// generate · tool 24
Tone Generator
Lab-grade test tones in your browser: four waveforms, 1 Hz to 22 kHz, and frequency sweeps for putting speakers and headphones through their paces.
A signal generator that lives in a browser tab
Four band-limited waveforms from 1 Hz to 22 kHz, generated by the Web Audio API's oscillator at 44.1 kHz — no app install, no upload, mathematically clean output. The level control is calibrated in dBFS, the frequency readout is exact, and everything you hear can be exported as a sample-accurate WAV.
What audiophiles and engineers use this for
- Speaker & headphone testing — run a 20 Hz → 20 kHz log sweep and listen: dips reveal frequency-response holes, buzzes reveal resonating cabinets and rattling grilles.
- Subwoofer integration — find your crossover point by sweeping 40–120 Hz and listening for the handoff.
- Hearing range checks — sweep upward from 8 kHz and note where the tone disappears for you (typically 14–17 kHz for adults).
- Tinnitus matching — many people use a sine tone to identify their tinnitus frequency before discussing it with an audiologist.
- Room acoustics — slow sweeps through 60–300 Hz expose room modes that boom or vanish at your listening position.
Take care with levels: start at −12 dB, especially with headphones and high frequencies. Square and sawtooth waves sound much louder than sines at the same setting because of their harmonic content.
FAQ
What can I test with a tone generator?
Speaker/headphone response, subwoofer crossovers, your hearing range, room resonances, tinnitus frequency, and hum identification (50/60 Hz).
Why can't I hear very high or low frequencies?
Human hearing spans ~20 Hz–20 kHz and the top end declines with age. Below 30 Hz you mostly feel tones — and small speakers can't reproduce them at all.
Which waveform should I use?
Sine for clean single-frequency tests; square/sawtooth for harmonic-rich content; triangle as a softer alternative.
Is the exported WAV exactly what I hear?
Yes — rendered sample-accurately at 44.1 kHz with the same oscillator, including sweeps, with click-free fades at the edges.