3D Tune-In Toolkit: An open-source library for real-time binaural spatialisation

What is it about?

Binaural literally means relating or involving both ears. Binaural hearing refers to the ability of the auditory system to analyse the sound at the two ears, integrate the information embedded in the acoustic stimuli, and determine the position of the source in the surrounding three-dimensional space. This is what happens in our everyday life, and can be simulated using a simple pair of headphones as a playback device. We have developed the 3D Tune-In Toolkit (3DTI Toolkit), an open-source C++ library which integrates binaural spatialisation functionalities together with other audio-related features. After reviewing the basic concepts behind binaural spatialisation through a chronology of research milestones in the field in the last 40 years. The paper presents the technical details of this software, outlining its architecture and describing the processes implemented in each of its components. The 3DTI Toolkit integrates in one single open-source package several techniques developed and evaluated in the last 20 years of spatial audio research. During the development stage, particular attention has been put on the time-related aspects of the spatialisation, resulting in realistic and smooth simulation of moving sound sources, both in terms of angle and distance changes.

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Photo by Franco Antonio Giovanella on Unsplash

Photo by Franco Antonio Giovanella on Unsplash