Pleasant Progress Bar: A More Melodious Experience for NVDA

If you use the NVDA screen reader, you're familiar with the beeping sounds that indicate progress for tasks like copying files or installing updates. For some users, these default sounds can become repetitive or harsh. The Pleasant Progress Bar add-on offers a customizable and more musical alternative.

What is the Pleasant Progress Bar Add-on?

Pleasant Progress Bar is an add-on for NVDA created to replace the default progress bar sound effects with more pleasant and melodious tones. It is designed for anyone who finds the built-in beeps annoying or simply desires a different auditory style for daily tasks.

Audio Preview

Listen to the difference between the traditional sound and the new, smoother effect offered by the add-on.

Traditional NVDA progress bar sound:

Pleasant Progress Bar sound (using sine wave with cosine fade effects):

Features

• Multiple Waveforms: Supports sine, square, triangle, sawtooth, and pulse waves, as well as white noise.
• Smart Fade In/Out: Utilizes smooth cosine and Gaussian algorithms for a less abrupt sound.
• Custom Configuration: Allows full adjustment of volume and frequency range to suit your preferences.

Keyboard Shortcut

You can quickly toggle the add-on's functionality on or off using the following command:

• NVDA+Shift+P: Toggles the Pleasant Progress Bar function.

Configuration Settings

To customize the add-on, navigate to the NVDA settings:

1. Open the NVDA menu (NVDA+N).
2. Go to Preferences, then Settings.
3. Find and select "Pleasant Progress Bar" in the category list.

You can adjust the following options:

• Waveform type: Choose your preferred sound profile. The sine wave is the softest, while the square wave is the crispest.
• Fade algorithm: Select either Cosine (classic) or Gaussian (smoother).
• Volume adjustment: Set the volume from 0.1 (minimum) to 1.0 (maximum).
• Waveform length: Adjustable from 40ms to 100ms (default is 80ms). A 40ms length is closest to the original NVDA style. Note: The developer mentions that lengths below 80ms may introduce popping sounds due to limitations in 32-bit audio systems, which currently has no complete fix.
• Start frequency (low): A range from 110Hz to 300Hz.
• End frequency (high): A range from 1200Hz to 1750Hz.

Download

You can find the add-on and more information at the following links:

• Download the Pleasant Progress Bar add-on (version 0.2)
• View on the developer's official website (lamb.tw)
• Visit the Pleasant Progress Bar GitHub repository