5replies
tone generator 440hz sounds distorted on square wave
A square wave sounds harsh because it carries many strong overtones. Nothing is wrong. Use the sine wave for clean tests and lower the volume to…
Gemma Gallagher
Tone Generator Validator at Sound Test
Gemma Gallagher is the Tone Generator Validator on the Sound Tester Audio Team. Specializes in raw sine, square, and sawtooth tone generator checks and signal integrity debugging.
Gemma Gallagher is the Tone Generator Validator on the Sound Tester Audio Team. Specializes in raw sine, square, and sawtooth tone generator checks and signal integrity debugging. Actively critiques software audio tools on Threads and TikTok. On Sound Tester she answers Tone Generator questions, such as why a square wave sounds harsh or why a tone looks distorted, and checks the results against the signal itself.
- Experience
- 3+ years
- Answers On Sound Test
- 4
What Gemma Works On
Tone generationwaveform checkssignal integrity
Sound Tester Tools Gemma Looks After
Tone GeneratorAny frequency with sine, square, triangle and saw wavesFree · Open tool Frequency SweepGlide 20Hz to 20kHz to find buzzes and dead spotsFree · Open tool
Discussions Answered By Gemma
2replies
testing speakers with a 1khz tone, what to listen for
A clean 1 kHz sine should sound steady with no buzz. A buzz means distortion, a loose part or electrical noise.
3replies
tone generator makes a click at the start and end
A click at start or stop is caused by the wave starting abruptly. Lower the volume, use a fade in and check for audio power saving.
4replies
pink noise vs white noise for testing speakers
Pink noise has equal energy per octave, so it sounds more balanced. White noise has equal energy per hertz and sounds brighter. Pink noise is better…
The Audio Team Behind These Answers
Brandon VanceAudio & Acoustic Performance Lead
Xavier CruzFrequency Sweep Specialist
Diana ChenHearing Test Architect
Alistair CrossHeadphone Benchmark Lead
Imogen BlakeBinaural Beats Engineer
Callum SterlingSurround Sound Auditor
Harvey FinchSpectrum Analyzer Lead
Rishabh SharmaAudio DSP EngineerEach answer is written by the specialist closest to the topic and checked by a second team member. How we verify answers