new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/audio/record.m
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+function X = record (sec, sampling_rate)
+
+# usage:  X = record (sec [, sampling_rate])
+#
+# Records sec seconds of audio into the vector X.
+# The default value for the sampling_rate is 8000, ie. 8kHz.
+# The program waits for you to hit the ENTER key, then the recording
+# starts immediatly.
+
+# Written by AW (Andreas.Weingessel@ci.tuwien.ac.at) on Sep 19, 1994
+# Last modified by AW on Oct 5, 1994
+# Copyright Dept of Probability Theory and Statistics TU Wien
+
+  if (nargin == 1)
+    sampling_rate = 8000;
+  elseif (nargin != 2)
+    usage ("X = record (sec [, sampling_rate])");
+  endif
+
+  file = octave_tmp_file_name ();
+
+  input ("Please hit ENTER and speak afterwards!\n", 1);
+
+  cmd = sprintf ("dd if=/dev/dsp of=%s bs=%d count=%d",
+                 file, sampling_rate, sec)
+
+  system (cmd);
+
+  num = fopen (file, "r");
+
+  [Y, c] = fread (num, sampling_rate * sec, "uchar");
+
+  fclose (num);
+
+  unlink (file);
+
+  X = Y - 127;
+
+endfunction