Sounds tab

Sounds tab is the a tab in Prana Breath app for setting all the sounds of the app in a pleasant way. Some features are available for Guru version only.

What can you see and set in Sounds tab

In action bar

(from left to right)

• The name of the tab — "General Sounds"
• Menu button in the right corner, that comprises "Info" and "Reset" items.

In main screen

Here you can see different sound settings that are described in details below.

• Note that all changes that you do here are applied to all your trainings, unless you have set the particular sound set for a certain training type.

Background sounds

Background sounds is the music that sounds during the breathing phases and repose cycles, and aims to help you concentrating on your practice and distinguishing one phase from another. This section is collapsed by default, so please expand it, tapping on its name.

Volume

This options lets you to set the volume of background sounds comparing to the volume of any other sound in the app. For instance, if you choose "100%" for background sound, "50%" for phase transition sound and "10%" for metronome, while practicing you will hear the background sounds as loudest, phase transition sounds - as moderate, and metronome - as quiet.

1. Press on the green seek bar right to "Volume" item.
2. Scroll to the left or to the right to change the value, in the range from "off" to 100%.

• The volume of all sounds within the app is controlled by your system settings anyway.

Background sound style

1. Tap on "Background sound style" item.
2. Pick a style that you'd like, and listen to it right in this dialog.
3. Once you've decided, press "OK".

• Note that all other settings for background sounds apply to the preview immediately, so you can check how it sounds without starting the training.
• First few sound styles are available in free version, the rest - in Guru version only.

Download new background sound style

You can get new sound styles that we've prepared for you:

1. Tap on "Background sound style" item.
2. Tap on big "+" button on bottom left.
3. Choose "Download".
4. You will be redirected to a special wiki page with new sound styles. There you can listen to and download new sound files. They will be imported to the app automatically.

• Note that the sound will be faded the very same way as for the default if you've have those options turned on.
• It is available for Guru version only.

Custom file as background sound style

If you would like to set your own music as a background sound style, do the following:

1. Tap on "Background sound style" item.
2. Tap on big "+" button on bottom left.
3. Choose "Create".
4. Name a new sound style.
5. Decide if you'd like to have one music track as a background sound, or a separate one for each of breathing phases.
6. If first, tap on "File" and find a track that you'd like.
7. If second, turn "For each phase" switch on and choose tracks for the phases you'd like, as well as for repose cycle.
8. Tap on "Save on top right.
9. Listen to the chosen music right in background sound style choice dialog, if you wish. Press OK.

• If you haven't chosen a separate track for some phase, the same track as for a previous phase will be played.
• Note that the sound will be faded the very same way as for the default if you've have those options turned on.
• It is available for Guru version only.

Fade time and Fade level

Fade time is the time period in the end of breath phase, while the background sound subsides, and in the beginning of the next phase, while the sound gets louder.
Fade level is the degree of this sound fade. Using of those settings lets you finish and start with the phases in a smooth way, as they inform you about the end of a phase coming. It works for repose cycle as well.

• On the picture below there is a graph of a sound volume, and what happens if you set the values of fade time and fade level other than zero (in this case, Fade time = 3, Fade level = 80%). The sound has a regular volume during the "inhale" until the 3rd second before the phase transition, then it subsides for 80% (that means to 20% of initial volume). When another phase, "exhale", starts, the sound goes back to the regular volume in 3 seconds.
  

File:Prana breath fade level fade time scheme.jpg
Set those values this way:

1. Press on the green seek bar right to "Fade time" and "Fade level" item.
2. Scroll to the left or to the right to change the value, in the range from "off" to 10 s and from "off" to 100%.
3. Once you see the needed value, release the finger.
4. You can listen how it sounds without exiting this tab, taping on "Background sound style" item above.

• Note if you turn off one of those parameters, the other won't work either.

Mute phases

There's an option to make breathing phases and repose cycle mute, that is silent. You will hear no background sounds during those phases, but it won't affect metronome and phase transition sound. To make some phases mute, do the following:

1. Press on "Mute phases" item.
2. Mark the check boxes of the phases you'd like to be silent. You can choose neither one, some or all of them. Press OK.

Fix the sounds in 4.0 - 4.3

As it turned out, there is a sound system problem for Android versions from 4.0 to 4.3, that interfere with the normal sound output during some phases. Unfortunately, as the developer, there's nothing I can do with that, unless implementing the following option.

• Please mark "Retain" and "Sustain" check boxes in "Mute phases" item, so there will be no mess with the sounds, but at least you will hear the sounds for "inhale" and "exhale" phases

Background sound channels

You can add a couple background sound channels (the quantity depends on your device). All of channels that are on, will be played at the same time during the training. Here is how you add, edit and remove new sound channels:

1. In Sounds tab, tap on big "+" button on bottom left.
2. Choose "Background sound" item.
3. Set its volume and style the very same way as for the main channel. Same works with editing.
4. If you don't need it anymore, tap on "Garbage can" icon on the right to its name.

