Frequency Sweep Mode Guide

Sweep through frequencies for speaker testing, hearing tests, and room acoustics

20 Hz to 20 kHz sweep over 10 seconds

What is a Frequency Sweep?

A frequency sweep continuously changes the audio frequency from a starting point to an ending point over a specified duration. This is useful for:

Testing speaker and headphone frequency response
Checking your hearing range and sensitivity
Finding room resonances and acoustic problems

Sweep Controls

The sweep panel provides precise control over your frequency sweep:

Start Frequency: The frequency where the sweep begins (20-20,000 Hz)
End Frequency: The frequency where the sweep ends (20-20,000 Hz)
Duration: How long the sweep takes (0.1-60 seconds)
Sweep Type: Linear or logarithmic frequency progression
Sweep Mode: Choose between one-shot (plays once) or bounce (ping-pong between frequencies)
Repeat Count: Number of times to repeat the sweep (1-99)
Audio Markers: Play click sounds at decade frequencies (10, 100, 1k, 10k Hz)

Sweep Modes

Choose how the sweep behaves when it reaches the end frequency:

Mode	Behavior	Best For
One-shot	Sweeps from start to end, then stops	Single frequency response tests
Bounce	Sweeps up, then down, repeating	Continuous testing, finding resonances

Audio Markers: Enable markers to hear click sounds at 10 Hz, 100 Hz, 1 kHz, and 10 kHz. Useful for tracking progress during long sweeps.

Linear vs Logarithmic Sweep

The sweep type determines how the frequency changes over time:

Type	Behavior	Best For
Linear	Equal Hz change per second	Technical testing, narrow ranges
Logarithmic	Equal time per octave	Full-range sweeps, hearing tests

Tip: Logarithmic sweeps are recommended for most uses because human pitch perception is logarithmic—each octave sounds like an equal step.

Preset Frequency Ranges

Use the preset buttons to quickly set up common frequency ranges:

Preset	Range	Best For
Full Range	20 – 20,000 Hz	Complete speaker/hearing test
Bass	20 – 250 Hz	Subwoofer, woofer testing
Mid	250 – 4,000 Hz	Midrange driver testing
Treble	4,000 – 20,000 Hz	Tweeter testing, hearing upper limit
Sub Bass	20 – 80 Hz	Deep bass only, subwoofer focus

Reading the Frequency Gauge

During a sweep, the gauge provides visual feedback:

The needle shows the current frequency being played
The colored arc fills as the sweep progresses
The digital display shows the exact frequency in Hz

Practical Applications

Speaker Testing

Run a full-range sweep to find rattles, distortion, or dead spots in your speakers. Listen for buzzing, crackling, or sudden volume changes at specific frequencies.

Try Speaker Test

Hearing Range Test

Discover your hearing range by listening for where you can first hear the tone (low end) and where it fades out (high end). Most adults can't hear above 15-17 kHz.

Try Hearing Test

Room Acoustics

Find room resonances by playing a slow bass sweep. Standing waves cause certain frequencies to sound much louder or quieter depending on your position in the room.

Try Room Test

Sweep URL Parameters

You can bookmark or share specific sweep configurations using URL parameters:

mode=sweep — Activates sweep mode (vs generator mode)
sweepStart — Starting frequency in Hz
sweepEnd — Ending frequency in Hz
sweepDur — Sweep duration in seconds
sweepType — Sweep type (linear or log)
sweepMode — Sweep mode (oneshot or bounce)
sweepRepeat — Number of sweep repetitions (1-99)
sweepMarkers — Audio markers at decades (1 = on)

Example: #mode=sweep&sweepStart=100&sweepEnd=10000&sweepMode=bounce

Open Sweep Mode