A calibration apparatus for calibrating a laser Doppler vibrometer includes: a frequency shifter stage that: receives, from the laser Doppler vibrometer, primary laser light; produces frequency shifted light; communicates the frequency shifted light to a reflector; receives frequency shifted light reflected by the reflector; produces secondary light; and communicates the secondary light to the laser Doppler vibrometer, such that the laser Doppler vibrometer receives the secondary light from the frequency shifter stage and produces a synthetic velocity shift from the secondary light; and the reflector that receives and reflects the frequency shifted light back to the frequency shifter stage.