Tone Generator Precision Audio
Set a frequency, then press Play
440 Hz
Start quiet — high frequencies and square waves sound louder than they measure.
Tone generator
Free online tone generator in your browser — dial any frequency from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, switch between sine, square, sawtooth and triangle waves, play white, pink or brown noise, or jump to musical notes C4–C5 with A4 440 Hz as tuning reference. Every sound is synthesized locally on your device: nothing is streamed, nothing leaves your browser.
Presets Quick Tones · A4 440 Hz
Waveforms 4 switchable types
Noise Broadband
Bright hiss · masking & focus
Output Volume & balance
20 Hz
Logarithmic · 20 seconds
Online tone generator — waves, notes & noise
TestMyGears covers the full tone-generator search journey: sine wave generator for pure test tones, square and sawtooth waves for harmonic-rich checks, note-to-frequency presets for tuning without an app, and white, pink and brown noise for speaker break-in, masking and room checks. Browser synthesis cannot replace a calibrated lab generator — but it validates exactly what your DAC, amp and drivers reproduce, with zero latency and full privacy.
Four waveforms, 20 Hz–20 kHz
Musical note presets C4–C5
White, pink & brown noise
20-second frequency sweep
How it works
Four steps from silence to a verified tone, noise bed or full sweep.
-
Set the frequency
Drag the log slider, type an exact Hz value, tap a quick chip (100, 440, 1k, 4k, 10k) or pick a note preset — A4 lands exactly on the 440 Hz tuning reference.
Tip Below ~120 Hz most phone and laptop speakers roll off — silence there usually means small drivers, not a broken test
-
Choose waveform or noise
Sine for pure tones, square/sawtooth/triangle for harmonic character, or switch to the noise tab for white, pink or brown broadband. Tone, noise and sweep are mutually exclusive so outputs never stack.
Tip Square and sawtooth sound louder than sine at the same level — drop volume before switching waveforms
-
Adjust volume first
Start around 25% and raise gradually. The tool defaults to a conservative level because high frequencies and harmonically rich waves carry more perceived loudness than the slider suggests.
Tip If you test speakers others can hear, warn the room before the sweep — 20 kHz endings surprise people
-
Play or sweep
Press Play Tone for a steady frequency, Play Noise for continuous broadband, or Start 20s Sweep for the full 20 Hz–20 kHz pass. Press again (or switch tabs) to stop cleanly.
Tip Sweep twice: once quiet for rattles, once at normal level for drop-outs — different faults show at different levels
When should you use a tone generator?
Practical moments where a precise, locally generated tone beats guessing.
Audio equipment calibration
- After connecting a DAC, amp or monitors, play 1 kHz to confirm both channels and equal level.
- Check EQ bands with spot tones (e.g. 100 Hz, 1 kHz, 10 kHz) before room correction.
Instrument tuning
- Tune guitar, piano or violin against the A4 440 Hz reference — no tuner app needed.
- Walk C4–C5 presets to check intonation across a full octave by ear.
Tinnitus pitch matching
- Step fixed tones or sweep slowly to find the frequency closest to your ringing.
- Write down the matched Hz value to describe your tinnitus precisely to a clinician.
Speaker break-in and testing
- Loosen new drivers with hours of moderate pink noise — not maximum volume.
- Expose rattling screws, grilles or desk objects with low sine tones and the 20s sweep.
Tone generator FAQs
What is the difference between sine, square, sawtooth and triangle waves?
Sine is a pure single frequency with no harmonics — best for hearing tests and resonance checks. Square contains only odd harmonics and sounds buzzy and hollow. Sawtooth contains all harmonics and sounds bright and sharp. Triangle also has only odd harmonics but they fall off fast, so it sounds mellow and flute-like. Same frequency, four timbres.
What is the difference between white, pink and brown noise?
White noise has equal energy per Hz and sounds like bright hiss. Pink noise drops 3 dB per octave so it sounds balanced and natural — the standard choice for speaker break-in and room tuning. Brown noise drops even harder and sounds like deep rumble or a waterfall. Pink suits most testing; white suits masking high hiss; brown suits low rumble checks.
Why can't I hear very low or very high frequencies?
Humans nominally hear 20 Hz–20 kHz, but small phone and laptop drivers physically roll off below roughly 80–120 Hz, and hearing above ~15–17 kHz fades with age even on good headphones. If lows vanish on speakers but appear on headphones, the drivers are the limit — not the tool. If highs vanish everywhere, that is normal presbycusis, not a bug.
Can I tune my guitar or piano with this tone generator?
Yes. Tap A4 for the 440 Hz concert-pitch reference and tune your A string (or A key) to match it by ear, then use the other C4–C5 presets across the octave. It is a reference-tone method rather than an automatic pitch detector — quiet room and patience give the best result.
Is the audio generated locally or streamed?
Locally. Every tone and noise buffer is synthesized in your browser with the Web Audio API the moment you press play — nothing is downloaded, streamed or uploaded. That means zero network latency, it works offline once loaded, and no audio data ever leaves your device.
Can a tone generator damage my speakers or hearing?
At sane volumes, no. Risk comes from sustained maximum volume, especially sub-bass sine tones on small drivers and sudden high-frequency bursts in headphones. This tool defaults to ~25% volume for that reason: start quiet, raise gradually, and never run the sweep at full blast on laptop or phone speakers.
What is the A4 440 Hz tuning reference?
A4 440 Hz is the international standard concert pitch — the A above middle C vibrates at 440 cycles per second, and orchestras, tuners and instruments worldwide calibrate to it. This tool's A4 preset plays exactly 440 Hz, so anything tuned against it matches standard pitch.
Should I use a fixed tone or the frequency sweep?
Fixed tones isolate one frequency: ideal for tuning, tinnitus matching, rattle hunting at a known Hz, or long break-in sessions. The 20-second sweep covers 20 Hz–20 kHz in one pass: ideal for finding unknown problems — dead treble, rattling panels, room resonances — fast. Sweep first to find issues, then park a fixed tone on each suspect frequency.
What frequencies can humans hear?
The textbook range is 20 Hz to 20 kHz. In practice, healthy young ears on good headphones reach roughly that span; bass below ~30 Hz is felt more than heard, and treble above ~16 kHz fades progressively with age. Most music lives between 40 Hz and 15 kHz, which is why this tool's sweep covers the full 20 Hz–20 kHz span.
