This document contains a glossary of terms related to sound design and production for computer games. It provides definitions for terms like foley artistry, sound libraries, audio file formats like .wav and .mp3, audio limitations, recording systems like analog and digital, MIDI, software sequencers, sampling constraints like bit depth and sample rate. For each term, it gives a short definition from an online source as well as how the term relates to the author's own production practice.

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: Ben Comley Excell 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 "A soundeffects technique for synchronous effects or live effects"
http://filmsound.org/foley/
This is a technique usedfor sound
effects suchas live effects and
synchronous effects.
Sound Libraries a collectionof sounds storedon file (for example on CDs, DVDs, or as
digital audiofiles)
http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/sound-library
This is where youstore all of your music
and sounds.
SOUND FILE FORMATS Uncompressed Uncompressedaudiofiles are the most accurate digitalrepresentation
of a soundwave
http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/guide/uncompressed-audio-file-
formats
This is just a digital versionof a
soundwave.
.wav Waveform AudioFile Format is a Microsoft and IBMaudiofile format
standardfor storing an audio bitstream onPCs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAV
This is where youcanstore audiodata
which canonlybe usedon PCs.
.aiff Stands for "Audio Interchange File Format." AIFFis a file format
designedto store audiodata.
http://techterms.com/definition/aiff
This is where youcanstore all of your
audiodata.
.au Audio Units are a system-level plug-inarchitecture provided byCore
Audio inMac OS XdevelopedbyApple Computer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_Units
These are a set of serviceswhich
generate, process andreceive streams
of audiosounds.
.smp The file extension".smp" shows uponseveral different types of files
usedfor verydifferent programs including audiofiles, images and
email messages.
http://www.ehow.com/info_12198596_file-smp.html
When saving audio files, imagesand
emails youneed to make sure you use
the extension ‘smp’.
Lossy Compression Lossyfile compressionresults inlost data andqualityfrom the original
version.
http://techterms.com/definition/lossy
This is when the audiofile changes from
the original and canlose quality.

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
.mp3 a means ofcompressing a soundsequence intoa verysmall file, to
enable digital storage andtransmission.
https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=what+does+.mp3+mean
This is when youmake a large file
smaller. E.g. Whenyou downloada
song onto your mobile phone, you have
to download the MP3 versioninorder
for the file to fit.
AUDIO LIMITATIONS Sound Processor Unit (SPU) The SPU is the unit responsible for allaural capabilities ofthe psx. It
handles 24 voices, hasa 512kb soundbuffer, has ADSR envelope
filters for each voice andlots ofother features.
http://psx.rules.org/spu.txt
Digital Sound Processor (DSP)/
Digital Signal Processor
A Digital Signal Processor, or DSP, is a specializedmicroprocessor that
has an architecture which is optimizedfor the fast operational needs
of digital signalprocessing.
http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/microprocessors/digital-signal-
processors.aspx
DSPneeds to be fast. Using thiswill
enable it to speed upas it has a
microprocessor.
Random Access Memory (RAM) is a formof computer data storage. A random-accessmemorydevice
allows data items to be readandwritten in roughlythe same amount
of time regardless of the order inwhichdata items are accessed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random-access_memory
This is somewhere ona computer
which stores data.
Mono Audio Commonlycalledmonosound, mono, or non-stereosound, this early
soundsystem useda single channel ofaudiofor soundoutput.
www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/monophonic_sound.html
This is the original audiowhere there
was onlyone channel to listento the
sound.
Stereo Audio Stereophonic sound divides sounds acrosstwo channels (recorded on
two separate sources) thenthe recordedsounds are mixedso that
some elements are channeled to the left andothers to the right.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/stereophonic_sound.html
This has developedsince Mono audio.
Stereo audionowhas twochannels to
listen to the output ofsounds.
Surround Sound a system of stereophonyinvolving three or more speakers
surroundingthe listener soas to give a more realistic effect.
https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=surround+sound+definition
This is speakers indifferent places to
make you feel as thoughyou are part of
the film. It gives a better qualityof
sound.
Direct Audio (Pulse Code
Modulation – PCM)
The primarywayanalogue audiosignals are converted into digital
form bytaking samplesof the waveforms from8 to 192 thousand
times per second (8 to 192 kHz) andrecording each sample as a digital
number from 8 to 24 bits long.
http://www.yourdictionary.com/pcm
This is a program which changes
analogue audiosignalsandconverts
them to digital.
AUDIO RECORDING
SYSTEMS
Analogue Refers to recording audio in a format of continuous vibrations that are
analogous to the original soundwaves. Before audio recording
became digital, sounds were "carved" intovinyl records or writtento
tape as magnetic waveforms.
This is the oldwayto make audio. The
music had to playedona recordplayer
and the pinwouldpick upthe grooves
on the recordwhichcontainthe audio.

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=analog+audio++definition
Digital Mini Disc A compact digital audio disc from Sonythat comesin read-onlyand
rewritableversions.
http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/47064/minidisc
This is a readonlysmall disc.
Compact Disc (CD) a small plastic disc onwhich music or other digitalinformationis
stored inthe form of a patternof metal-coatedpits from which it can
be readusing laser light reflected off the disc.
https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=compact+disc+++definition
This is a rounddisc which contains
audio.
Digital Audio Tape (DAT) is a signal recording andplayback medium developedbySonyand
introduced in1987.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Audio_Tape
This is a plastic cassette whichhastwo
reels offilm withinit. This film contains
the audio.
MIDI Pronouncedmiddy, anacronym for musical instrument digital
interface, a standardadoptedbythe electronic music industryfor
controllingdevices, suchas synthesizers andsoundcards, that emit
music.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/MIDI.html
This means musicalinstrument digital
interface. It is used to control devices
such as soundcards andsynthesizers.
Software Sequencers A music sequencer (or simplysequencer) is a device or application
software that canrecord, edit, or playback music, byhandlingnote
and performance informationinseveralforms, typicallyMIDI or
CV/Gate, andpossiblyaudioandautomationdata for DAWs andplug-
ins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_sequencer
This is used for recordingandediting
audiosounds. This canalsobe usedto
playback music.
Software Plug-ins A plug-inis a (sometimes essential)piece of software code that
enables an applicationor programto do something it couldn’t by
itself. One of the more commonplug-ins is Adobe FlashPlayer.
Without FlashPlayer you won’t, for example, be able to viewBBC
News bulletins embeddedintoweb pages.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-plugins
This is a program which allows you to
download software such as Adobe flash
player. This enablesyou to watch
videos on your computer.
MIDI Keyboard Instruments MIDI keyboards can be used for a varietyof functions including
performance, composition and evenas a master control surface.
http://www.gear4music.com/midi-keyboards.html
This is a keyboard whichis used to
make sounds andyou plug it intoyour
computer to use it.
AUDIO SAMPLING File Size Constraints - Bit-depth Bit depthis the number of bits used to carrythe data ineachsample
of audio. The bit depthchosenfor recordinglimits the dynamic range
of the recording.
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Bit_Depth
This is what is usedto carrydata into
sample audio.
File Size Constraints - Sample
Rate
Frequencyof how manytimesaudiois measuredper second, usually
measured in kilohertz (kHz);a usual number you might see is 44.1kHz.
This is tied directlyto bit depthor the number of bits measured in
This is a wayof measuringsounds. It is
usuallymeasured inkilohertz.

4. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
4
each cycle
http://superuser.com/questions/388382/what-does-the-sample-rate-
and-sample-size-of-audio-means