I’ve always loved the (Not Boring) apps. The 3D aspect of the app makes the task at hand feel so much more fun and full of life, whether that be checking the weather or logging a habit. However, when I heard that Andy (the developer) was planning on making a soundscape app, I had some skepticism. I’ve always used Endel for soundscapes, which serves me well. They just have such a big presence in the soundscape industry, that I thought that Vibes wouldn’t beat out Endel for a while. In spite of my doubts, I remained hopeful and boy am I glad that I did. This app is so much fun to use and helps me so much, and I would recommend it to anyone. I even got to talk to Andy about a few aspects of the app and it made me love the app even more.
Design
The (Not Boring) set of apps has always had the most charming designs. It’s always fun to play around with the 3D sets of clouds and rain in the weather app, the numbers in the calculator app, and the time in the timers app. While Vibes takes a completely different approach to this design, I have to say it’s really grown on me. The main interface shows your “digital environment” as I like to call it, along with small controls on the sides. After asking Andy what he drew his design choices from, he said that "I got the idea of traversing a planet from the game Outer Wilds and the standard game UI on the sides from Breath Of The Wild." The environment can easily be moved around with the swipes of a finger, and the buttons on the side can give you even more control on the digital environment. This video game-esque feel is an interesting approach to how soundscape apps look compared to the monotone looks of before, and I quite like the upgrade.
Sound
Now obviously the soundscape app has to have good sound and Vibes is no exception. While Endel has some more advanced options like sound tuning and more scientifically backed scenarios, Vibes just feels better. I feel immersed in the soundscape I’m listening to, and it’s much easier to focus compared to something like a playlist. As I write this, I’m listening to the focus soundscape and I haven’t felt distracted while writing. After talking with Andy he said that the "Sounds were composed by Thomas Williams (@thomas_sound on Twitter)." You should go follow him to say thanks!
There are also different controls you can put on each soundscape; one adjusts the energy level and the other changes how far away and distant the soundscape feels. These adjustments feel like they're all their own separate thing, yet they are completely integrated at the same time. For example, I love using the “boost” and “distant” settings when writing, as it gives me the energy to write and the feeling that I am immersed in my thoughts. Andy mentioned in the interview that "It was a lot of trial and error to dial in sounds that functioned for each vibe," and I think it paid off well, as everything just feels like it's meant for whatever your doing.
While I haven’t used the other soundscapes as much as focus, the relax soundscape also is amazing, feeling more like a chill video game soundtrack than a “you need to relax” soundscape that I’m used to on apps like Endel. The rise soundscape, which eases you into the energy of the soundscapes, also perfectly complements the soundscape I’m traveling into. The move soundscape literally made me want to get off of my feet and walk around a little bit, and the sleep soundscape feels amazing (I’ll test it tonight.) All in all, these are amazing soundscapes that feel amazing.
Improvements
Vibes is such an amazing app, and I would love to see it improved to the point of perfection. To start, I would put in different soundscapes such as a deep sleep one for sleep and a recovery mode for relax, which could provide quick, deep relaxation. This could be implemented inside of the already built soundscapes, creating another dial on the side, or they could be their own separate thing. One other thing is this would be an absolutely amazing app for Vision Pro. If Apple supports third-party environments in certain apps, imagine being in this video game-like world while working on other things. Basically, there are a few minor things that I would love to see in the future, but this is still an amazing app. Also, in my interview with Andy, he mentioned that they are "...playing with ideas for the Vision Pro." so stay tuned!
Summary
Vibes feels like the perfect app for someone looking for amazing soundscapes. The design is amazing, the soundscapes are just near perfect, and it feels amazing right out of download. This app is available for free with all the core features, and you can unlock different themes and icons for the app with a yearly subscription of $15 a year. Overall, this is an amazing app that everyone should get and gets my full approval. 10/10 Andy, great job.
