# QA-401 Output signal **URL:** \ **Category:** QA401\ **Created:** [December 27, 2021, 12:43am UTC](https://forum.quantasylum.com/t/qa-401-output-signal/542 "2021-12-27T00:43:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stuartmp74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@Stuartmp74](https://forum.quantasylum.com/u/Stuartmp74)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2021, 12:43am UTC](https://forum.quantasylum.com/t/qa-401-output-signal/542/1 "2021-12-27T00:43:52Z")
Hi Matt, I am using the QA-401 in conjunction with Bob Cordell’s Distortion Magnifier. Things are going well but I do have a question for you. When I press on the run/stop button to take a measurement the output sine wave from Gen 1 or 2 pulses. It is not a continuous steady output sine wave. This makes tuning the Distortion Magnifier much harder. Is it possible to change a setting somewhere that would allow a continuous output from Gen 1? Kind Regards Stuart ---
**Author:** ![VAR](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/forum.quantasylum.com/var/32/959_2.png) [@VAR](https://forum.quantasylum.com/u/VAR)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2021, 2:41pm UTC](https://forum.quantasylum.com/t/qa-401-output-signal/542/2 "2021-12-27T14:41:12Z")
If you press the IDLE GEN button, the GEN1 will output a steady state signal. Not sure about GEN2’s signal as I have not used that one. The unit will not measure anything at that point, however, it is just a source, so I am not sure if you will be able to use the Distortion Magnifier… ---
**Author:** ![Stuartmp74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@Stuartmp74](https://forum.quantasylum.com/u/Stuartmp74)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2021, 7:19pm UTC](https://forum.quantasylum.com/t/qa-401-output-signal/542/3 "2021-12-27T19:19:39Z")
Thanks for the response scott. The idle gen button? Is that in the latest version as I don’t see it. ![20211228_051810](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/uploads/quantasylum/original/2X/1/1b1b217034f0d6e8609a95de8aa51c7d229f2a76.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![VAR](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/forum.quantasylum.com/var/32/959_2.png) [@VAR](https://forum.quantasylum.com/u/VAR)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2021, 8:14pm UTC](https://forum.quantasylum.com/t/qa-401-output-signal/542/4 "2021-12-27T20:14:43Z")
I am using the latest software for the QA402, which I believe works with the QA401. Here is my screenshot showing the IDLE/GEN button: ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/uploads/quantasylum/original/2X/b/b1060a13718c64d77ea38eaa82f406a85439e0b6.png) ---
**Author:** ![Stuartmp74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@Stuartmp74](https://forum.quantasylum.com/u/Stuartmp74)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2021, 8:40pm UTC](https://forum.quantasylum.com/t/qa-401-output-signal/542/5 "2021-12-27T20:40:11Z")
Thanks Scott, I’ll try and download the latest version and give it a go. ---
**Author:** ![Stuartmp74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@Stuartmp74](https://forum.quantasylum.com/u/Stuartmp74)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2021, 11:07pm UTC](https://forum.quantasylum.com/t/qa-401-output-signal/542/6 "2021-12-27T23:07:06Z")
Hi Scott, this is off topic but I’m getting a Calibration error when connecting the QA-401 I used the -QA401 switch and I’m definitely connected because I can change the attenuator but I can get any output from the QA-401 by using the run or Idle gen buttons. It says calibration data loaded but it invalid. See log file for details. However I can’t find the log file Any ideas? ![20211228_090726](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/uploads/quantasylum/original/2X/4/4cf1b9809220b9c3d0daa1aee620cbfd4abdf57d.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![VAR](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/forum.quantasylum.com/var/32/959_2.png) [@VAR](https://forum.quantasylum.com/u/VAR)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 6:21am UTC](https://forum.quantasylum.com/t/qa-401-output-signal/542/7 "2021-12-28T06:21:14Z")
I am afraid I don’t have an answer for that 😰 ---
**Author:** ![Stuartmp74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@Stuartmp74](https://forum.quantasylum.com/u/Stuartmp74)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 6:34am UTC](https://forum.quantasylum.com/t/qa-401-output-signal/542/8 "2021-12-28T06:34:14Z")
That’s fine, no worries scott. Maybe Matt will read this post over the coming days and respond P.S. the QA-401 worked fine with the Distortion magnifier Thanks for your help ---
**Author:** ![VAR](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/forum.quantasylum.com/var/32/959_2.png) [@VAR](https://forum.quantasylum.com/u/VAR)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 6:53am UTC](https://forum.quantasylum.com/t/qa-401-output-signal/542/9 "2021-12-28T06:53:56Z")
Well, you gave me more things to look that I was not familiar with- _Linear Audio_ magazine and “distortion analyzer”. Luckily for me, for the older gear that I look at the QA402 is just fine just as it is 😁 ---
**Author:** ![matt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://forum.quantasylum.com/u/matt)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 4:53pm UTC](https://forum.quantasylum.com/t/qa-401-output-signal/542/10 "2021-12-29T16:53:04Z")
Hi @Stuartmp74, currently, the QA401 doesn’t work with the new software. It will come, the the various silicon shortages have required just about every product to get re-designed and it’s taking an enormous amount of time. On the QA401 software, you can generate a continuous tone via Settings-\>Generate Fixed Tone ---
**Author:** ![Stuartmp74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@Stuartmp74](https://forum.quantasylum.com/u/Stuartmp74)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 8:19pm UTC](https://forum.quantasylum.com/t/qa-401-output-signal/542/11 "2021-12-29T20:19:56Z")
Thanks @Matt I’ll give it a go. 😁