SpeakerSweep

SpeakerSweep is a nifty application that can measure the frequency response of your loudspeakers in real time. Capturing input either from an audio file or from the peripherals your computer is equipped with, it generates a sinusoidal frequency signal that can be applied to the audio amplifier.

While the regular peripherals of a computer are enough to make SpeakerSweep work and determine the frequency response, keep in mind that only high-quality audio peripherals, such as DAC and ADC ensure accurate frequency measurement. In other words, SpeakerSweep works with the standard microphone and headset but the results are only suitable for comparing different speakers, as the measurement precision is poor in this case. The room’s reverberation also affects the precision of the measurement.

The application’s interface is simple and user-friendly, with pretty intuitive options. It allows you to select the audio input and output from drop-down lists, adjust the input sensitivity and set the volume with ease. Most of the main window is taken by the frequency response graph.

Once the audio input and output are selected from the available peripherals, you can press the “Capture” button, which starts the sweep generator. A short audio burst initiates the synchronization between the audio input and output. Once this burst is detected by the microphone, SpeakerSweep starts to draw the frequency graph, stopping when the maximum frequency is achieved. You can easily modify the starting and the ending frequencies.  

SpeakerSweep can save the captured audio as a WAV file on your computer, embedding the minimum and the maximum values of the audio frequency in the file’s metadata. You can load  this audio file and play it with any media player or in SpeakerSweep itself.

The frequency response of a component is vital to the sound quality of your music, as a non-flat response alters the way each instrument sounds. SpeakerSweep is there to help you measure the frequency response of your loudspeakers, which comes in handy especially if  you are in the music industry.