Meditation timer with gong
Set the duration, press “Start” and close your eyes. After a short settling-in time a gong sounds, optional quiet interval bells mark the time, and three strikes close the session.
How it is calculated
How to use the meditation timer
- Choose the duration – with a quick pick or as minutes (1 to 180; 2.5 works too).
- Optionally add a settling-in time, so you have time to sit down after pressing start before the first gong.
- Optionally add an interval bell, for example every 5 minutes – a quiet strike for orientation.
- Check volume and pitch with “Test gong”, then press “Start”.
At the end three strikes sound four seconds apart. Space pauses, R resets.
How the timer keeps time
Time is calculated from timestamps instead of counting ticks – so the timer stays accurate even if the browser throttles the tab in the background. All bells are scheduled ahead on the browser’s audio clock at start (as described on web.dev in “A Tale of Two Clocks”) and therefore sound on time as long as the browser keeps running.
The gong
There is no recording: the gong is synthesized from several slightly inharmonic sine tones with a long decay. “Low”, “medium” and “high” shift the base pitch.
Limits
On phones, some browsers pause sound and timers when the screen locks – keep the screen on in that case. The timer is a tool for keeping time, not meditation instruction and not a therapeutic offer.
Frequently asked questions
Does the timer keep running if I switch tabs?
Yes. Time is calculated from timestamps and the bells are scheduled ahead. On some phones, though, the browser stops sound when the screen locks.
What is the settling-in time?
A short lead time after you press start, before the first gong. It gives you time to sit down calmly and close your eyes.
What are interval bells for?
They give a quiet strike at fixed intervals, for example every 5 minutes – for orientation without looking at the clock.
Can I change the sound?
You can choose a low, medium or high pitch and set the volume. “Test gong” lets you hear it beforehand.
Is anything stored?
Only your settings such as duration and bells, so they are there on your next visit. Nothing is sent.
Sources and legal basis
- Chris Wilson (web.dev) – A Tale of Two Clocks: Scheduling Web Audio with Precision
- MDN Web Docs – Screen Wake Lock API
- MDN Web Docs – Page Visibility API
- W3C – Web Audio API
As of:
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