# UaVirBASE: A Public-Access Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Sound Source Localization Dataset
## 2 Materials and Methods
### Software
Developing a custom software solution allowed us to ensure seamless functionality across platforms, with a particular focus on optimizing performance in Linux environments. The UaVirBASE Recorder was developed in Python (version 3.11.4) and is compatible with both Linux (Ubuntu) and Windows 10/11 operating systems. The software is designed to support up to 12 microphones simultaneously, making it ideal for multi-channel acoustic data collection. It offers recording capabilities at 32-bit float precision and supports the maximum sampling rate of the connected microphones--96 kHz for this dataset. These specifications ensure high-fidelity audio recordings, capturing intricate details critical for sound source localization studies. As shown in Figure 7, the interface allows for the simultaneous visualization of live spectrograms for individual audio channels. These spectrograms, displayed in a grid layout, provide immediate insights into the frequency content and temporal dynamics of the captured audio signals. Users can toggle individual spectrograms on or off for focused analysis. Beyond visualization, the software includes essential functionalities for recording management:  
* Silence Removal and Normalization help optimize recordings by removing unnecessary data and ensuring consistent amplitude levels across channels. * Backup Recording, a critical data redundancy feature, ensures that all recordings are securely saved. * MP3 support enables audio data to be saved in the MP3 format for reduced file size and storage efficiency. Recordings are saved in the high-quality WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) for maximum fidelity by default. A control panel is used for starting, pausing, and stopping recordings, minimizing operational complexity during experiments. * To ensure uniformity in the length of audio files across recordings, the time field allows users to specify the duration (in seconds), after which the recording will automatically stop and be saved. The real-time status bar updates on recording parameters, including the current sampling rate, disk space usage, and recording duration. Moreover, metadata such as start and end times for recordings are displayed, providing an apparent temporal reference that simplifies subsequent data processing. The interface also incorporates straightforward file management through dedicated save and clear buttons. The Array Tab (Figure 8) provides an interface for configuring and managing microphone arrays. This tab's core feature is the ability to define the spatial configuration of microphones relative to a central reference point. It also allows the selection of core hardware elements, such as audio interfaces and microphones. One of its key functionalities is the capability to define the array's reference point through WGS84 coordinates. By entering the latitude and longitude of the central location, users establish a fixed anchor point from which the positions of all microphones are determined. For each microphone, users can specify several parameters that define its exact position and orientation within the array:  
* Distance is the radial distance of the microphone from the center, measured in meters. * Height is the vertical position of the microphone relative to the ground, also in meters. * Elevation and azimuth--these parameters define the microphone's vertical and horizontal angles relative to the center point, ensuring precise orientation and alignment within the array. Using the provided data, the precise position of each microphone is calculated, taking into account its distance, height, elevation, and azimuth relative to the central reference point. Each microphone is uniquely labeled once the calculations are complete, ensuring clear identification and organization within the array. Figure 7: UaVirBASE Recorder interface—recording control panel with live spectrograms. Figure 9 depicts a dedicated interface for configuring the sound source. This tab allows us to select whether the recording will capture ambient noise or a drone's acoustic signature.