Multi-tone generator

What the multi tone generator does

The multi tone generator plays up to six independent pitches at the same time, each with its own frequency, volume, stereo position, mute, and solo switch. While the main tool produces one exact pitch, this page is a small mixing desk: you build a stack of tones, press play once, and hear them blend. Total level is auto-balanced so adding voices never clips or distorts.

Two classic experiments show why layering matters. Set two tones a few hertz apart — 440 Hz and 442 Hz — and you hear a slow pulsing called a beat frequency, pulsing twice per second. Set three tones to a chord, such as 220 Hz, 277 Hz, and 330 Hz, and separate test pitches fuse into harmony. Both are one click away in the presets.

How to build your first stack

Start with the 440 + 442 beat preset and listen to the gentle wavering between the two close pitches. Then try the A-major triad preset to hear how three spaced tones lock into a chord. From there, add your own tone, drag its frequency slowly, and notice how the beating speeds up as the gap widens.

1. Pick a preset or add tones: each voice gets its own frequency field and level slider.
2. Balance the mix: lower the voice you are tuning against and raise the one under test.
3. Isolate with solo and mute: solo one voice to check it, mute another to hear what it contributed.
4. Place voices in space: pan one tone left and another right to separate them clearly in headphones.

Ideas worth trying

Beat frequencies are the most revealing experiment: tones 1 Hz apart throb once per second, 5 Hz apart buzz noticeably, and 15 Hz apart turn rough and dissonant. Octave stacks (110, 220, 440 Hz) demonstrate how the ear fuses multiples into a single rich note, while a perfect fifth (220 + 330 Hz) shows the most stable interval after the octave.

Choir directors and instrument makers use stacks like these to preview intervals before rehearsal, and electronics hobbyists approximate dual-tone alarm sounds by mixing two steady pitches. Keep volumes moderate — stacked tones add up in energy even when the page auto-balances the total level.

Balancing levels and stereo placement

A good stack is mixed, not just switched on. Start with all voices at equal level, then pull back everything except the tone you are studying — the contrast makes small tuning differences obvious. Solo buttons help here: solo the new voice to confirm its pitch against the main tone generator, then unsolo to hear it melt back into the chord.

Stereo placement is the second mixing dimension. Panning one voice hard left and another hard right separates them completely in headphones, which makes beat counting far easier than a centered mono blend. Drift the pans slowly toward center afterward and notice the moment the blend gels — that is your ear fusing the stack into one composite sound.

Finally, save useful stacks as shared links or notes of exact frequencies. A written-down recipe like 220, 277, and 330 Hz with levels 80, 60, 60 rebuilds the same chord anywhere, turning a fleeting experiment into a repeatable reference you can return to for rehearsals, demos, and ear-training drills.