This document contains a glossary of terms related to sound design and production for computer games. It defines key terms such as Foley artistry, sound libraries, audio file formats like .wav and .mp3, audio limitations involving sound cards and RAM, audio recording systems involving analog, digital, and MIDI, and concepts of audio sampling like bit-depth and sample rate. For each term, the glossary provides a short definition from an external 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: 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 Foley Artist 'recreates' sound effects for film, television and radio productions on a Foley
Stage in a Post Production Studio.http://www.marblehead.net/foley/whatisitman.html
I can create my own sounds
and apply them to my own
work to enhance it.
Sound Libraries a collection of sounds stored on file (for example on CDs, DVDs, or as digital audio
files)http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/sound-library
Websites like soundcloud allow
me to store all of my creations
and access them easily.
SOUND FILE FORMATS Uncompressed (Of data) not
compressed.http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/uncompressed
If data is not compressed it is a
larger file.
.wav Waveform Audio File Format (WAVE, or more commonly known as WAV due to its filename
extension)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wav
This is a common type of audio
file that is used for extensions.
.aiff Short for Audio Interchange File Format, a common format for storing and transmitting
sampled sound.http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/AIFF.html
Another commonly used audio
format this is used to store
formatted sound.
.au AU is a file extension for a sound file format belonging to Sun, NeXT and DEC and used in
UNIX. The AU file format is also known as the Sparc-audio or u-law
format.http://whatis.techtarget.com/fileformat/AU-Sun-NeXT-DEC-UNIX-sound-file
This audio file format is used
for specific pieces of software,
like UNIX.
.smp The file extension ".smp" shows up on several different types of files used for very different
programs including audio files, images and
emailhttp://www.ehow.com/info_12198596_file-smp.html#ixzz31LEX32Fg
This is a commonly used file
format that is used for multiple
reasons such as music and
pictures.
Lossy Compression Refers to data compression techniques in which some amount of data is lost. Lossy
compression technologies attempt to eliminate redundant or unnecessary information.
Most video compression technologies, such as MPEG, use a lossy
technique.http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/lossy_compression.html
This process allows some data
to be lost so the overall file size
can be smaller.
.mp3 Mp3- Otherwise known as mpeg layer-3 is a audio compression format that compresses By using this file format I can

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
audio by removing humanly inaudible
frequencies.https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070804075055AAcdMV9
easily upload it to soundcloud.
AUDIO LIMITATIONS Sound Processor Unit
(SPU)
sound card or audio card
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. On a personal computer, the sound card is usually a separate circuit board that is
plugged into the
motherboard.http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Audio+processing+unit
By having one of these
installed onto the computer I
can hear my sounds, making it
easier for me to generate ideas
and create the sound.
Digital Sound Processor
(DSP)
Short for digital signal processing, which refers to manipulating analogue information, such
as sound or photographs that has been converted into a digital form. DSP also implies the
use of a data compression technique.http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/DSP.html
This manipulates sound that
has been converted into a
digital form allowing you to
hear sounds through
headphones or speakers.
Random Access Memory
(RAM)
RAM is made up of small memory chips that form a memory module. These modules are
installed in the RAM slots on the motherboard of your computer.
Every time you open a program, it gets loaded from the hard drive into the RAM. This is
because reading data from the RAM is much faster than reading data from the hard drive.
Running programs from the RAM of the computer allows them to function without any lag
time. The more RAM your computer has, the more data can be loaded from the hard drive
into the RAM, which can effectively speed up your computer. In fact, adding RAM can be
more beneficial to your computer's performance than upgrading the
CPU.http://www.techterms.com/definition/ram
Having a RAM installed on my
computer allows me to do
everything I need, for example.
Without the RAM I wouldn’t be
able to load reaper to make my
sounds.
Mono Audio Commonly called mono sound, mono, or non-stereo sound, this early sound system used a
single channel of audio for sound output. In monophonic sound systems, the signal sent to
the sound system encodes one single stream of sound and it usually uses just one speaker.
Monophonic sound is the most basic format of sound
output.http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/monophonic_sound.html
This is a type of sound format
that only sends sound through
one audio channel.
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 more
loudspeakers (or stereo headphones) in such a way as to create the impression of sound
heard from various directions, as in natural
hearing.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereo_audio
This type of sound format
sending sound waves through
two or more channels.
Surround Sound A system of sound recording and reproduction that uses three or more independent
recording channels and loudspeakers in order to give the impression that the listener is
surrounded by the sound sources.
Another form of sound format
that sends audio through
multiple channels but this

