Work with the database

The database is located at the following address: https://avtshare01.rz.tu-ilmenau.de/two-ears/database/, where you can browse the data, or download single files. Fortunately, the Binaural simulator has an automatic download and caching functionality, which gets the files from the database on demand. Downloading the files twice is prevented by the caching mechanism.

For example, you could browse the database and get any file you want by specifying its relative position inside the database. The next command will download a WAV-file for you which you can then use inside Matlab:

>> filename = db.getFile('stimuli/anechoic/instruments/anechoic_cello.wav');
>> sig = wavread(filename);

In addition, as we have seen in the Set up an acoustic scene tutorial you normally never directly use the db.getFile() function, but ask for database files inside a scene description file. For example, in order to use a HRTF from the Anechoic HRTFs from the KEMAR manikin with different distances you have to add the following address to your scene configuration:

<scene HRIRs="impulse_responses/qu_kemar_anechoic/QU_KEMAR_anechoic_3m.sofa">

The Binaural simulator will then automatically call the db.getFile() function in order to get the desired HRTF.

For more advanced usages of the database, have a look at Usage. There, it is also explained where the automatic downloaded files are stored and how they could be deleted.