Online tone generator
Start quiet and turn up slowly. Very high or very low tones can be loud before you notice them, and can damage tweeters and hearing.
A free online tone generator. Play any frequency from 1 Hz to 22 kHz as a sine, square, sawtooth or triangle wave, run a frequency sweep, or play white, pink or brown noise. Send it to the left or right speaker to check your wiring. No download.
What a tone generator is good for
- Speaker and subwoofer tests: a slow 20 Hz to 200 Hz sweep shows where your sub runs out and where the room booms.
- Finding rattles: sweep slowly through the low end and listen for buzzing panels, shelves and windows.
- Left/right check: play a tone to one side to confirm the channels are not swapped.
- Tuning and reference: 440 Hz is the A above middle C. For notes and tunings, the tuning reference plays exact pitches.
- Calibrating levels: pink noise has equal energy per octave, which is why it is used to set monitor levels and check room response.
- Hearing your range: most adults stop hearing somewhere between 14 and 17 kHz, and the top end drops with age. This is a curiosity, not a hearing test.
Waveforms
- Sine: one pure frequency, no harmonics. Use it for tests.
- Square: odd harmonics only, hollow and buzzy, like a clarinet or an 8-bit game.
- Sawtooth: every harmonic, bright and rich. The starting point for most synth sounds.
- Triangle: odd harmonics that fall away fast. Softer than square, close to a sine with a little edge.
White, pink and brown noise
- White noise has equal energy at every frequency, so it sounds bright and hissy.
- Pink noise falls 3 dB per octave, equal energy per octave, and sounds balanced to our ears. It is the standard for audio measurement.
- Brown noise falls 6 dB per octave: a deep rumble, like a waterfall or the inside of a plane. Many people like it for focus or sleep.
La Bestia puts weight down there.
Split one bass into a tight bass rig with an octave-down sub and a fuzzed guitar rig on top, with two knobs. Plug your bass in and play it live in the browser.
Play La Bestia live →Quick answers
How do I play a specific frequency?
Type the frequency in Hz into the box above, or drag the slider, and press Play. You can change it while it plays. The note name and how many cents off it is are shown underneath.
What frequency is A440?
440 Hz is the A above middle C (A4), the standard tuning reference. Tap the 440 Hz button to hear it.
How do I test my subwoofer?
Play a slow sweep from 20 Hz to 200 Hz at a low volume. Note where the bass fades out at the bottom and where it suddenly gets louder, which is usually a room resonance, not the sub.
What is the difference between white, pink and brown noise?
White noise has equal energy at every frequency and sounds hissy. Pink noise falls 3 dB per octave and sounds balanced; it is used for audio measurement. Brown noise falls 6 dB per octave and sounds like a deep rumble.
What frequencies can humans hear?
Roughly 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. The top end falls with age; most adults stop hearing somewhere around 14 to 17 kHz.
Can a tone generator damage speakers?
Yes, at high volume. Long, loud tones at very high or very low frequencies can damage tweeters and woofers, and your hearing. Start quiet and turn up slowly.
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