--- title: What Does Welding Sound Like? SMAW description: Most welders know from halfway across the shop by the sound of the weld, what welding process is happening. image: https://blog.xiris.com/hubfs/Blogs/Blog%202019/SMAW.png --- [![xiris-automation-logo-white](https://blog.xiris.com/hubfs/Xiris_2020/images/xiris-automation-logo-white.png "xiris-automation-logo-white")](https://www.xiris.com/) [![xiris-automation-logo-color](https://blog.xiris.com/hubfs/Xiris_2020/images/xiris-automation-logo-color.png "xiris-automation-logo-color")](https://www.xiris.com/) [audio](https://blog.xiris.com/blog/topic/audio), [What does welding sound like?](https://blog.xiris.com/blog/topic/what-does-welding-sound-like) # What Does Welding Sound Like? SMAW This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. - [** ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.xiris.com/blog/what-does-welding-sound-like-smaw&title=What+Does+Welding+Sound+Like%3F+SMAW&picture=https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/206970/Blogs/Blog%202019/SMAW.png&description=Most+welders+know+from+halfway+across+the+shop+by+the+sound+of+the+weld%2C+what+welding+process+is+happening.+%0A) - [** ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?source=https://blog.xiris.com/blog/what-does-welding-sound-like-smaw&text=What+Does+Welding+Sound+Like%3F+SMAW%20-%20https://blog.xiris.com/blog/what-does-welding-sound-like-smaw) - [** ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.xiris.com/blog/what-does-welding-sound-like-smaw&title=What+Does+Welding+Sound+Like%3F+SMAW&summary=Most+welders+know+from+halfway+across+the+shop+by+the+sound+of+the+weld%2C+what+welding+process+is+happening.+%0A) - [** ](https://plus.google.com/share?url=https://blog.xiris.com/blog/what-does-welding-sound-like-smaw) - [** ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.xiris.com/blog/what-does-welding-sound-like-smaw&title=What+Does+Welding+Sound+Like%3F+SMAW&picture=https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/206970/Blogs/Blog%202019/SMAW.png&description=Most+welders+know+from+halfway+across+the+shop+by+the+sound+of+the+weld%2C+what+welding+process+is+happening.+%0A) - [** ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?source=https://blog.xiris.com/blog/what-does-welding-sound-like-smaw&text=What+Does+Welding+Sound+Like%3F+SMAW%20-%20https://blog.xiris.com/blog/what-does-welding-sound-like-smaw) - [** ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.xiris.com/blog/what-does-welding-sound-like-smaw&title=What+Does+Welding+Sound+Like%3F+SMAW&summary=Most+welders+know+from+halfway+across+the+shop+by+the+sound+of+the+weld%2C+what+welding+process+is+happening.+%0A) ![Cameron Serles](https://blog.xiris.com/hubfs/coil%20joining/user.png) Written by Cameron Serles on January 13, 2025 “Most welding shop foremen who interview welders give them a weld test and know from halfway across the shop by the sound of the weld if that welder will pass the test.”1 This quote from GoWelding.org highlights how important sound is in welding. This is why our team at Xiris has added audio monitoring to our popular [weld cameras](https://www.xiris.com/weld-monitoring-cameras/). ![SMAW- Audio in Welding](https://blog.xiris.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blogs/Blog%202019/SMAW.png?width=300&name=SMAW.png) Since launching our audio package, we have been diving into audio monitoring in more detail, talking about how monitoring audio can benefit operators and what to listen for in GMAW and GTAW. Today, we’re looking—and listening—in more detail to SMAW, or stick welding. Like GMAW, SMAW should sound like cooking bacon.2 If the arc sounds overly loud, your amperage might be set too high.3 To set up your welder, strike an arc and listen to the crackle of the rod. Adjust the power setting (amperage) until you hear the sound of bacon or eggs frying.2 It may take years for welders to amass the experience necessary to recognize what quality welds sound like. As you are welding, it is important to pay attention to the sound of your stick welds. Soon, you will be able to determine if you have a quality weld. ### Interested in learning more? Here are a couple of resources you might find helpful   ![Audio Whitepaper July 2019 Cover](https://blog.xiris.