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: 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 effects are sound effects added to the film during post production
(after the shooting stops). They include sounds such as footsteps, clothes
rustling, crockery clinking, paper folding, doors opening and slamming,
punches hitting, glass breaking, etc. http://www.sound-ideas.com/what-is-
foley.html
Foley effects are relevant because
we are going to make them for a
video game
Sound Libraries A sample library is a collection of digital sound recordings, known
as samples, for use by composers, arrangers, performers, and producers
of music. The sound files are loaded into a sampler - either hardware or
computer-based - which is then used to create music. Sample libraries
appear in a variety of forms: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sample_library
We produced a sample library
before making most of our sound
projects
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. Their accuracy makes them suitable for
archiving and delivering audio at high resolution, and working with
audio at a professional level, and they are the 'master' audio format of
choice. http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/guide/uncompressed-audio-
file-formats
This is relevant to the quality of
our sound. If we want better
quality sounds we need to
compress it as little as possible.
.wav The format for storing sound in files developed jointly by Microsoftand IBM. Support for
WAV files was built into Windows 95 making it the de facto standard for sound on PCs.
WAV sound files end with a.wav extension and can be played by nearly all Windows
applications that support sound. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/WAV.html
.wav is the audio format we use
for all our files when working on
projects
.aiff Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF) is an audio file format standard
used for storing sound data for personal computers and other electronic
audio devices. The format was developed by Apple Inc. in 1988 based
on Electronic Arts' Interchange File Format(IFF, widely used

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
on Amiga systems)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_Interchange_File_Format
.au The Au file format is a simple audio file format introduced by Sun
Microsystems. The format was common on NeXT systems and on early
Web pages. Originally it was headerless, being simply 8-bit µ-law-
encoded data at an 8000 Hz sample rate. Hardware from other vendors
often used sample rates as high as 8192 Hz, often integer factors of
video clock signals. Newer files have a header that consists of
six unsigned 32-bit words, an optional information chunk and then the
data (in big endian format).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Au_file_format
This file was used commonly in
early webpages and was created
by Sun Microsysystems
.smp Short for Symmetric Multiprocessing, a computer architecturethat provides fast
performance by making multiple CPUs available to complete
individual processes simultaneously (multiprocessing).
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/SMP.html
Lossy Compression
Lossy file compression results in lost data and quality from the
original version. http://www.techterms.com/definition/lossy
Lossy compression makes a file
smaller by deleting data and
lowering its quality
.mp3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer III) The audio compression technology that
revolutionized digital music (see "MP3 Shook Up the Industry" below).
Derived from the audio sections of the MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video
specifications, MP3 compresses CD-quality sound by a factor of roughly 10,
while retaining most of the original fidelity. For example, a 40MB CD track is
turned into approximately a 4MB MP3 file. See CD-DA.
http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/47286/mp3
.mp3 is the most popular audio
file for listening to digital music
because it can keep most of the
sounds quality while cutting out a
lot of memory
AUDIO LIMITATIONS Sound Processor Unit (SPU) Integrated circuit that generates an audio signal and sends it to a computer's
speakers. The sound card can accept an analog sound (as from a
microphone or audio tape) and convert it to digital data that can be stored in
an audio file, or accept digitized audio signals (as from an audio file) and
convert them to analog signals that can be played on the computer's
speakers.
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Audio+processing+unit
This is what all the sound work we
do is processed on
Digital Sound Processor
(DSP)
Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) take real-world signals like voice, audio, video,
temperature, pressure, or position that have been digitized and then mathematically
manipulate them. A DSP is designed for performing mathematical functions like "add",
"subtract", "multiply" and "divide" very quickly.
http://www.analog.com/en/content/beginners_guide_to_dsp/fca.html
This is what all the sound work we
do is processed on
Random Access Memory
(RAM)
RAM (pronounced ramm) is an acronym for random accessmemory, a type
of computer memory that can be accessedrandomly; 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
This helps to run multiple
programs at high speeds

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/RAM.html
Mono Audio A single track of audio.
http://www.allynn.org/fcp/node/33
Mono audio is when the sound
comes through only one audio
source
Stereo Audio Stereophonic sound or, more commonly, stereo, is a method of sound
reproduction that creates an illusion of directionality and audible
perspective. This is usually achieved by using two or more
independent audio channels through a configuration of two or
moreloudspeakers (or stereo headphones)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereophonic_sound
We normally use stereo audio by
using headphones which allows
for two sources of sound
Surround Sound )Surround sound is a term used to describe a type of audio output in which the
sound appears to "surround the listener" by 360 degrees.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/surround_sound.html
This is where the listener is
surrounded 360 degrees by audio
sources
Direct Audio (Pulse Code
Modulation – PCM)
Pulse code modulation (PCM) is a digital representation of an analog
signal that takes samples of the amplitude of the analog signal at regular
intervals. The sampled analog data is changed to, and then represented
by, binary data.
http://www.techopedia.com/definition/24128/pulse-code-modulation-pcm
AUDIO RECORDING
SYSTEMS
Analogue Analog audio is a representation of a sound that is analogous to the air
pressure waves of the sound. http://www.ehow.com/about_5101414_analog-
audio.html
Digital Mini Disc One easy way to think about a MiniDisc is like a floppy disk -- you can record
and erase files on a MiniDisc just as easily as you can on a floppy disk. The
big difference between the a MiniDisc and a floppy disk is that a MiniDisc can
hold about 100 times more data (about 140 megabytes in data mode, 160
megabytes in audio mode vs. 1.44 megabytes for a floppy).
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question55.htm
Compact Disc (CD) Compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format. The
format was originally developed to store and play back sound recordings
only (CD-DA), but was later adapted for storage of data (CD-ROM)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_disc
A CD is a form of storage for
audio files and able to play them
back
Digital Audio Tape (DAT) Digital Audio Tape (DAT or R-DAT) is a signal recording
and playback medium developed by Sony and
introduced in 1987.[1]
http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Digital_Audio_Tape.html
MIDI Pronounced middy, an acronym for musical instrument digitalinterface,
a standard adopted by the electronic music industry for controlling devices, such
as synthesizers and sound cards, that emit music. At minimum, a MIDI
We have used Midi to create
sounds and music for our projects

4. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
4
representation of a sound includes values for the note's pitch, length, and volume.
It can also include additional characteristics, such as attack and delay time.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/MIDI.html
Software Sequencers A music sequencer (or simply sequencer) is a device or application
software that can record, edit, or play back music, by handling note and
performance information in several forms, typically MIDI or CV/Gate, and
possibly audio and automation data for DAWs and plug-ins
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_sequencer
We have used the software
sequencer reaper in our projects
to create and edit sound effects
Software Plug-ins In computing, a plug-in (or plugin, extension, or add-on / addon) is
a software component that adds a specific feature to an existing software
application.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_(computing)
During our time with reaper we
used a few plugins such as the
VST plugins to help us with our
work
MIDI Keyboard
Instruments
A Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) keyboard is a musical
instrument like a piano keyboard. 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
When creating certain tracks in
reaper we used the software that
would have been linked up with
this instrument
AUDIO SAMPLING File Size Constraints - Bit-
depth Bit depth is the number of bits used to carry the data in each sample of audio.
The bit depth chosen for recording limits the dynamic range of the recording.
(Other factors in the audio chain may also limit this, so more bits often will not
produce a better recording.)
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Bit_Depth
File Size Constraints -
Sample Rate
Also called a sample rate. Typically expressed in samples per second,
or hertz (Hz), the rate at which samples of an analogsignal are taken in order to
be converted into digital form.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/sampling_rate.html