# frequency sweeps for free?



## kelly

In true audiophile voodoo spirit...

 Someone else posted a link to a winamp plugin for white noise generation. I'm wondering if there are any other burn-in programs and or computer generated anythings of that sort.

 I know that the discs that are made for this are <insert copyright rhetoric here>, I just assume that some amateurs have probably done something similar either in the form of mp3 or other audio file formats or in something programatic--which would be a lot more fun and interesting to me.

 If anyone has anything, please post it.

 Kelly


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## chych

Hmm a great source for break-in is your DI/O itself, just play with it until you do not get a lock and instead, a deadly hiss... that should be sufficient noise where all frequencies are played to break things in...


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## Joe Bloggs

Search for 'Stomper Hyperion'.

 It's meant to be a sound synthesizer for sound effects to add to the mix but the only thing I've ever done with it is to make frequency sweeps


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## tangent

The demo version of Cool Edit 2000 is completely functional; it merely limits you to picking two of six subsets of the program's functionality. So, pick the waveform generation subset and the file-save subset, and you're off.

 Course, Cool Edit is just so damn cool you might just want to buy it anyway!


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## Audio-Me

Lol, you guys are weird, audiophile burn in CDs, heh, how odd, just use your own music that you listen to most. 
 But if you guys really want, I can make two one minute(10MB/ea) wav files concisting 10 seconds each of brown, pink, and white noise, three different tones (modulations of your choice) one without phasing (delay effects) and one with using cool edit pro and upload it to you.


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## tangent

Quote:


 you guys are weird 
 

Maybe you're understanding this thread differently, but when I think about frequency sweeps, I think about frequency response testing, not burn-in. I've discovered many interesting things about my sources and cans by running a simple frequency sweep. Like, the weird flaw I found in my Expanium 103 that's obvious with a frequency sweep but hard to hear within music.


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## Audio-Me

Yea, but why bother? What you don't know can't hurt you. =)


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## KR...

Quote:


 What you don't know can't hurt you. 
 

keep em' dumb and happy, huh?


 We rather know!

 oh, I posted that plug-in, and here's the other one :

STOMPER Hyperion 5.0


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## Audio-Me

All right, lets end this darn "audiophile method of burn in" hype.

 I have made (using Syntrillium Cool Edit Pro) 8 different wav files, totaling 4:50min (48.7MB uncompressed wav).
 These concist of the following noise and frequency modulations:
 brown noise
 pink noise
 white noise
 0hz-40hz
 40hz-440hz
 440hz-12khz
 12khz-16khz
 16khz-20khz(I can hear changes of frequency levels this high, but I can't distinguish any continuous waves of 17.5khz and higher, does this mean my upper frequency hearing is damaged?)
 22khz-39khz(HD600 max freq response according to Sennheiser 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




)
 Low frequency sweep (0-100hz, 20hz-80hz, 40hz-60hz, phasing)

 All wav files compressed into one winrar sfx (self executable) final file size comes to: 34.2MB

 I can send this file, or each wav individually (or you pick the ones you want) by uploading to an ftp (I can provide one if not available), file transfer programs such as DCC through IRC, or icq, etc.
 So if you are *interested*, drop me an email or a private message and I'll get back to you. 

 BTW, I have no idea what good this would do besides maybe be more efficient in break in (as in doesn't take as long)... But wouldn't you rather *listen* to music during break in? I know I do.


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## tangent

Quote:


 I can't distinguish any continuous waves of 17.5khz and higher, does this mean my upper frequency hearing is damaged? 
 

It means you're an adult. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 The whole "20-20kHz" thing is an ideal. Some adults manage to maintain something close to that range, but most lose a lot of HF.

 The real problem is when you start getting "notches" in your hearing response. That's actual damage, and not -- to put it colorfully -- calcification.

  Quote:


 I can send this file...34.2 MB 
 

Much better to send copies of Cool Edit and these instructions, no?


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## chych

Encode that to 3-6MB worth of MP3 for those who really do not feel like downloading uncompressed files... not like there is a groundbreaking difference...

 Also, can you make 15hz, 20hz, 18khz, and 20khz solid tones? I would be interested in getting those.


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## kelly

Quote:


 _Originally posted by chych _
*Encode that to 3-6MB worth of MP3 for those who really do not feel like downloading uncompressed files... not like there is a groundbreaking difference...

 Also, can you make 15hz, 20hz, 18khz, and 20khz solid tones? I would be interested in getting those. * 
 

Doesn't mp3 compression drop the upper frequencies?

 Kelly


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## tangent

Quote:


 Doesn't mp3 compression drop the upper frequencies? 
 

Only some encoders do. That's one of MP3's biggest problems, by the way -- if one encoder does something stupid, it makes all encoders look bad because most people don't understand that there are big differences among encoders. You can read more about this at r3mix.net, if you want.

 All that aside, I wouldn't encode test tones unless my goal was to test encoders or decoders. If you encode the test tones and then use them to test equipment and you hear flaws, you don't know if you're hearing problems with the MP3 or with the equipment. I'm a big fan of MP3, but using MP3'd test tones is a misuse of the technology.


