Playing an arbitrary tone with Android

Question

Is there any way to make Android emit a sound of arbitrary frequency (meaning, I don\'t want to have pre-recorded sound files)?

I\'ve looked around and ToneGenerator

Answer 1

Since there is a bug in some older android versions that causes a memory leak when using MODE_STATIC, I modified Xarph's answer above to use MODE_STREAM. Hopefully it will help some.

public void playTone(double freqOfTone, double duration) {
 //double duration = 1000;                // seconds
 //   double freqOfTone = 1000;           // hz
    int sampleRate = 8000;              // a number

    double dnumSamples = duration * sampleRate;
    dnumSamples = Math.ceil(dnumSamples);
    int numSamples = (int) dnumSamples;
    double sample[] = new double[numSamples];
    byte generatedSnd[] = new byte[2 * numSamples];


    for (int i = 0; i < numSamples; ++i) {      // Fill the sample array
        sample[i] = Math.sin(freqOfTone * 2 * Math.PI * i / (sampleRate));
    }

    // convert to 16 bit pcm sound array
    // assumes the sample buffer is normalized.
    // convert to 16 bit pcm sound array
    // assumes the sample buffer is normalised.
    int idx = 0;
    int i = 0 ;

    int ramp = numSamples / 20 ;                                    // Amplitude ramp as a percent of sample count


    for (i = 0; i< ramp; ++i) {                                     // Ramp amplitude up (to avoid clicks)
        double dVal = sample[i];
                                                                    // Ramp up to maximum
        final short val = (short) ((dVal * 32767 * i/ramp));
                                                                    // in 16 bit wav PCM, first byte is the low order byte
        generatedSnd[idx++] = (byte) (val & 0x00ff);
        generatedSnd[idx++] = (byte) ((val & 0xff00) >>> 8);
    }


    for (i = i; i< numSamples - ramp; ++i) {                        // Max amplitude for most of the samples
        double dVal = sample[i];
                                                                    // scale to maximum amplitude
        final short val = (short) ((dVal * 32767));
                                                                    // in 16 bit wav PCM, first byte is the low order byte
        generatedSnd[idx++] = (byte) (val & 0x00ff);
        generatedSnd[idx++] = (byte) ((val & 0xff00) >>> 8);
    }

    for (i = i; i< numSamples; ++i) {                               // Ramp amplitude down
        double dVal = sample[i];
                                                                    // Ramp down to zero
        final short val = (short) ((dVal * 32767 * (numSamples-i)/ramp ));
                                                                    // in 16 bit wav PCM, first byte is the low order byte
        generatedSnd[idx++] = (byte) (val & 0x00ff);
        generatedSnd[idx++] = (byte) ((val & 0xff00) >>> 8);
    }

    AudioTrack audioTrack = null;                                   // Get audio track
    try {
         int bufferSize = AudioTrack.getMinBufferSize(sampleRate, AudioFormat.CHANNEL_OUT_MONO, AudioFormat.ENCODING_PCM_16BIT);
        audioTrack = new AudioTrack(AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC,
                sampleRate, AudioFormat.CHANNEL_OUT_MONO,
                AudioFormat.ENCODING_PCM_16BIT, bufferSize,
                AudioTrack.MODE_STREAM);
        audioTrack.play();                                          // Play the track
        audioTrack.write(generatedSnd, 0, generatedSnd.length);     // Load the track
    }
    catch (Exception e){
    }
    if (audioTrack != null) audioTrack.release();           // Track play done. Release track.
}

Answer 2

I originally found this example code on a blog, but it had some bugs in it that generated some horrendous sounds. I've fixed the bugs and posted the resulting code here. Seems to work well for me!

public class PlaySound extends Activity {
    // originally from http://marblemice.blogspot.com/2010/04/generate-and-play-tone-in-android.html
    // and modified by Steve Pomeroy <steve@staticfree.info>
    private final int duration = 3; // seconds
    private final int sampleRate = 8000;
    private final int numSamples = duration * sampleRate;
    private final double sample[] = new double[numSamples];
    private final double freqOfTone = 440; // hz

    private final byte generatedSnd[] = new byte[2 * numSamples];

    Handler handler = new Handler();

    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);
    }

    @Override
    protected void onResume() {
        super.onResume();

        // Use a new tread as this can take a while
        final Thread thread = new Thread(new Runnable() {
            public void run() {
                genTone();
                handler.post(new Runnable() {

                    public void run() {
                        playSound();
                    }
                });
            }
        });
        thread.start();
    }

    void genTone(){
        // fill out the array
        for (int i = 0; i < numSamples; ++i) {
            sample[i] = Math.sin(2 * Math.PI * i / (sampleRate/freqOfTone));
        }

        // convert to 16 bit pcm sound array
        // assumes the sample buffer is normalised.
        int idx = 0;
        for (final double dVal : sample) {
            // scale to maximum amplitude
            final short val = (short) ((dVal * 32767));
            // in 16 bit wav PCM, first byte is the low order byte
            generatedSnd[idx++] = (byte) (val & 0x00ff);
            generatedSnd[idx++] = (byte) ((val & 0xff00) >>> 8);

        }
    }

    void playSound(){
        final AudioTrack audioTrack = new AudioTrack(AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC,
                sampleRate, AudioFormat.CHANNEL_OUT_MONO,
                AudioFormat.ENCODING_PCM_16BIT, generatedSnd.length,
                AudioTrack.MODE_STATIC);
        audioTrack.write(generatedSnd, 0, generatedSnd.length);
        audioTrack.play();
    }
}

