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Test Tones: Free WAV & MP3 Downloads

Reference sines, sweeps, pink and white noise, and channel-identification files. Pick the level (-6, -18 or -20 dBFS) and length, then download as 16-bit / 44.1 kHz WAV or 192 kbps MP3. Rendered losslessly in your browser the moment you click, so every file is sample-exact. Free for any use.

Level (peak)

Common download level, 6 dB of headroom

Length

Mono WAV ≈ 2.6 MB · stereo ≈ 5.3 MB · MP3 about a tenth of that

Reference tones

Pure sines - the standard signals for level alignment and speaker checks.

1 kHz sine
The universal engineering reference tone for level alignment and gain staging.
tone-1000hz-30s-minus6dbfs.wav · mono · ~2.6 MB
440 Hz sine (A4)
Concert pitch A - tuning reference for every instrument.
tone-440hz-30s-minus6dbfs.wav · mono · ~2.6 MB
100 Hz sine
Bass reference - speaker checks and subwoofer crossover work.
tone-100hz-30s-minus6dbfs.wav · mono · ~2.6 MB
10 kHz sine
High-frequency reference for tweeter checks and treble response.
tone-10000hz-30s-minus6dbfs.wav · mono · ~2.6 MB

Sweeps

Exponential sweeps with fade-in/out - the fastest full-range speaker check.

Full-range sweep 20 Hz - 20 kHz
The complete audible spectrum, one octave per equal slice of time.
sweep-20hz-20khz-30s-minus6dbfs.wav · mono · ~2.6 MB
Bass sweep 20 - 200 Hz
Slow tour of the bass octaves - room modes and rattles reveal themselves here.
sweep-20hz-200hz-30s-minus6dbfs.wav · mono · ~2.6 MB

Noise

Broadband signals for speaker matching, room EQ and masking.

Pink noise
Equal energy per octave - the standard signal for speaker level matching and room EQ with an RTA.
noise-pink-30s-minus6dbfs.wav · mono · ~2.6 MB
White noise
Equal energy per hertz - flat spectrum for measurement and masking.
noise-white-30s-minus6dbfs.wav · mono · ~2.6 MB

Channel identification

Stereo files for wiring checks - which speaker is which, and is polarity right.

Left channel only
440 Hz in the left channel, silence in the right.
channel-left-440hz-30s-minus6dbfs.wav · stereo · ~5.3 MB
Right channel only
Silence in the left channel, 440 Hz in the right.
channel-right-440hz-30s-minus6dbfs.wav · stereo · ~5.3 MB
Polarity test (inverted right)
200 Hz with the right channel inverted - should sound thin and diffuse on correctly wired systems. Compare with the in-phase left/right files.
polarity-test-200hz-30s-minus6dbfs.wav · stereo · ~5.3 MB

Need to play a tone rather than download it?

The test tone generator plays the same reference tones, sweeps and noise live at a calibrated level (0 to -20 dBFS) with left / right / polarity routing - the quickest way to line up a mixer, interface or PA. For arbitrary frequencies the tone generator plays and exports anything from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, the sweep generator runs configurable live sweeps, the noise pages export white, pink, brown, green, and gray noise WAVs, and the signal generator handles engineering waveforms.

Test Tones FAQ

What level are these test tones?

Pick the level before downloading. -6 dBFS is the default: loud enough for clean measurement, with headroom to avoid clipping in any player or converter. -18 dBFS is the EBU alignment level and -20 dBFS the SMPTE alignment level - both correspond to 0 VU / +4 dBu on calibrated analog meters, so a line-up tone at that level should read 0 VU at the destination. Noise files are peak-normalised to the chosen level.

WAV or MP3?

WAV for anything you will measure with: it is the exact waveform, sample for sample, at 16-bit / 44.1 kHz. MP3 (192 kbps) is for phones, car stereos and players that refuse WAV; the encoder adds slight noise and a few milliseconds of silence at the start, which does not matter for listening checks but rules it out for THD or polarity measurement.

Why generate the files in my browser instead of hosting downloads?

Because synthesis is lossless and instant: your browser renders the exact waveform sample-by-sample the moment you click, so there is nothing to compress, host, or trust. The file you get is mathematically identical to what any studio would render for the same spec - and you can pick the level and length you need instead of settling for whatever was uploaded.

What is a 1 kHz test tone used for?

It is the audio industry's reference point: aligning levels between devices (set the tone to read 0 VU / -18 dBFS on the destination), verifying signal chains pass audio cleanly, testing for distortion, and calibrating broadcast and PA systems. When someone says "send tone," they mean this. For live playback at a chosen level instead of a file, use the test tone generator.

How do I use the sweep files to test speakers?

Play the full-range sweep at moderate volume and listen for dropouts (frequencies that vanish), resonances (frequencies that boom), and rattles (buzzing from the cabinet or the room). The bass sweep does the same for the bottom octaves where room modes live - pair it with the room mode calculator to know what to listen for.

What is pink noise for?

Pink noise has equal energy per octave, which matches how we hear and how real-time analysers display. It is the standard signal for matching speaker levels with an SPL meter, for room EQ with an RTA, and for burn-in. White noise has equal energy per hertz - it sounds brighter and is used where a flat measurement spectrum matters.

Can I use these tones in my own projects?

Yes - a sine wave is not copyrightable and these renders are free for any use, commercial included. If they save you time, a link back to tonal.fm is appreciated but never required.

Related Tools

Tone Generator

Single tones, 20 Hz - 20 kHz

Signal Generator

Test signals for engineers

Multi-Tone Generator

Several frequencies at once

Sweep Generator

Linear & exponential sweeps

Noise Generator

White, pink & brown noise

White Noise

Full-spectrum masking

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