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Hints, Tips and Solutions (Do NOT post requests for help here) If you have any useful general hints and tips for vintage technology repair and restoration, please share them here. PLEASE DO NOT POST REQUESTS FOR HELP HERE!

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Old 1st Feb 2017, 2:43 am   #1
frankmcvey
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Default Quick-and-Dirty Audio Sig Gen

Spotify is a free music streaming service - do a Google search if you don't already use it. A whole range of audio test tones, ranging from 20 Hz to around 17Khz is available via Spotify. These are normally in 30-second bursts (each tone introduced by voice), although some frequencies (eg 1KHZ) are available in 10-minute doses. Just type "Audio Test Tones" into the search box and it'll find them.

You can't download them via Spotify, but if you use a music editor such as "Audacity" (another free download), you can capture the tones as they play through your sound-card, then convert them to music files (eg Mp3) and save them to your hard drive.

You can then burn them to a CD or, more conveniently, to your Ipod. It's then simply a matter of connecting your Ipod to the amplifier you wish to check - in my case I needed a 3.5mm minijack to RCA phono cable (around £2-3 on Ebay) - and you have a small, very handy, self-powered audio source for not a lot of money (assuming you have an Ipod already!)

The Cambridge Audio website also lists a number of music tracks that their engineers use for assessing amplifier and speaker performance. Worth looking at.

Last edited by frankmcvey; 1st Feb 2017 at 3:00 am.
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Old 1st Feb 2017, 8:35 am   #2
Radio Wrangler
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Default Re: Quick-and-Dirty Audio Sig Gen

I just wonder what the copyright position is

Maybe this isn't so frivolous considering what happened to Mike Batt?

David
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Old 1st Feb 2017, 10:31 am   #3
mhennessy
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Default Re: Quick-and-Dirty Audio Sig Gen

Audacity can generate tones itself - no need to capture them.

Generate -> Tone...

You enter the frequency, level and duration. You can also choose from sine, square and sawtooth...

The amplitude setting is from 0 to 1, where 1 equals 0dBFS. Enter 0.5 for -6dBFS, 0.316 for -10dBFS, 0.1 for -20dBFS, etc...
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Old 1st Feb 2017, 10:58 am   #4
Nymrod121
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Default Re: Quick-and-Dirty Audio Sig Gen

I use 'PA Tone' (Google Playstore app for Android):

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...atone&hl=en_GB

Best wishes

Guy
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Old 1st Feb 2017, 11:51 am   #5
frankmcvey
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Default Re: Quick-and-Dirty Audio Sig Gen

I have to admit that I hadn't heard of the Mike Batt case. How bizarre that someone can claim a copyright on four-and-a-half minutes worth of silence!

I wasn't aware of Audacity's capability for tone generation suggested by Mhennessy, but that's obviously a better idea. Just tried it - it's easier and more versatile in every respect and avoids any possibility of legal issues. Unless you have a copyright on the idea??

Cheers,

Frank

Last edited by frankmcvey; 1st Feb 2017 at 12:02 pm.
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Old 1st Feb 2017, 12:34 pm   #6
Goldie99
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Default Re: Quick-and-Dirty Audio Sig Gen

Re.: Mike Batt....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-11964995
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Old 1st Feb 2017, 11:28 pm   #7
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Default Re: Quick-and-Dirty Audio Sig Gen

Thanks!

And there I was, feeling lots of sympathy for him for all these years!

David
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