Answer 3

Modified Code Based on Singhaks' answer

public class MainActivity extends Activity {
    private final int duration = 30; // seconds
    private final int sampleRate = 8000;
    private final int numSamples = duration * sampleRate;
    private final double sample[] = new double[numSamples];
    private final double freqOfTone = 440; // hz
    private final byte generatedSnd[] = new byte[2 * numSamples];
    Handler handler = new Handler();
    private AudioTrack audioTrack;
    private boolean play = false;
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
        audioTrack = new AudioTrack(AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC,
                8000, AudioFormat.CHANNEL_OUT_MONO,
                AudioFormat.ENCODING_PCM_16BIT, numSamples,
                AudioTrack.MODE_STREAM);
    }

    @Override
    protected void onResume() {
        super.onResume();

        // Use a new tread as this can take a while
        Thread thread = new Thread(new Runnable() {
            public void run() {

                handler.post(new Runnable() {

                    public void run() {
                        playSound();
                        genTone();
                    }
                });
            }   
        });
        thread.start();
    }

    void genTone(){
        // fill out the array
        while(play){
                for (int i = 0; i < numSamples; ++i) {
                //  float angular_frequency = 
                    sample[i] = Math.sin(2 * Math.PI * i / (sampleRate/freqOfTone));
                }
                int idx = 0;

                // convert to 16 bit pcm sound array
                // assumes the sample buffer is normalised.
                for (double dVal : sample) {
                    short val = (short) (dVal * 32767);
                    generatedSnd[idx++] = (byte) (val & 0x00ff);
                    generatedSnd[idx++] = (byte) ((val & 0xff00) >>> 8);
                }
                audioTrack.write(generatedSnd, 0, numSamples);
            }
        }


    void playSound(){
        play = true;
        audioTrack.play();
    }
}

Answer 4

Improving on the above code:

Add amplitude ramp up and ramp down to avoid the clicks.

Add code to determine when the tack has finished playing.

double duration = 1;            // seconds
double freqOfTone = 1000;       // hz
int sampleRate = 8000;          // a number

double dnumSamples = duration * sampleRate;
dnumSamples = Math.ceil(dnumSamples);
int numSamples = (int) dnumSamples;
double sample[] = new double[numSamples];
byte generatedSnd[] = new byte[2 * numSamples];


for (int i = 0; i < numSamples; ++i) {    // Fill the sample array
    sample[i] = Math.sin(freqOfTone * 2 * Math.PI * i / (sampleRate));
}

// convert to 16 bit pcm sound array
// assumes the sample buffer is normalized.
// convert to 16 bit pcm sound array
// assumes the sample buffer is normalised.
int idx = 0;
int i = 0 ;

int ramp = numSamples / 20 ;                                     // Amplitude ramp as a percent of sample count


for (i = 0; i< ramp; ++i) {                                      // Ramp amplitude up (to avoid clicks)
    double dVal = sample[i];
                                                                 // Ramp up to maximum
    final short val = (short) ((dVal * 32767 * i/ramp));
                                                                 // in 16 bit wav PCM, first byte is the low order byte
    generatedSnd[idx++] = (byte) (val & 0x00ff);
    generatedSnd[idx++] = (byte) ((val & 0xff00) >>> 8);
}


for (i = i; i< numSamples - ramp; ++i) {                         // Max amplitude for most of the samples
    double dVal = sample[i];
                                                                 // scale to maximum amplitude
    final short val = (short) ((dVal * 32767));
                                                                 // in 16 bit wav PCM, first byte is the low order byte
    generatedSnd[idx++] = (byte) (val & 0x00ff);
    generatedSnd[idx++] = (byte) ((val & 0xff00) >>> 8);
}

for (i = i; i< numSamples; ++i) {                                // Ramp amplitude down
    double dVal = sample[i];
                                                                 // Ramp down to zero
    final short val = (short) ((dVal * 32767 * (numSamples-i)/ramp ));
                                                                 // in 16 bit wav PCM, first byte is the low order byte
    generatedSnd[idx++] = (byte) (val & 0x00ff);
    generatedSnd[idx++] = (byte) ((val & 0xff00) >>> 8);
}

AudioTrack audioTrack = null;                                    // Get audio track
try {
    audioTrack = new AudioTrack(AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC,
        sampleRate, AudioFormat.CHANNEL_CONFIGURATION_MONO,
        AudioFormat.ENCODING_PCM_16BIT, (int)numSamples*2,
        AudioTrack.MODE_STATIC);
    audioTrack.write(generatedSnd, 0, generatedSnd.length);        // Load the track
    audioTrack.play();                                             // Play the track
}
catch (Exception e){
    RunTimeError("Error: " + e);
    return false;
}

int x =0;
do{                                                              // Monitor playback to find when done
    if (audioTrack != null) 
        x = audioTrack.getPlaybackHeadPosition(); 
    else 
        x = numSamples;
} while (x<numSamples);

if (audioTrack != null) audioTrack.release();                    // Track play done. Release track.

Answer 5

see this helpful library

https://github.com/karlotoy/perfectTune

it's easy to use

add this to your dependencies

 compile 'com.github.karlotoy:perfectTune:1.0.2'

And you use it like this:

PerfectTune perfectTune = new PerfectTune();
perfectTune.setTuneFreq(desire_freq);
perfectTune.playTune();

to stop the tune:

perfectTune.stopTune();

Answer 6

There are several programs for this, but they suck. I measured a few:

http://www.endolith.com/wordpress/2009/11/24/android-audio-applications/

So don't do whatever they do. :D