How to use the tone generator in 3 steps
- 01
Pick a mode
Choose Tone for a continuous, steady frequency, or Sweep for a log sweep that glides between two frequencies over 1 to 60 seconds. Both modes start and stop instantly with no loading delay.
- 02
Set frequency, waveform, and level
Pick a waveform — sine, square, sawtooth, triangle, white noise, or pink noise — set frequency from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, level from -60 to -6 dBFS, and choose left, right, or both channels.
- 03
Play, test, and export
Press play to hear the tone change live as you adjust it, use the channel selector to check one speaker at a time, then click Download audio to save the tone or sweep as a WAV file.
What you can do with this tone generator
- Continuous tone mode with instant start and stop, and live updates to frequency, level, and waveform while the tone is already playing.
- Six waveforms — sine, square, sawtooth, triangle, white noise, and pink noise — each useful for a different testing or tuning task.
- Frequency range from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, the full range generally accepted for human hearing, with level control from -60 to -6 dBFS.
- Log sweep mode that glides smoothly between two frequencies over 1 to 60 seconds, useful for checking speakers, subwoofers, and room response.
- Left, right, or both-channel output, so you can isolate a single speaker or headphone driver and test it on its own.
- An informal hearing range check: a rising high-frequency sweep you stop when you can no longer hear it, for casual curiosity, not diagnosis.
- Export any tone or sweep as a WAV file to reuse outside the browser, for example as a reference tone in another program.
What is this online tone generator?
This online tone generator produces precise, adjustable tones and frequency sweeps directly in your browser, with no plugin, no download, and no account required to use any part of it. It covers the range most people can hear, from a 20 Hz sub-bass rumble to a 20 kHz sweep at the very top of human hearing, across six different waveforms that behave in noticeably different ways.
It is built for practical listening tasks — checking a speaker or headphone channel, generating a reference tone for tuning, or sweeping a room to hear where certain frequencies build up or disappear — rather than as a musical instrument. Every tone starts and stops instantly, and you can change frequency, level, or waveform while it plays to hear the effect immediately.
Tone modes and waveforms explained
Tone mode plays one steady frequency for as long as you hold play, which is the more useful mode for checking a specific point in the range — a room mode around 63 Hz, for example, or the presence boost near 3 kHz that helps speech cut through a mix. Sweep mode instead glides logarithmically between two frequencies over a set duration, which suits scanning a wide range quickly rather than dwelling on one point.
The six waveforms behave differently even at the same frequency. Sine is a pure single frequency with no harmonics, the cleanest option for measurement and tuning. Square, sawtooth, and triangle each add a different set of harmonic overtones on top of the fundamental, which makes them sound brighter or buzzier and useful for hearing how a system handles harmonic content. White noise spreads energy evenly across all frequencies; pink noise reduces high-frequency energy to match how loudness is perceived across the spectrum, closer to typical program material.
Typical uses: tuning, speaker checks, and room modes
A steady 440 Hz sine tone is the standard tuning reference, A4 in concert pitch, so it works as a quick pitch reference for an instrument or a vocal warm-up without opening a separate tuner app. Switching the channel selector to left or right, then playing a tone through only that channel, is a fast way to confirm both drivers in a stereo pair or a set of headphones are working and roughly balanced.
A slow sweep through the bass region can reveal room modes: frequencies that get unnaturally loud or quiet at your listening position because of the room's dimensions, useful to know before deciding where to place a subwoofer. Some people also use a tone generator to compare a ringing or whistling sound they hear against a specific frequency, sometimes called tinnitus-frequency matching — this is a casual comparison, not a hearing or medical assessment.
Hearing range check and safety
The hearing range check plays a rising sweep through the highest frequencies and asks you to note when you can no longer hear it. It is informal and meant for casual curiosity, not a substitute for a real hearing test. Age, headphone or speaker quality, background noise, and the volume you happen to set all change the result, sometimes by a wide margin, and the tool has no way to correct for any of them.
This is not a medical device and does not produce a diagnosis. If you have concerns about your hearing, see an audiologist for a calibrated test. The level shown here, in dBFS, is a digital signal level relative to full scale, not a calibrated sound-pressure level — the same setting can be quiet or uncomfortably loud depending on your speakers, headphones, and volume knob. Always start at a low volume, especially at high frequencies, and increase it gradually.
