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Sound Tester

Tone Generator Play Any Frequency Online

Free online tone generator and frequency generator. Play a sine, square, triangle or sawtooth wave from 1Hz to 20kHz, sweep, pulse or stack tones into chords, then download the sound as a WAV file.

  • 1Hz to 20kHz
  • 4 waveforms
  • 5 tone modes
  • WAV download
Hz
NoteA4
Cents0
Period2.27 ms
Wavelength78 cm
ReadySingle Tone
Waveform
Fine Tune
Output
30%
Center

Single Tone

One steady tone at the exact pitch you set. Type a number, drag the slider or pick a musical note. The note picker follows the tuning you choose.

Musical Note
Octave
Tuning (A4)

Frequency Sweep

The tone glides from a start pitch to an end pitch. Use a log sweep to hear every octave for the same time, or linear to move evenly in hertz.

Curve
Repeat

Pulse And Beep

The tone switches on and off in a steady rhythm. Set how long each beep lasts and the gap between beeps, or pick a preset.

Presets

Two Tones

A second tone plays a set number of hertz above the first. Mixed, the two tones beat against each other. Split, each ear gets one tone, like binaural beats on headphones.

Output
Offset Presets

Chord

Stack notes on top of the main frequency to build a chord. The main tone is the root, so pick a note first, then a chord type.

Chord Type
Chord Notes
A4, C#5, E5
Presets
Keys: Space plays, arrows change pitch, up and down jump an octave.
Start quiet and raise the volume slowly. High tones can sound faint at first and then be very loud.

What Is A Tone Generator And How Does It Work

A tone generator makes a pure, steady sound at an exact frequency, measured in hertz (Hz). One hertz is one vibration per second, so a 440Hz tone moves your speaker cone back and forth 440 times every second. Low numbers sound deep, high numbers sound sharp.

This online tone generator builds each sound live in your browser with the Web Audio API. Nothing is streamed or recorded. You can change the pitch, the wave shape and the balance while the tone plays, and the oscilloscope shows the wave you are hearing.

People use a frequency generator to test speakers and headphones, tune instruments, check their hearing range, find buzzing parts in a room and teach how sound works.

How To Use The Tone Generator In Five Steps

It takes a few seconds to get any tone you need. Follow the line from left to right.

  1. Set Your Volume Low

    Turn your device volume down to about 30% before the first tone, and start the volume slider low too.

  2. Pick A Frequency

    Type the number of hertz, drag the slider, press a preset or choose a musical note.

  3. Choose A Waveform

    Sine is the smoothest. Square, triangle and saw add harmonics and sound brighter.

  4. Press Play

    Press the round button or the Space key. Change the pitch and volume while it plays.

  5. Save Or Share

    Download the tone as a WAV file, or copy a link that opens this exact setting.

Frequency Ranges From Deep Bass To High Treble

Human hearing covers roughly 20Hz to 20kHz. Press play on any range to hear a tone from the middle of it, with the bar showing where it sits.

Sub Bass

20Hz to 60Hz

Felt more than heard. Rumble from subwoofers, pipe organs and movie effects.

Bass

60Hz to 250Hz

The body of kick drums, bass guitar and male voices.

Low Mids

250Hz to 500Hz

Warmth in most instruments. Too much sounds muddy.

Midrange

500Hz to 2kHz

Where most of a voice sits and where ears are most familiar.

Upper Mids

2kHz to 4kHz

The range ears are most sensitive to. Harsh when it is too loud.

Presence

4kHz to 6kHz

Clarity and edge on vocals, guitars and snares.

Brilliance

6kHz to 20kHz

Air and sparkle. Fades first as hearing changes with age.

Musical Note Frequency Chart With A4 At 440Hz

Every note in standard tuning has a fixed frequency. Press any number to play that note. Each octave up doubles the frequency, so A5 is 880Hz and A3 is 220Hz.

NoteOctave 2Octave 3Octave 4Octave 5Octave 6
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B

Frequencies in hertz, equal temperament. Middle C is C4 at 261.63Hz.

What People Use A Tone Generator For

A frequency generator is a simple tool with a long list of jobs, from home audio to music, science and quick hearing checks.

Test Speakers And Headphones20Hz to 20kHz

Play low tones to check bass and high tones to check tweeters. A sweep reveals buzzing, rattles and the point where your speakers stop playing.

Tune An InstrumentA4 at 440Hz

Hold a reference A while you tune a guitar, violin or piano by ear. Switch the tuning to 432Hz or 442Hz if your group uses it.

Check Your Hearing Range8kHz to 17kHz

Raise the frequency slowly to find the highest tone you can hear. The top end often fades with age. Use the Hearing Test for a full check.

Describe Ear RingingMatch the pitch

If your ears ring, you can find a tone close to the sound and tell an audiologist the frequency. It helps describe the sound, not treat it.

Find Rattles In A Room20Hz to 150Hz

A slow, low sweep shakes loose panels, shelves and windows so you can find what buzzes.

