Free audio calculators
Get your mic, amp and speakers right the first time
Pick the right microphone, size your amplifier and match your speakers. No sign-up, no guesswork, just answers you can check.
Our calculators
Six free calculators for the decisions behind a good sound setup: what to buy, how to wire it, how loud it will be and what it will draw.
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Microphone Finder
Which mic should you buy?
Tell it what you record, where you record it and what you can spend. It matches you to the right mic type, connection, polar pattern and accessories, then points you to specific models.
- USB, XLR or wireless
- Polar pattern and phantom power
- Accessories you actually need
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Amplifier Calculator
What size amp do you need?
Enter your speakers' impedance, power rating and sensitivity plus how loud you want to play. It works out the amplifier power you need, checks impedance matching and estimates SPL.
- Amp wattage with headroom
- Series and parallel wiring loads
- SPL at your listening distance
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Speaker Impedance Calculator
Is your speaker wiring safe?
Work out the total load for speakers wired in series, parallel or series-parallel, and every wiring option for single and dual voice coil subwoofers, checked against your amplifier's minimum impedance.
- Series, parallel and series-parallel
- Single and dual voice coil subs
- Safe or unsafe for your amp
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SPL Calculator
How loud will your speakers be?
Find the level your speakers reach at your listening distance, or the power needed to hit a target level. Includes distance loss, multiple speakers, headroom and a hearing-safety check.
- Level at any distance
- Power needed for a target dB
- Safe listening time
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Amplifier Power & Heat Calculator
How much power does your amp use?
Estimate how much power an amplifier draws, how much heat it makes and how much current it needs from the mains or a car battery, at idle, typical music and full power.
- Watts, amps and BTU per hour
- Class A, AB and D
- Breaker, fuse and running cost
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Mic Gain Calculator
How much preamp gain do you need?
Enter your microphone's sensitivity and how you will use it. It works out the preamp gain that puts your peaks at a healthy level, and whether your interface has enough clean gain.
- Gain for any mic and distance
- Enough gain for an SM7B?
- Signal-to-noise estimate
How it works
- 1
Describe your setup
Pick your use case, room and budget, or enter your speaker specs.
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Get a clear answer
See the recommended gear or the exact amplifier power, with the reasoning.
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Check before you buy
Warnings flag impedance mismatches and underpowered setups before they cost you.
Numbers you can check
The amplifier calculator uses the standard relationships between sensitivity, distance, room gain and headroom, and its formulas are covered by automated tests. Real rooms and real speakers vary, so treat results as a solid starting point rather than a guarantee.
Latest guides
Plain-English help for the choices behind a good sound setup.
- How Loud Will My Speakers Be? Watts, Sensitivity and Distance Explained · 14 min read
- Watts to dB: How Amplifier Power and Speaker Loudness Actually Relate · 17 min read
- Best Microphone for Podcasting and Voiceovers in an Untreated Room · 8 min read
- Best Microphone Setup for a Noisy or Untreated Room · 8 min read
- Shure MV7+ vs Rode PodMic USB: An Honest Comparison · 8 min read
- Choosing a Microphone Under $100 That Will Not Die in 6 Months · 7 min read