The objective of this study is to develop a system for recording and processing acoustic emission signals. The research focuses on designing cost-effective experimental equipment for investigating acoustic emission processes under laboratory conditions, with the capability of being reconfigured for specific applications depending on loading conditions and methods, material properties, environmental conditions, etc. A laboratory rig for recording and analysing acoustic emission data has been developed and experimentally tested. This paper presents the system’s block diagram and its operational algorithm. Furthermore, the correlation between the results of statistical processing of the recorded data and the physical characteristics of the input signals is demonstrated using model acoustic signals, incorporating various components of the developed rig.