MPH Sound recording Glossary

1. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
1
Produce a glossary of terms specific to the methods and principles of sound design and production. Using a provided template, you must
research and gather definitions specific to provided glossary terms. Any definitions must be referenced with the URL link of the website you
have obtained the definition.
You must also, where possible, provide specific details of how researched definitions relate to your own production practice.
Name: Michael Hughes RESEARCHED DEFINITION (provide
short internet researched definition
and URL link)
DESCRIBE THE RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCHED TERM TO YOUR
OWN PRODUCTION PRACTICE?
SOUND DESIGN
METHODOLOGY
Foley Artistry
“Foley artists” match live sound effects
with the action of the picture.
“Foleying” is an excellent means of
supplying the subtle sounds that
production mikes often miss.
http://filmsound.org/terminology/foley.
htm
Sound Libraries
a collection of sounds stored on file (for
example on CDs, DVDs, or as digital audio
files)
http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictio
nary/english/sound-library
SOUND FILE FORMATS
Uncompressed
Uncompressed audio files are the most
accurate digital representation of a
soundwave, but can also be the most
resource-intensive method of recording
and storing digital audio, both in terms of
storage and management.
http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/guide
/uncompressed-audio-file-formats

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
.wav
WAV files are popular because they are
considered a “first generation” format.
That is, they are generally kept as the
first digital copy of a file completely
uncompressed.This means that WAV
files are the best possible quality and
have not gone through any digital
alterations except to be outputted.
http://www.freestockmusic.com/audio-
formats/
.aiff
AIFF is short for Audio Interchange File
Format, which is an audioformat initially
created by Apple Computer for storing
and transmitting high-quality sampled
audio data.It supports a variety of bit
resolutions, sample rates, and channels
of audio.
http://www.abyssmedia.com/formats/a
iff-format.shtml
.au
Audio file introduced by Sun
Microsystems; used primarily on Sun or
other Unix-based machines and has been
adopted by several audioprograms,
including Adobe Audition and
QuickTime; stores the data in three
parts: a header (24 bytes),a variable
length annotation block, and the actual
audio data.
http://fileinfo.com/extension/au

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
.smp
An ".smp" file may be one of several
different types of audio file. For example,
it could be a SampleVision audiosample
file. This 16-bit audiofile was originally
used by Turtle Beach SampleVision; you
can open it with Adobe Auction, Sound
Forge Pro or Awave Studio.
http://www.ehow.com/info_12198596_f
ile-smp.html
Lossy Compression
Lossy compression reduces a file by
permanently eliminating certain
information, especially redundant
information. When the file is
uncompressed,only a part of the original
information is still there (although the
user may not notice it).
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/
lossless-and-lossy-compression
.mp3
The file extension for MPEG Audio Layer-
3, a set of standards forcompressing and
loading audiofiles from the Internet.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse
/mp3
AUDIO LIMITATIONS
Sound Processor Unit
(SPU)
Alternatively referred to as a sound
board or audio card,a sound card is an
expansion or integrated circuit that
provides a computer with the ability to
produce sound that can be perceived by
the user through a peripheraldevice like
speakers or headphones.
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/
s/souncard.htm

4. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
4
Digital Sound Processor
(DSP)
A digital signal processor (DSP) is a
specialized microprocessor designed
specifically for digital signal processing,
generally in real-time computing. The
DSP processes digital signals converted
(using an Analog-to-digital converter
(ADC)) from analog signals. Output is
then converted back to analog form
using a Digital-to-analog converter
(DAC).
http://www.audiocodes.com/glossary/d
sp
Random Access Memory
(RAM)
RAM is an acronym for random access
memory, a type of computer
memory that can be accessed randomly;
that is, any byte of memory can be
accessed without touching the preceding
bytes. RAM is the most common type of
memory found in computers and
other devices, such as printers.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/R
AM.html
Mono Audio Mono or monophonic describes a system
where all the audio signals are mixed
together and routed through a single
audio channel.Mono systems can have
multiple loudspeakers, and even multiple
widely separated loudspeakers.
http://www.mcsquared.com/mono-
stereo.htm

5. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
5
Stereo Audio using two or more separate microphones
to feed two or more loudspeakers
through separate channels in order to
give a spatial effect to the sound,
http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-
definition/stereophonic%20hearing
Surround Sound a system for playing sounds,especially in
cinemas, that uses three or
more loudspeakers so that
the person listening seems to
be surrounded by the sound.
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/diction
ary/british/surround-sound
Direct Audio (Pulse Code
Modulation – PCM)
Pulse code modulation (PCM) is
a digital scheme for transmitting analog
data. The signals in PCM are binary; that
is, there are only two possible states,
represented by logic 1 (high) and logic 0
(low). This is true no matter how
complex the analog waveform happens
to be. Using PCM, it is possible to digitize
all forms of analog data, including full-
motion video, voices, music, telemetry,
and virtual reality (VR).
http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com
/definition/pulse-code-modulation-PCM

6. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
6
AUDIO RECORDING
SYSTEMS
Analogue Refers to recording audio in a format of
continuous vibrations that are analogous
to the original sound waves. Before audio
recording became digital, sounds were
"carved" into vinyl records or written to
tape as magneticwaveforms
http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/t
erm/60827/analog-audio
Digital Mini Disc
A music medium designed by Sony as a
portable replacement for music Compact
Discs. In 1994 Sony announced
a data version which can hold 140 MBor
about 100 MB using error correction.
These will be competitive
With 128 MBmagneto optical disks.
Mini Discs may be either a re-
writable or mass-produced read-
only type. Sony has also
announced a standard data format.
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.c
om/Mini+Disc

7. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
7
Compact Disc (CD) The first CDs were audio CDs, which
eventually replaced audio tapes (which
earlier replaced records). Audio CDs
have the advantage of allowing the user
to jump to different places on the disc.
CDs can also be listened to an unlimited
number of times without losing quality.
Audio tapes can start to lose quality after
listening to them as fewas ten times.
This is because the laser that reads the
data on a CD doesn't put pressure on the
disc, whereas the play heads on a tape
deck slowly wear away the magnetic
strip on the tape.
http://techterms.com/definition/cd
Digital Audio Tape (DAT) Four millimetre wide magnetic
tape which can store up to four gigabytes
(GB) of data per cassette by using helical
scan recording. Replaced in early 1990s
by half-inch wide digital linear tape
(DLT) that can store up to 35 gigabytes
per cassette by using longitudinal
recording.
http://www.businessdictionary.com/def
inition/digital-audio-tape-DAT.html
MIDI Standard MIDI Files ("SMF" or *.mid
files) are a popular source of music on
the web, and for musicians performing in
clubs whoneed a little extra
accompaniment. The files contain all the
MIDI instructions for notes, volumes,
sounds, and even effects.The files are
loaded into some form of ‘player'
(software or hardware),and the
final sound is then produced by a sound-
engine that is connected to or that forms
part of the player.
http://www.midi.org/aboutmidi/tut_mi
difiles.php

8. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
8
Software Sequencers A music sequencer is similar to a tape
recorder, because it can play, record,
fast-forward and rewind music on
separate tracks.
http://www.musictechteacher.com/mus
ic_learning_theory/music_tech_terms.ht
m
Software Plug-ins
"Plugins". They are called that because
these are little computer applications
that run inside a "host" application, i.e., a
sequencer,typically. These plugin
devices are very important, as they have
led the software revolution towards our
virtual studios which is changing all
recording studios, both home and pro.
http://tweakheadz.com/software-
plugins/
MIDI Keyboard
Instruments
A Musical Instrument Digital Interface
(MIDI) keyboard is a musical instrument
like a pianokeyboard. The MIDI portion
indicates that the instrument has a
communication protocol built in that
allows it to communicate with a
computer or other MIDI-equipped
instrument.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-
midi-keyboard.htm

9. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
9
AUDIO SAMPLING File Size Constraints - Bit-
depth
Unlike analog signals, which have an
infinite range of volume levels, digital
audio samples use binary numbers (bits)
to represent the strength of each audio
sample. The accuracy of each sample is
determined by its bit depth.Higher bit
depths mean your audio signal is more
accurately represented when it is
sampled.
https://documentation.apple.com/en/so
undtrackpro/usermanual/index.html#ch
apter=B%26section=2%26tasks=true
File Size Constraints -
Sample Rate
The sample rate is the number of times
an analog signal is measured—or
sampled—per second. You can also think
of the sample rate as the number of
electronic snapshots made of the sound
wave per second. Higher sample rates
result in higher sound quality because
the analog waveform is more closely
approximated by the discrete samples.
https://documentation.apple.com/en/so
undtrackpro/usermanual/index.html#ch
apter=B%26section=2%26tasks=true