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Audio tools

Tone Generator

Create a sine, square, sawtooth, or triangle tone and download it as a PCM WAV file.

Runs locally in your browser

Waveform

Frequency

440 Hz

20 Hz · Low20 kHz · High
Duration3.0 seconds

Complete tool guide

Tone Generator guide

Generate a pure test tone at any frequency from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Choose a sine, square, sawtooth, or triangle waveform, set the duration and volume, play it, and download it as a WAV file. The tone is calculated sample by sample, so the frequency is exact.

Your input is processed in the current browser tab and is not sent to the application server.

Why use this tool?

  • Test speakers, headphones, and subwoofers across the audible range.
  • Create a reference pitch such as A4 = 440 Hz for tuning.
  • Hear the difference between basic waveforms and their harmonics.
  • Download a clean, exact WAV test file for audio or video projects.

Common use cases

  • Checking whether speakers or headphones reproduce low bass or high treble.
  • Finding rattles and buzzes in a car, room, or speaker cabinet with low-frequency sine tones.
  • Using a 1 kHz tone to line up levels in recording or broadcast equipment.
  • Providing a tuning reference pitch.
  • Teaching sound, frequency, and waveform concepts.

How to use it

  1. 1

    Choose a waveform. Start with sine if you are unsure.

  2. 2

    Set the frequency with the slider, a preset such as 440 Hz, or by typing an exact value.

  3. 3

    Lower your device volume, set the tone volume and duration, then select Play.

  4. 4

    Download the WAV file or open the tone in the Audio Trimmer.

Controls and results explained

Waveforms

Sine is a single pure frequency. Triangle adds soft odd harmonics, square adds strong odd harmonics for a hollow, buzzy sound, and sawtooth contains all harmonics for the brightest tone.

Frequency

The slider is logarithmic, matching how we hear pitch: 20–200 Hz is bass, 200–2,000 Hz is the midrange, and 2–20 kHz is treble. Presets cover 110, 220, 440, 880, and 1,000 Hz.

Duration and volume

Durations range from 0.1 to 30 seconds, with presets from 0.5 to 30 seconds. Volume sets the peak amplitude: 50% is a peak of −6 dBFS.

WAV output

Downloads are mono 44.1 kHz 16-bit PCM WAV, named after the settings, such as sine-440hz-3.0s.wav.

Worked examples

Create an A440 tuning reference

Start with: Sine wave, 440 Hz, 3 seconds

  1. Choose Sine and select the 440 Hz preset.
  2. Choose the 3s duration preset and play the tone.
  3. Select Download WAV.
sine-440hz-3.0s.wav · 264,644 bytes (about 258 KB)

Mono 16-bit audio at 44.1 kHz uses 88,200 bytes per second. Three seconds is 264,600 bytes of samples plus a 44-byte WAV header.

Check how low a speaker can play

Start with: Sine wave, 50 Hz, 10 seconds, 35% volume

  1. Choose Sine, type 50 Hz, and choose the 10s preset.
  2. Start with your device volume low and play the tone.
  3. Raise the frequency until the tone is clearly audible and note that value.
sine-50hz-10.0s.wav · 882,044 bytes (about 861 KB)

If 50 Hz is barely audible but 100 Hz is clear, the speaker’s useful bass extension is around 100 Hz.

Protect your hearing

Pure tones can sound much louder than music at the same setting, and high frequencies are fatiguing. Start with your device volume low, especially on headphones, and increase gradually.

Hearing range

Young adults typically hear up to 16–20 kHz, and this upper limit falls with age. If you cannot hear a very high tone, your speakers or your hearing may not reproduce it; that is normal.

Speaker limits

Small laptop and phone speakers usually cannot reproduce frequencies below about 100–200 Hz. What you hear at 40 Hz on such speakers is mostly distortion or harmonics.

Practical tips for better results

  • Use sine waves for speaker and hearing checks; other waveforms contain higher frequencies.
  • Sweep slowly through low frequencies to find rattles in a room or car.
  • Keep the tone volume at 50% or lower when recording test files, to leave headroom.
  • Open a generated tone in the Audio Inspector to see its exact peak and RMS values.

Frequently asked questions

What frequency is the note A?

The standard tuning pitch A4 is 440 Hz. Each octave doubles the frequency, so A3 is 220 Hz and A5 is 880 Hz.

Why does a square wave sound louder than a sine wave?

At the same peak volume, a square wave has much more energy (its RMS equals its peak) and extra harmonics that the ear is sensitive to.

Can I use this tone generator to test a subwoofer?

Yes. Play sine tones between about 20 and 120 Hz at a low volume and increase gradually. Very low tones may be felt more than heard.

Why is the maximum 30 seconds?

The limit keeps generation and playback responsive. For a longer tone, merge several generated files with Merge audio.

What to check before using the result

  • Only one tone at a time; sweeps, noise, and multi-tone signals are not generated.
  • Duration is limited to 30 seconds per file.
  • Downloads are mono WAV only.

Keep working

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