Hi there,
Has anybody got or know of any frequencies to test speakers?
At The Big Chill they did one and it was just a frequency, that started off high to test the tops and went low for the subs, really quick one.
I need something like that, if thats possible?
Cheers

http://www.interstudio.co.uk/sndchk.htm

I'm sure there are other places to buy this and similar set up / test CD's, but this was the first that Google chucked out.

You should be aware though that playing this sort of material at volume may, if used incorrectly, damage speaker components. Just playing a few test tones and sweeps doesn't mean the system is magically set up, there is a bit more to it than that!

If you just want to test that all the components are working, you would be much better off just playing some music you are familiar with.

HTH

Andy

(why is it so dark here...what is that constant hiss?...this is the sound forum isn't it?)

I usually work with either music or pink noise. I never feel a narrowband tone helps in any way, as there's bugger all there.

I use a piece of software called NCH Tone gen. Works a treat. Let you do narrow band, sweeps pink and white noise.

I use the tone generators built into Logic for frequency sweeps and the like, you can get it to do pretty much anything...

If you want a free option, Bink Knowles has done a pretty systematic system check CD. Its very good, and is available to download, alongside a comprehensive set of notes on how to use it: here

thats the one I use, its fantastic.

one word of caution, it needs to be played back from an audio CD player, it doesnt work properly from Mini Disc or straight from a PC/mac, some of the tones dont come out at all (white nose I think was one of them, Windows definatly doesnt like it, no idea about Macs)

The question really is, what are you looking for from the check? If you just want to check that everything is working, then I wouldn't opt for tones. They annoy other people in the room, they aren't fantastically good for your speakers and unless you have a decent spectrum analyser to look at the response, it's actually quite difficult to get any useful results from them.
Far better is to get a piece of music that you know well, that is the same genre as the performance material and that isn't going to upset/offend anybody else listening. Get to know the piece and then play it back a few times. You'll notice far more problems with your system that way than by using tones.

Pink and white noise has its place, but is normally used with an analyser that has a source built in already.

I would think the problem with computers would be only applicable to cheap, in-built soundcards (and playback software which "enhances" your sound by adding phase errors and reverb). I'm prepared to bet that, if you use a proper soundcard and player, you will be fine.

Bob

I use Realtime Analyser Light
http://www.ymec.com/products/rale/index.htm

Costs about £12.00 & has all the Tones & Noises, including Swept

Pete

Bear in mind the OS used too. Windows' and even Vista's sound systems use really poor dithering algorithms, whereas OS X's sound system (Core Audio) is much more advanced. Some players seem to bypass this and address the sound card directly though.

Do you think it was something on the desk?
Its was digico by the way...

I also use Bink's Audio Test CD. Pretty damn good. Anyone looking for some basic test tones / sweeps etc should download it.
Cheers
Adamski

jdft - no test tones but it's free


Xine plays them all fine for me with my X-fi Which would suggest that you're right!

not entirely convinced, as I have used it at work on the studio PC, which has a hammerfall PCI card it it, OK it does bear a little better if its loaded up to cubase rather than playing off CD, but media player still has a tantrum whether playing it from a .wav or direct from the CD.

It sounds like it might be something to do with windows as well then. I'll have to try it on a windows machine and see what happens with the same setup.