6KSFx Synth Dataset
Nelly Garcia, Joshua Reiss
TL;DR
The paper addresses the lack of public datasets for procedural audio by introducing the 6KSFx Synth Dataset, which provides 6,000 publicly available synthetic samples across 30 sound categories, each labeled with specific synthesis methods, and paired with real samples (not publicly accessible) to support evaluation and benchmarking. It combines multiple synthesis paradigms (e.g., additive, granular, physical modeling, physically informed, modal, signal, and frequency modeling) and documents the synthesis metadata to facilitate reproducibility and method comparisons. The dataset, generated with the Nemisindo engine and distributed on Zenodo (2.56 GB for synthetic samples), is complemented by preprocessing code and category-label mappings on Github, aiming to standardize evaluation frameworks and bridge generative models with user control in procedural audio research. Overall, this resource is designed to accelerate progress in sound synthesis research, enabling fair comparisons, robust evaluations, and broader adoption in academia and industry.
Abstract
Procedural audio, often referred to as "digital Foley", generates sound from scratch using computational processes. It represents an innovative approach to sound-effects creation. However, the development and adoption of procedural audio has been constrained by a lack of publicly available datasets and models, which hinders evaluation and optimization. To address this important gap, this paper presents a dataset of 6000 synthetic audio samples specifically designed to advance research and development in sound synthesis within 30 sound categories. By offering a description of the diverse synthesis methods used in each sound category and supporting the creation of robust evaluation frameworks, this dataset not only highlights the potential of procedural audio, but also provides a resource for researchers, audio developers, and sound designers. This contribution can accelerate the progress of procedural audio, opening up new possibilities in digital sound design.