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.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/surround-sound decides where certain sounds
should go to create the best
listening experience.
Direct Audio (Pulse Code
Modulation – PCM)
Pulse-code modulation (PCM) is a method used to digitally represent sampled analogue
signals. It is the standard form of digital audio in computers, Compact Discs, digital
telephony and other digital audio applications. In a PCM stream, the amplitude of the
analogue signal is sampled regularly at uniform intervals, and each sample is quantized to
the nearest value within a range of digital steps.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse-
code_modulation
This is used to measure the
sampled amount of sound
signals that are flowing
through the computer.
AUDIO RECORDING
SYSTEMS
Analogue Analogue sound has information stored as varying strength magnetic fields or heights of
grooves or electronic signals which can be amplified and fed directly to speakers without
decoding. Making a copy always involves at least some changes in the signal
shape.https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081211061505AAmwR7n
Analogue sounds are sounds
that have a varied wave length.
Digital Mini Disc 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 MB or about 100 MB
using error correction. These will be competitive with 128 MB magneto-optical disks. Mini
Discs may be either a re-writable or mass-produced read-only type. Sony have also
announced a standard data format.http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Mini+Disc
A mini disc is a form of
audio/video storage.
Compact Disc (CD) A compact disc [sometimes spelled disk] (CD) is a small, portable, round medium made of
moulded polymer (close in size to the floppy disk) for electronically recording, storing, and
playing back audio, video, text, and other information in digital form. Tape cartridges and
CDs generally replaced the phonograph record for playing back music. At home, CDs have
tended to replace the tape cartridge although the latter is still widely used in cars and
portable playback devices.http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/definition/compact-disc
A compact disc is another form
of audio/video storage.
Digital Audio Tape (DAT) A magnetic tape used to record high-quality sound by storing information as a series of the
numbers 0 and 1. http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/digital-audio-tape
An old style form of storing
audio.
MIDI MIDI (short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a
protocol, digital interface and connectors and allows a wide variety of electronic musical
instruments, computers and other related devices to connect and communicate with one
another.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI
Using these I can create
original pieces of music using
different types of instruments.
Software Sequencers A sequencing software package designed to be loaded into a computer. Software
sequencers usually have more features and have the advantage of showing you a lot more
information at once because they use the computer's screen and aren't locked into the
knobs or buttons or display of a hardware
sequencer.http://www.wannaplaymusic.com/get-started/keyboard-terminology
A piece of software designed
to make the showing of
information easier.
Software Plug-ins Though software plug-ins might not make your room smell as nice as the scented ones you
stick in an outlet, they are still useful. Software plug-in is an add-on for a program that adds
functionality to it. For example, a Photoshop plug-in (such as Eye Candy) may add extra
A program that is designed to
be attached to another
program and improve/add new

4. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
4
filters that you can use to manipulate images. A browser plug-in (such as Macromedia Flash
or Apple QuickTime) allows you to play certain multimedia files within your Web browser.
VST plug-ins add effects for audio recording and sequencing programs such as Cubase and
Logic Audio.http://www.techterms.com/definition/plugin
features to the existing
program.
MIDI Keyboard
Instruments
MIDI keyboard is typically a piano-style user interface keyboard device used for sending
MIDI signals or commands over a USB or MIDI cable to other devices connected and
operating on the same MIDI protocol interface.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI_keyboard
Similar to MIDI but using these
I can use the keyboard to
create the sounds.
AUDIO SAMPLING File Size Constraints - Bit-
depth
In digital audio, bit depth describes the potential accuracy of a particular piece of hardware
or software that processes audio data. In general, the more bits that are available, the more
accurate the resulting output from the data being
processed.http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/bit-depth
This states that the more bits
there are the more
information there is in a file.
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 analogue signal are taken in order to be converted into digital form.
A PC’s sound card typically will sample a received analogue signal, such as through a
microphone, and digitize it for use by the computer. A higher sampling rate provides a
better quality reproduction than a lower sampling
rate.http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/sampling_rate.html
Measures the amount of sound
waves traveling through the
computers soundcard.