The sound libraries
23 stops he knows how to call.
Most alarm apps sort sounds by what they are: chimes, bells, tones. Whistlestop sorts them by where you are going. Choose Medication and the conductor announces that stop, and the doors open on a pill bottle, a blister pack, a glass being filled. You know why you were interrupted before you have looked at your phone, and that is most of the cost of the interruption already paid.
Each line below is what is waiting for you when the doors open. It is the last thing you hear rather than the whole of it: the bell that starts it, the way he calls it and the place you step out into are all different every time as well.
Hear four of them
Straight out of the app, nothing re-recorded for this page. Headphones are not required, but the first two are worth playing back to back.
One plays at a time, and nothing starts on its own.
Wake Up
For getting up in the morning.
Roosters, dawn birdsong, a kettle, a shower starting, an old twin bell clock.
Medication
For pills, vitamins and anything on a schedule.
A pill bottle rattling, a blister pack, an organizer lid, water into a glass.
Eat
For breakfast, lunch, dinner and the snack in between.
A pan sizzling, a toaster, cutlery on a plate, a dinner bell.
Drink
For a glass of water, and another one later.
Water pouring, ice in a glass, a bottle cap, a drinking fountain.
Leave
For heading out the door.
Keys, a front door closing, an engine starting, a platform chime.
Appointments
For the dentist, the doctor and anything with a time booked.
A waiting room chime, a reception bell, a clipboard, a calendar page.
Meetings
For calls, classes and anything with other people in it.
A phone ringing, a call join chime, a room filling up, a chair rolling.
Focus
For sitting down to work, read or write.
Typing, a pencil on paper, a page turning, one clear bell.
Stop
For breaks, and for knowing when to stop.
A buzzer, a whistle, a gong, a chair pushed back, a long exhale.
Walk
For a walk, with or without a dog.
Gravel underfoot, a leash, a park, wind in trees, sneakers on the sidewalk.
Workout
For the gym, a run, a stretch or a swim.
Weights, a jump rope, a whistle, a ball on a court, a pool.
Bedtime
For putting the day down.
Crickets, an owl, rain on a window, a fire, a music box, wind chimes.
Washing Up
For showers, teeth and the rest of it.
A shower running, an electric toothbrush, a faucet, a hairdryer.
On The Stove
For the oven, the stove and the laundry.
An oven timer, water boiling, a dryer buzzer, a kettle clicking off.
Chores
For tidying, bins, dishes and the rest of the house.
A vacuum, a broom, dishes, a spray bottle, a trash bag, the truck outside.
Pets
For the ones who cannot set an alarm themselves.
A bark, a meow, kibble into a bowl, a leash, an aquarium, purring.
Kids
For pickups, drop-offs and practice.
A school bell, a playground, a car seat buckle, a backpack zip.
Reach Out
For calls, texts and checking in on people.
A phone ringing, a text chime, a mailbox, a doorbell.
Errands
For the things to buy, collect and post.
A cart, a store door chime, a scanner, a receipt, a paper bag.
Money
For bills and anything with a due date on it.
A register, coins, a card terminal, a calculator, an envelope tearing.
Paperwork
For deadlines and forms.
Fast typing, a stamp, paper shuffling, a printer, a stapler.
General
For any alarm at all.
The conductor, with nothing to say about what this one is for.
Classic
For the alarm sounds you already know.
The beeps, the radar sweep, the old bedside ring. No conductor.
An alarm can draw from more than one.
Check as many as you like for one alarm, or set it to everything you own and let it grow as new libraries arrive. The app tells you in plain words how much variety that alarm actually has, and warns you if you have narrowed it far enough that you will start hearing repeats.
Anything you dislike, gone everywhere.
Block a sound and it leaves every alarm, not just the one that played it. Blocks are reversible from settings, because people block things by accident. The one thing the app will not do quietly is break an alarm you pinned that exact sound to: it tells you, and asks.
Or none of them, and your own instead.
Record your own voice, or bring in audio you already have, and either drop it into the rotation or pin it as the only thing that alarm ever plays. Recording and importing are Pro. Pinning something you already have is free, because behaving like an ordinary alarm should never cost money.
Whistlestop is nearly here.
Leave your email and you will get one message the day it is out. No newsletter, no drip sequence, and your address goes nowhere else.