• Note that sound fading is not applied to any other background sound channel but the main one.

Metronome

Metronome is the regular ticking sound during your training that aims to help you to keep track of time while practicing and to concentrate on this very moment.

Volume

Works the same way as for background sounds volume.

• Note that if you have have chosen the vibration, the metronome volume seek bar regulates the length of a vibration.

Frequency

Frequency is the parameter that indicates how often the metronome is ticking.

1. Press on the green seek bar right to "Frequency" item.
2. Scroll to the left or to the right to change the value, in the range from 1 s to 10 s.
3. You can listen how it sounds without exiting this tab, taping on "Metronome style" item below.

Metronome style

Works the same way as for background sounds style.

• You can download and create new metronome sound styles the similar way as background sound style, except that it's not possible to add different metronome sounds for different breathing phases. Please make sure the sound is short enough to fit nicely into your sound experience.
• Some metronome styles are available for a free version, the rest - for Guru version only.
• Vibration works only if your device supports it.
  

Diverse pitch

Pitch is the quality that makes it possible to judge sounds as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies.
If you choose to turn the "Diverse pitch" switch on, the metronome sound will become higher from the phase beginning to its middle, and lower - from its middle till its end. Please see the graph below for clearing it out. In the case shown, a phase that lasts 9 seconds, will obtain the highest pitch at 4,5 seconds.

It can guide you through the phase effectively, along with "fade time" and "fade level" and phase transition diverse pitch.

Phase transition

Phase transition is the sound that indicates the shift between breath phases (or repose cycles) that aims to guide you trough the training and to help you to distinguish one phase from another.

Volume

Works the same way as for background sounds volume.

• Note that if you have have chosen the vibration, the phase transition volume seek bar regulates the length of a vibration.

Phase transition style

Works the same way as for background sounds style.

• You can download and create new phase transition sound styles the similar way as background sound style, except that it's not possible to add different phase transition sounds for different breathing phases. Please make sure the sound is short enough to fit nicely into your sound experience.
• Some styles are available for a free version, the rest - for Guru version only.
• Vibration works only if your device supports it.
  

Diverse pitch

As the metronome diverse pitch, phase transition sound diverse pitch guides you through the training, as you will be able to identify what new phase is coming next without looking at the screen.
If you choose to turn the "Diverse pitch" switch on, the phase transition sounds will have different pitches as on the graph below. "Retain" sound pitch is the highest, then go "inhale", "exhale" and "sustain" sounds. As you might notice, this pitch chart is much alike the Line training chart.

File:Prana breath phase transition pitch.jpg
It can guide you through the cycle effectively, along with "fade time" and "fade level" and metronome diverse pitch

Occasional sounds

Occasional sounds are the random occurring sounds that may spice up your breathing experience.

• They are available for Guru version only.

Occasional sound channels

You can add one or a couple occasional sound channels (the quantity depends on your device). All of channels that are on, will be played during the training. Here is how you add, edit and remove new sound channels:

1. In Sounds tab, tap on big "+" button on bottom left.
2. Choose "Occasional sound" item.
3. If you need any channel no more, tap on "Garbage can" icon on the right to its name.

Volume

Works the same way as for background sounds volume.

Frequency

Thus the sound is played randomly, you can affect how often it will occur. Set the needed frequency - from "very rare" to "very often".

Occasional sound style

Works the same way as for background sounds style.

• You can download and create new occasional sound styles the similar way as background sound style. Please make6 sure the sound is short enough to fit nicely into your sound experience.

Other sounds

Other sounds are the rest of the sounds you can hear within the app, including the notification sound.

Volume

Works the same way as for background sounds volume.

Pause sound style

"Pause sound" can be heard if the training is paused. Choosing its style works the same way as for background sounds style.

• Vibration works only if your device supports it.
  

Stop sound style

"Stop sound" can be heard if the training is stopped so you can know that without looking at the screen in Training tab. Choosing its style works the same way as for background sounds style.

• Vibration works only if your device supports it.
  

Notification sound style

"Notification sound" can be heard when your reminder triggers. Choosing its style works the same way as for background sounds style.

• Vibration works only if your device supports it.
• NB! For Android 8.0 and later, you will be redirected to system settings, from where you can choose the notification sound style.
  

Text-to-speech

You can voice phase transition, breath methods and chants with text-to-speech. Please note it's not a human voice and in some language it may sound abrupt and unnatural.

1. Mark or unmark the check box needed.
2. Tap on "OK".

Reset sound settings

In case you want to go back to factory sound settings, you can do that easily.

1. Tap on the menu button on the right corner of an action bar. Choose "Reset" item.
2. Confirm your choice.

• Note this will affect this tab only, not your other settings or statistics!
  

Troubleshooting

If you can't hear the sounds while practicing, there are four common reasons:

1. your device sound volume is too low;
2. the app sounds are turned off;
3. you have a device with Android version 4.0-4.3;
4. you have modified animator duration scale or turned it off.