Exporting tones for other uses
Once you have a tone or sweep set up the way you want, click Download audio to save it as a WAV file. That covers uses beyond the browser tab — a fixed reference tone to play through a separate sound system, a sweep to feed into a room-measurement workflow, or a tuning reference saved for later. Because the file renders locally, it reflects exactly the frequency, waveform, and level you had selected.
If you are checking a mix or a speaker system rather than your hearing, pair this tool with the online equalizer to see where problem frequencies sit, or the volume booster to check loudness rather than tone. None of these tools replace dedicated measurement hardware, but together they cover most casual, at-your-desk checks without installing anything or leaving the browser tab.
Tips for better results
- Start at a low level, especially above a few kHz, and increase it gradually — high frequencies can feel more intense than the meter suggests.
- Use a sine wave for tuning or measurement; the other waveforms add harmonics that make an exact frequency harder to judge by ear.
- Test one channel at a time with the left/right selector before testing both together, so a fault in one speaker is not masked by the other.
- Remember the dBFS level is a digital reading, not calibrated sound pressure — the same setting will play louder on some speakers than others.
- Try the hearing range check more than once, at different times, rather than treating a single result as meaningful.
- If you compare a tone against a ringing sound you hear, treat it as a rough match, not a diagnosis — see an audiologist for that.
- Use a slower sweep, closer to 30–60 seconds, when checking a room for bass buildup, so you have time to notice a change as you walk around.
Frequently asked questions
Is this online tone generator free?
Yes. Every mode, waveform, and export option is free, with no sign-up and no watermark. Tones and sweeps are generated in your browser using its built-in audio engine, so nothing needs to be installed or downloaded first.
Is the hearing range check medically accurate?
No. It is an informal, non-diagnostic check for casual curiosity, not a substitute for a professional hearing test. Your device, headphones, volume setting, and room all affect the result. See an audiologist for a real, calibrated hearing test.
What frequency range does the tone generator cover?
From 20 Hz to 20 kHz, generally accepted as the full range of human hearing, in tone mode. Sweep mode moves between any two frequencies you choose within that same range over a duration of 1 to 60 seconds.
Is the volume level calibrated to a specific sound pressure?
No. The level control is measured in dBFS, a digital scale relative to full scale, not calibrated decibels of sound pressure. The same setting can sound very different depending on your speakers, headphones, and system volume, so always start quiet.
Can I use this to tune an instrument?
Yes. A steady sine tone at 440 Hz is the standard A4 reference pitch, and you can set any other frequency for a different note or tuning system to use as a reference while tuning by ear.
How do I test my left and right speakers?
Set the channel selector to left, play a tone, confirm you hear it from the correct speaker, then repeat for right. This isolates each channel so you can catch a dead driver, a swapped cable, or an unbalanced pair.
What is a frequency sweep used for?
A sweep glides smoothly between two frequencies over 1 to 60 seconds, useful for scanning a wide range quickly — checking a subwoofer's low-end reach, listening for room modes, or getting a general sense of a system's frequency response.
Can I export the tone or sweep as a file?
Yes. Click Download audio to save the current tone or sweep as a WAV file at the settings you chose, so you can use it outside the browser as a reference tone or a test signal for other software.
What is the difference between white noise and pink noise?
White noise has equal energy at every frequency, which sounds bright and hissy. Pink noise reduces high-frequency energy to better match how loudness is perceived across the spectrum, so it sounds smoother and closer to typical program material.
Does this work on mobile phones?
Yes, though built-in phone speakers reproduce a much narrower frequency range than external speakers or headphones, so very low or very high tones may not play back accurately, which matters most for the hearing range check and bass sweeps.
Can I use this to find my tinnitus frequency?
Some people use a tone generator to informally compare a ringing or whistling sound they hear against a specific frequency. This tool can help with that kind of casual comparison, but it makes no medical claim and is not a diagnostic tool for tinnitus or any hearing condition.
Is any of my audio or data uploaded?
No. Tones and sweeps are generated locally by your browser's audio engine, and the hearing range check runs entirely on your device. Nothing is uploaded or recorded, and no account is required to use any part of the tool.