Push Water From A Phone SpeakerAround 165Hz

Many people play a low tone at full phone volume to help shake water out of a wet speaker grille. Dry the phone first and do not use heat.

Calibrate Audio Gear1kHz reference

A 1kHz sine is the standard test tone for checking cables, mixers, amplifiers and recording levels.

Teach How Sound WorksAny pitch

Show pitch, octaves, beats and wave shapes in class, or make sand patterns on a vibrating plate.

Tone Generator Features Built For Real Testing

Everything a frequency generator needs, from the exact pitch control to a file you can keep.

Five Tone Modes In One Tool

Switch between a single steady tone, a log or linear sweep, an on and off pulse, two tones that beat or split across your ears, and full chords built on any root note.

  • Single Tone
  • Sweep
  • Pulse
  • Two Tones
  • Chord

Download Any Tone As WAV

Save the sound you set up as a 44.1kHz stereo WAV file, from 5 to 60 seconds, for video, apps or audio software.

Live Oscilloscope

See the real wave shape while it plays.

Note And Cents

Shows the nearest musical note and how far off it is.

Fine Tune Keys

Move by 1, 10 or 100Hz, a semitone or an octave.

Left And Right Balance

Send the tone to one ear or speaker, or anywhere between.

Share A Link

Copy a link that opens the same pitch, wave and volume.

Keyboard Control

Space to play, arrows to change pitch, up and down for octaves.

Auto Stop Timer

Let the tone play for 10 seconds or up to 1 hour, then fade out on its own. Handy for long tests and background tones.

Private By Design

Every tone is made on your device. There is no upload, no recording and no account to create.

Why Use This Online Tone Generator

It is quick, free and exact, and it keeps everything on your device.

1Hz

Down To One Hertz

Go far below hearing for slow vibration tests, or up to 20kHz at the top.

0.01Hz

Precise Pitch

Type frequencies to two decimal places for tuning and science work.

0

Installs Or Sign-Ups

It runs in Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox on phone or computer.

60s

WAV Export

Download clean tones up to a minute long, free.

Use Tones Safely

A tone generator is safe at normal listening levels. These three habits keep your ears, your pets and your speakers comfortable.

Start Quiet

Begin at a low volume and turn it up slowly. Pure tones can feel louder than music at the same setting.

Take Care With High Tones

Very high tones can be hard to hear and easy to play too loud. Keep them short and stop if your ears feel uncomfortable.

Mind Pets And Small Speakers

Dogs and cats hear high pitches that people cannot. Long, loud bass can also damage small laptop and phone speakers.

Tone Generator Questions And Answers

Clear answers about frequencies, waveforms, downloads and safety.

What is a tone generator used for?

A tone generator plays a sound at an exact frequency. People use it to test speakers and headphones, tune instruments, check their hearing range, find rattles in a room, calibrate audio gear and teach how sound works.

How do I play a specific frequency online?

Type the number of hertz into the large frequency box, or drag the slider, then press play. You can also press a preset or pick a musical note. The tone changes live while it plays.

What frequency is A4?

In standard tuning A4 is 440Hz. Middle C, or C4, is about 261.63Hz. Some orchestras tune A4 to 442Hz, and some musicians prefer 432Hz, which you can choose in the tuning setting.

What is the difference between sine, square, triangle and sawtooth waves?

A sine wave is a single pure frequency with a smooth sound. Triangle adds soft harmonics, square adds strong odd harmonics for a hollow, buzzy sound, and sawtooth adds every harmonic for the brightest, sharpest sound.

What is the range of human hearing?

Most people hear from about 20Hz to 20kHz. The upper limit often drops with age, so many adults hear up to about 15kHz to 17kHz. Very low tones under 20Hz are felt as vibration more than heard.

Can I download the tone as a file?

Yes. Set up your tone, choose a length from 5 to 60 seconds and press Download WAV. The file is a 44.1kHz, 16-bit stereo WAV that works in video editors, apps and audio software.

What is a frequency sweep?

A sweep glides from one frequency to another over a set time. A log sweep spends the same time on every octave, which matches how we hear. It is useful for finding where speakers stop playing and where things rattle.

What does the Two Tones mode do?

It plays a second tone a few hertz above the first. Mixed together, the two tones pulse at the difference, called beating. Split, each ear gets one tone, which is how binaural beats work on headphones.

Why can I not hear very high or very low tones?

Your speakers or headphones may not play that range, or the tone may be past your own hearing limit. Phone and laptop speakers rarely play below about 100Hz. Try headphones, and raise the volume slowly.

Is a tone generator safe for my ears?

Yes, at a sensible volume. Start low and raise it slowly, keep high tones short, and stop if your ears ring or feel uncomfortable. Avoid long, loud tones on headphones.

Can a tone remove water from my phone speaker?

Many people play a low tone around 165Hz at full phone volume to help shake water out of a wet speaker grille. It can help with small amounts of water, but it is not a fix for water damage.

Does the tone generator work on iPhone and Android?

Yes. It runs in any current browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows, Mac and Chromebook. On iPhone, turn off silent mode or use headphones if you hear nothing.

Playing 440Hz
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