Shepard Tone Generator
Lower your volume before pressing Play — the effect is sharper with headphones, but also more tiring.
In 1964, Roger N. Shepard described a "circular" pitch illusion: the Shepard scale creates the impression of a tone that rises (or falls) endlessly. Used in cinema (Dunkirk, The Dark Knight) and music. This tool plays several stacked octaves with a bell-shaped envelope to produce the illusion.
BPM
WAV Export Options
Use cases
- Film sound design: illusion of relentless rising tension (e.g. Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk).
- Psychoacoustic demo: illustrate an auditory illusion in class, talk or museum.
- Music composition: ambiances that suggest perpetual motion.
- Video games: signal mounting pressure without saturating the mix.
- Meditation / hypnosis: enveloping, immersive, hypnotic sound.
Real-world uses
Here are concrete examples where this tool has been used:
- YouTube Short: Tim, developer of the indie game Starchitect, uses this generator to build continuous tension in his game.
FAQ
How does it work, exactly?
Several sine waves play simultaneously, each one octave above the previous. A bell-shaped (Gaussian) volume envelope attenuates the extremes. When a note steps up an octave, it gradually fades out at the top while a new one fades in at the bottom — the ear perceives an endless ascent.
Why does it feel weird?
That's the illusion: your brain tries to assign a definite pitch to a sound that has none. With headphones, the effect is sharper than with speakers.
Spaced vs full mode?
Spaced (♩ 𝄽 𝄽 ♩): note plays 1/4, rest 2/4, note 1/4 — rhythmic effect. Full (𝅝): note held for the entire beat — smooth, continuous illusion.
What is the "continuous glissando"?
It's the note-free version of the illusion (the Shepard-Risset glissando): instead of playing notes one by one, the frequencies glide continuously, never stopping. The Tempo setting controls the glide speed. The Note rhythm menu still matters: 𝅝 gives a smooth, continuous glide, while ♩ 𝄽 𝄽 ♩ chops it into rhythmic pulses (the glide keeps going, but the volume beats time at the tempo). Only "Starting note" has no effect in this mode.
Which export quality should I pick?
The default 24-bit / 48 kHz is the standard for audio post-production (film, broadcast). If you work in a floating-point chain, pick 32-bit float. For CD distribution, 16-bit / 44.1 kHz is enough.
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