Online tone generator
I built this so you can make a clean test tone without installing anything. Pick a waveform and a frequency, play it at a low volume and save it as a WAV file if you need it.
Turn your device volume down first.
A tone can be much louder than it looks on the slider, especially in headphones and at high pitches. I start at a low level, so raise it a little at a time. Very low and very high frequencies may be silent on small speakers and headphones, even though the tone is in the file.
Tick the box to enable Play. Nothing plays until you press it.
The saved file uses the same volume.
How it works, and what stays on your device
Press Play and your browser makes the tone itself, as a sine, square, triangle or sawtooth wave. Nothing plays until you press Play, and I start at a low volume and fade the sound in and out so it does not click. Turn your device volume down before you start, then raise it a little at a time.
Frequency goes from 1 Hz to 20 kHz. The slider moves in steps that feel even to the ear, so the low end is not squeezed into one corner, and the number box takes any value in between. In Tone mode you can change the waveform, frequency and volume while it plays.
In Sweep mode the tone glides from a start frequency to an end frequency over the length you set. A linear sweep changes the same number of hertz every second. A logarithmic sweep changes by the same ratio every second, so each octave takes the same time, which is how the ear hears pitch.
Save as WAV writes the tone or the whole sweep at the length you chose, as a 16-bit file at 44.1 kHz, with a short fade at each end. The saved file uses the same volume as the slider. I draw square and sawtooth waves without the harsh aliasing a naive version makes at high pitches.
Nothing is uploaded. The page never sends anything anywhere, there is no account, and the file is made on your device.
Want to cut the saved tone to length? Open the audio trimmer
Frequently asked questions
How do I play a tone at a set frequency?
Tick the box that says you turned the volume down, type the frequency in Hz or move the slider, and press Play. Press Stop or Escape when you are done.
How do I make a frequency sweep?
Switch the mode to Sweep, set the start and end frequency and the length, and choose a linear or logarithmic scale. Play it, or save it as a WAV file.
Which waveform should I use?
A sine wave is a single pure frequency. Square, triangle and sawtooth waves add harmonics, so they sound brighter and harsher at the same frequency.
Why can I hear nothing at some frequencies?
Small speakers and many headphones cannot reproduce the lowest and highest frequencies, so the tone can be in the file and still be silent for you.
Can I use the saved tone as a ringtone or in a video?
Yes, it is a normal WAV file. Use the audio trimmer if you want to cut it shorter.