new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/audio/loadaudio.m
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+function X = loadaudio (name, ext, bit)
+  
+# usage:  X = loadaudio (name [, ext [, bit]])
+#
+# Loads audio data from the file "name.ext" into the data vector X. 
+# Default value for the "ext" argument, which has to be written
+# without the initial ".", is "lin".
+# Currently, the following audio formats are supported:
+# *) mu-law encoding with extension "mu", "au" or "snd"
+# *) linear encoding with extension "lin" or "raw"
+# 
+# The `bit' argument can be either 8 (default) or 16.
+# Depending on the value of bit, linearly encoded files are
+# interpreted as being in 8 and 16 bit format, respectively, and
+# mu-law encoded files are transformed to 8 and 16-bit linear
+# format, respectively.
+
+# Written by AW (Andreas.Weingessel@ci.tuwien.ac.at) on Apr 10, 1994
+# Last modified by AW on Oct 29, 1994
+
+  if (nargin == 0 || nargin > 3)
+    usage ("loadaudio (name [, ext [, bit]])");
+  endif
+
+  if (nargin == 1)
+    ext = "lin";
+  endif
+
+  if (nargin < 3)
+    bit = 8;
+  elseif (bit != 8 && bit != 16)
+    error ("loadaudio: bit must be either 8 or 16");
+  endif
+
+  name = [name, ".", ext];
+  num = fopen (name, "r");
+
+  if (strcmp (ext, "lin") || strcmp (ext, "raw"))
+    if (bit == 8)
+      [Y, c] = fread (num, inf, "uchar");
+      X = Y - 127;
+    else
+      [X, c] = fread (num, inf, "short");
+    endif
+  elseif (strcmp (ext, "mu") || strcmp (ext, "au") || strcmp (ext, "snd"))
+    [Y, c] = fread (num, inf, "uchar");
+    # remove file header
+    m = max (find (Y(1:64) == 0));
+    if (! isempty (m))
+      Y(1:m) = [];
+    endif
+    X = mu2lin (Y, bit);
+  else
+    fclose (num);
+    error ("loadaudio does not support given extension");
+  endif
+
+  fclose (num);
+  
+endfunction
+
+
+