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Whitepapers/Cover%20Images/Audio%20Whitepaper%20July%202019%20Cover.jpg?width=177&name=Audio%20Whitepaper%20July%202019%20Cover.jpg) Download our whitepaper [How Audio Monitoring Can Improve Welding Quality](https://info.xiris.com/how-audio-monitoring-can-improve-welding-quality) to learn more about monitoring your weld using audio.  In this report you'll learn: •   Benefits of adding audio •   How to set up audio monitoring •   What welding sounds like   --- ![Webinar Page_OnDemand_Welding Defect Detection Using Vision and Audio](https://blog.xiris.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Webinar%20Page_OnDemand_Welding%20Defect%20Detection%20Using%20Vision%20and%20Audio.png?width=177&name=Webinar%20Page_OnDemand_Welding%20Defect%20Detection%20Using%20Vision%20and%20Audio.png)Download a copy of our webinar [Welding Defect Detection Using Vision and Audio](https://info.xiris.com/weldmic-webinar-download) to learn how weld microphones can give operators the sound necessary to monitor and control the arc stability and even predict wire feeding issues.          --- **Better Images. Better Decisions. Better Process Control.** Follow Xiris on social media for regular updates and [welding videos](https://www.xiris.com/resources/welding-video-library/)! [![Instagram](https://blog.xiris.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Instagram.png?width=26&name=Instagram.png)](https://www.instagram.com/xirisautomation/?hl=en) [![LinkedIn](https://blog.xiris.com/hs-fs/hubfs/LinkedIn.png?width=26&name=LinkedIn.png)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/xiris-automation-inc/) [![Facebook](https://blog.xiris.com/hs-fs/hubfs/FB.png?width=26&name=FB.png)](http://www.facebook.com/xirisautomationinc)[![Twitter](https://blog.xiris.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Twitter.png?width=26&name=Twitter.png)](https://twitter.com/XirisAutomation) Sources:  1http://gowelding.org/welding/stick-smaw/ 2https://quizlet.com/125850644/welding-smaw-shielded-metal-arc-welding-flash-cards/ 3https://www.millerwelds.com/resources/article-library/five-steps-to-improving-your-stick-welding-technique ### Recent Posts ### You may also like: [![](https://blog.xiris.com/hubfs/Open%20Graph%20-%20Blogs-1.png) ## How HDR Weld Pool Camera Technology Reduces Arc Glare {% module_block module... ](https://blog.xiris.com/blog/how-hdr-weld-pool-camera-technology-reduces-arc-glare) [![Do Undercut Welds Need to Be Redone? Causes, Evaluation, and Repair](https://blog.xiris.com/hubfs/Undercut-in-welding.png) ## Do Undercut Welds Need to Be Redone? Causes, Evaluation, and Repair ](https://blog.xiris.com/blog/do-undercut-welds-need-to-be-redone-causes-evaluation-and-repair) [![Cold Lap in Welding: Understanding, Preventing, and Fixing This Defect](https://blog.xiris.com/hubfs/Cold-Lap-in-welding.png) ## Cold Lap in Welding: Understanding, Preventing, and Fixing This Defect ](https://blog.xiris.com/blog/cold-lap-in-welding) ![7-2019-11-25-MachineImages edited](https://blog.xiris.com/hubfs/7-2019-11-25-MachineImages%20edited.jpg "7-2019-11-25-MachineImages edited") ## Don't miss a single post! Get expert weld monitoring and inspection info sent straight to your inbox. Contact **Xiris Automation Inc.** 5046 Mainway, Unit 2 Burlington, Ontario, Canada L7L 5Z1 [Email: sales@xiris.com](mailto:sales@xiris.com) [Phone: +1.905.331.6660](tel:+1.905.331.6660) [Fax: +1.905.331.6661](https://blog.xiris.com/blog/what-does-welding-sound-like-smaw#)   **Xiris Automation GmbH** Holterkamp 18 40880 Ratingen Germany [Email: sales@xiris.eu](mailto:sales@xiris.eu) [Phone: +49.2102.126.3835](tel:++49.2102.126.3835) About Xiris Resources Follow Us - [**](https://twitter.com/XirisAutomation) - [**](https://www.facebook.com/XirisAutomationInc) - [**](https://www.instagram.com/xirisautomation/) - [**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/xiris-automation-inc/) - [**](https://www.youtube.com/user/XirisAutomationInc) © Xiris Automation 2020 ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Cameron Serles", "url" : "https://blog.xiris.com/blog/author/cameron-serles" }, "dateModified" : "2025-01-13T21:15:57.789Z", "datePublished" : "2021-11-10T18:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "What Does Welding Sound Like? SMAW", "image" : [ "https://blog.xiris.com/hubfs/Blogs/Blog%202019/SMAW.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.xiris.com/blog/what-does-welding-sound-like-smaw", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.xiris.com/hs-fs/file-25094537-png/images/logo-1.png?t=1364277994000" }, "name" : "Xiris Automation Inc." } } ```