Triggered Record Using WAV File
A test sequence using SoundCheck’s new Frequency Trigger to test devices without an analog input such as smart speakers, tablets, cellphones and MP3 players.

The purpose of this sequence is to demonstrate SoundCheck’s Triggered Record – Frequency Trigger function which allows you to test the output of devices without analog inputs such as tablets, cellphones and MP3 players. A stimulus WAV file is created in SoundCheck and transferred to the device under test, where it is played back and the response recorded in SoundCheck as if the stimulus were played directly from SoundCheck. The Acquisition step is triggered by the 1 kHz pilot tone in the stimulus file. Frequency triggers are more robust than level triggers which are susceptible to false triggering due to background noise.
The stimulus WAV file to be used on the device under test (DUT) may be customized in the Stimulus step. The stimulus default is an R40 stepped sine sweep from 20 kHz to 100 Hz, prepended with a 250 ms 1 kHz pilot tone which is used to activate the frequency trigger. The stimulus can be saved as a WAV when the sequence is run. The WAV will have the same sample rate and bit depth as set in your system Hardware configuration. By default, the WAV file is automatically normalized to 0 dB FS in the autosave step, so the stimulus level is not important.
- The parameters of the sweep in the stimulus step are used when creating the WAV file. The duration of this stimulus must be considered in the “Time” field of the acquisition step. See page 2.
- The stimulus step must remain in the sequence and the stimulus settings cannot be changed without re-saving the stimulus WAV file.
- The stimulus WAV file used in this example is included in the sequence folder.
- Changing the sample rate or bit depth in the hardware configuration also requires re-saving the WAV file.
Acquisition Step Settings
Mode: Record
Record Type: Triggered
Time (sec): Default=3 sec. Must be set to slightly longer than length of original stimulus sweep plus the Trig. Offset value
Input Channel: Set to Reference Mic
Trigger Type: Level & Frequency
Trigger Level: Default=80 dB. Should be set relative to the desired playback level from DUT
Auto: Enabled, (will auto detect trigger frequency). When disabled, allows for user defined trigger frequency
Trigger Unit: Default=dB. Can be set to dB or Pa according to user preference
Trigger Signal Path: Reference Mic
Trigger Offset (sec): Default=-50ms. Sets the amount of time that the Acquired Signal is shifted, relative to the point at which it is triggered.
Slope: For triggering on WAV files this should be set to positive
Time Out (sec): Amount of time the step will wait to trigger before continuing to the next step
The waveform window in the final display shows the stimulus waveform as well as the recorded time waveform. This display can be used to make sure the stimulus is well within the start and stop time of the acquisition step.
Also displayed are the Fundamental, H2, H3, THD, Rub & Buzz and Perceptual Rub & Buzz.
Jitter and playback sample rate of the DUT are in the Memory List Values Tab and can also be displayed.
Hardware
- MP3 playback device with speaker (Cell Phone, tablet, MP3 player, etc.)
- SCM-3 calibrated measurement microphone Part # 4002
- Listen Audio Connect audio interface/microphone power supply or equivalent Part # 4050
Software
- SoundCheck Plus – version 16.1 or newer
Download Sequence documentation (PDF)
Note that this sequence only works with SoundCheck version 16.1 or later. If you are using an earlier version, please see this sequence which uses our level-based trigger.
Registered users of SoundCheck 16.0 or later can upgrade free of charge – ask your sales engineer for a download link.
If you would like to add this feature to your system, contact a sales engineer to discuss upgrade costs.