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## Audio-Me

Compressing test tones is not a good idea. I haven't come across any encoder without flaws. The best one I've come across and use is Lame, which exaggerates highs and some bass frequencies.

 I would provide instructions, but I don't know if the demo version can make noise/tones, let alone save. Crippleware sucks.

 chych - I will make single tones for you and anyone else wanting other frequencies. 

 tangent - thanks for info, phew, hehe. I can hear fluctuations up there, like beeps and stuff, but I won't notice a straight tone for over 3 seconds.

 EDIT: I did single tones (non modulated), and I could hear faintly 20khz-24khz.


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## chych

Uncompressed it is then...

 I just want to test my hearing and my headphones on the very bottom and top as I have not found solid tones at those frequencies. So, how shall I get your test files?


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## tangent

Quote:


 I would provide instructions, but I don't know if the demo version can make noise/tones, let alone save. 
 

The demo version of Cool Edit lets you pick any two subsets of functionality when you start up. Saving files is one subset, leaving one for tone generation. I even used Cool Edit for a few months that way -- annoying, but still usable. I guess that's the point -- Syntrillium eventually got my money!


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## chych

Hmm I got the solid tones....

 Apparantely I can't hear 20khz (?@!?!) grr... I can hear 15hz CLEARLY though, though I'm not sure if that is really 15hz (nor is that 20khz for the matter).


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## Audio-Me

Lol, I know, that was my initial experience as well. You'll pick it up if you keep listening to it. I don't know if its our ears triggering, or our brains ******** with us...


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## tangent

I've heard some sound cards and headphones make a sound when they first start playing, so sometimes you hear something initially, but then nothing when you're beyond your range.


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## Joe Bloggs

It takes about 5 min. to make your first wav on Stomper Hyperion--probably less time than it takes to download the wav--and after that you can make whatever tones you want...


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## Audio-Me

Sounds like a good idea Joe. Could you post a link to download from, and set of instructions for everyone?


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## kelly

Using Audio&Me's WAVs, I'm already finding a noticable difference in bass performance of the HD600s after 8-10 hours.

 I'm looping all the WAV sweeps with a live Dream Theater song (with saxaphone) on the end. I figure that combination has to cover just about everything.

 Kelly


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## Joe Bloggs

Stomper Hyperion 5 (link's already been posted anyway, hey 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 )

 1. Remember to set Special->sampling frequency = 44.1kHz
 2. 1st tab is for frequency setting, you can frequency for the start and end of each oscillator (can add multiple oscillators concurrently) The slider on the top is a variable in a quadratic function for the variation of the frequency, I think, 1 sets it to linear. There's an option for setting frequency in terms of Hz or key.
 3. 2nd tab for amplitude setting--starting amplitude, ending amplitude, slider -> slope... max. non-clipping amplitude = 1
 4. 3rd tab--waveshape--sine wave, square wave, whaddaya call the rest of them 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



 5. Timescale: start and end time is in terms of no. of beats. If you set bpm = 60 the time becomes in terms of seconds. Default is 120bpm though.

 That's about it I think. You can always read the help


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## vrao81

Thanks for the link. It's fun to play around with frequency sweeps to see how your gear performs. But it looks like I can only hear up to 17.5 khz though


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## Czilla9000

Hi Joe......I haven't seen you around Head-Fi for a while.





 Anyway, I downloaded Stomper Hyperion.






 What it the correct frequency responce curve? I have been using it with amplitude on "396.8" (maximum) and "1" frequency (perfect right triangle).


 Is this the best way to test?


 One thing I found cool is changing the waveform to a PWM (DSD like) square wave. I noticed that the higher the frequency the more artifact occured. Is that what SACD sounds like 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 ?


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## Joe Bloggs

Quote:


 _Originally posted by Czilla9000 _
*Hi Joe......I haven't seen you around Head-Fi for a while.* 
 

Well, hi 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  Quote:


 Anyway, I downloaded Stomper Hyperion.

 What it the correct frequency responce curve? I have been using it with amplitude on "396.8" (maximum) and "1" frequency (perfect right triangle).

 Is this the best way to test? 
 

No 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	










 The maximum amplitude that can be recorded correctly is 1. I recommend a bit lower, like 0.95. 396.8 is nothing but clipping clipping and more clipping 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  Quote:


 (perfect right triangle) 
 

If you want to hear a pure frequency, use sine wave. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  Quote:


 One thing I found cool is changing the waveform to a PWM (DSD like) square wave. I noticed that the higher the frequency the more artifact occured. Is that what SACD sounds like 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 ? 
 

No 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 The PWM signal is only a way to represent the audio inside the system. It gets filtered on the way out and nothing like those square waves would come out at the output (unless the recording specifies square waves)

 Hope that clears things up

 Joe


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## Joe Bloggs

Oh, and I wonder what format A&M is recording his wavs in, because most formats only record up to 22.05kHz 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







 'course, Stomper allows you to go up to 39kHz too, but will just record an aliasing artifacts, since its highest sampling rate is 48kHz and even then you can only record sounds correctly up to 24kHz.

 A&M, unless you are using 48kHz / 96kHz, you can't be recording 24kHz correctly and that won't be 24kHz you're actually hearing.


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