxonMobil apply white noise to reduce the reach of speech, thus, by preventing office staff from being distracted by conversations in the background, safeguarding productivity.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_noise

Re: Ask HN: What do you listen to when you code?

#56

Post by woid » Tue, Aug 18, 2009, 12:50 PM UTC

A music for the space traveler: http://www.bluemars.org/

Re: Ask HN: What do you listen to when you code?

#57

Post by chanux » Tue, Aug 18, 2009, 1:09 PM UTC

Grooveshark.com | Mugasha.com

I like trance when studying. If I'm seriously in to the work, the music doesn't matter. I just want some music playing in the background.

And of course there are times I need just plain silence.

Re: Ask HN: What do you listen to when you code?

#58

Post by thismat » Tue, Aug 18, 2009, 1:28 PM UTC

Four Tet or similar, or silence.

Re: Ask HN: What do you listen to when you code?

#59

Post by abyssknight » Tue, Aug 18, 2009, 3:26 PM UTC

I usually hit Pandora at the start of the day and leave it on unless I'm in a meeting or working on a really difficult problem.

Re: Ask HN: What do you listen to when you code?

#60

Post by wkdown » Tue, Aug 18, 2009, 5:30 PM UTC

larrykubin wrote: post #3

Lately: Rock (Tool, Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, Rage, Muse) Post-Rock (Explosions in the Sky, Mono, Pelican, Mogwai) Hip-Hop (A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, Outkast, Digable Planets, The Coup) The post-rock/instrumental stuff probably works the best since you aren't tempted to sing, and it helps to listen to something that is a little more repetitive.

Two more good post-rock bands: ISIS and Red Sparowes

I also like to listen to some down-tempo/electronic stuff like Thievery Corporation, Kruder & Dorfmeister and Sound Tribe Sector 9.