The document is a glossary of terms related to sound design and production for computer games. It contains definitions for over 20 key terms, sourced from online references. For each term, the student provides a short definition from an online source, along with a description of how the term relates to their own production work for computer games. The glossary covers areas such as sound file formats, audio limitations, recording and playback systems, MIDI, sampling, and more. It serves to both define industry terminology and illustrate how those concepts are applied in the student's coursework.

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 Artists are responsible for the post-synchronised sound effects on a film sound
track that are added during the sound editing process, excluding any special sounds
which are usually created by the Sound Effects Editor or Sound Designer. “Foley” is
normally defined as sounds related to movements, whether pertaining to a character
or an object (footsteps, fights, fist banging on a door), or to the result of an object’s
movement (pouring wine, shards of glass falling from a broken window). Named after
Jack Foley (an innovative pioneer of the art at Universal Studios), Foley is recorded in
specialised sound studios working to projected pictures
http://www.creativeskillset.org/film/jobs/post_production_sound/article_4768_1.asp
During our assignments, we were
given microphones to go out and
record sounds. We attempted to
find and/or create sounds within
our environment for sound
effects within a game.
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
We store our audio files on the
college computers and a website
called Sound Cloud. On this
website, we are able to create
sound libraries which contain
audio files from different
projects.
SOUND FILE FORMATS Uncompressed Even though the DVD audio signal (Dolby Digital) has a higher "bitrate" than Blu-ray
Disc's (uncompressed PCM), the audio information is only being transferred at 684kps
(kilobytes per second). The "uncompressed PCM" is being transferred off the Blu-ray
Disc at around 6,400kps (or 6.4 megs per second). This offers almost 10 times the
digital audio information over standard CDs and DVDs.
We use our files in an
uncompressed state in order to
get the full quality out of the
sound.

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080229214833AACsXqQ
.wav A format for storing uncompressed audio files.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/WAV-file
This is the format I have always
used for saving my audio files
during my audio based projects..
.aiff Short for Audio Interchange File Format, a common format for storing and
transmitting sampled sound.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/AIFF.html
This is a file format used for
saving audio.
.au A digital audio file format from Sun that is used on the Internet and can be played by
a Java program. It provides toll-quality sound and uses the .AU extension.
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Au+file+format
This is a file format used for
saving audio.
.smp An ".smp" file may be one of several different types of audio file. For example, it could
be a SampleVision audio sample file. This 16-bit audio file was originally used by
Turtle Beach SampleVision; you can open it with Adobe Auction, Sound Forge Pro or
Awave Studio. It could also be a sample file for AdLib Gold, a PC sound card released
in 1992; Scream Tracker, a mid-1990s music editing program; or Swell.
http://www.ehow.com/info_12198596_file-smp.html
This is a file format used for
saving audio.
Lossy Compression In information technology, "lossy" compression is a data encoding method that
compresses data by discarding (losing) some of it. The procedure aims to minimize
the amount of data that needs to be held, handled, and/or transmitted by a
computer.
Lossy compression is most commonly used to compress multimedia data (audio,
video, and still images)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lossy_compression
This is an encoding method
which would be used in order to
produce a file with a lower
memory count while still
maintaining a reasonable quality
of sound.
.mp3 a computer format for creating sound files (such as songs) that are much smaller than
standard sound files
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mp3
This is a file format used for
saving audio.
AUDIO LIMITATIONS Sound Processor Unit
(SPU)
The SPU is the unit responsible for all aural capabilities of the psx. It
handles 24 voices, has a 512kb sound buffer, has ADSR envelope filters for
each voice and lots of other features.
http://psx.rules.org/spu.txt
The sound processor unit does
just that, it processes the data of
the audio file into a sound which
can then be played through a
speaker.

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
Digital Sound Processor
(DSP)
Short for digital sound processing, which refers to manipulating analog information,
such as sound that has been converted into a digital form.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/DSP.html
A digital sound processor
converts analogue information
into an audible sound through
the use of a speaker.
Random Access Memory
(RAM)
Random access memory (RAM) is the best known form of computer memory. RAM is
considered "random access" because you can access any memory cell directly if you
know the row and column that intersect at that cell.
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/ram.htm
RAM allows us to run
programmes simultaneously.
Without RAM we would be
unable to do even simple things,
such as create audio and then
preview it.
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
I believe mono audio would be
the kind of sound which comes
from something like a
computer's speaker. A large
amount of the computer’s we
use don’t seem to be able to
produce sound on their own,
therefore I don’t believe mono
audio is relevant to our
production practice for the most
part.
Stereo Audio Audio stereo means sound which is divided into two separate
channels. These two channels are played back simultaneously via
separate speakers. The effect is to create a fuller sound, and provide
the ability to mix certain sounds between channels.
Humans normally hear the world via two ears so providing dual sound
sources is more realistic, although it does not fully replicate the way
we hear.
http://www.mediacollege.com/glossary/s/stereo.html
As we generally use headphones
for our audio work, I believe we
have a stereo output as the
sound is coming from two
separate speakers.
Surround Sound Surround sound audio is, simply put, sound that completely
surrounds you.
In terms of nuts and bolts, it means a set of speakers, usually five
Surround sound is comprised of a
number of speakers, the
speakers are sent separate
information regarding the
orientation of the sound.

4. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
4
including the all-important “center speaker,” and a subwoofer for
powerful bass.
http://peripherals.about.com/od/speakersandheadphones/a/whatis_
ss.htm
Assuming the speakers are set up
in the proper manner, this means
you should get a more involved
experience, with sounds coming
from the appropiate direction.
Direct Audio (Pulse Code
Modulation – PCM)
a method used to digitally represent sampled analog 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 analog 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
A digital representation of audio.
AUDIO RECORDING
SYSTEMS
Analogue As humans, we perceive the world in analog. Everything we see and
hear is a continuous transmission of information to our senses. This
continuous stream is what defines analog data.
For example, a turntable (or record player) is an analog device, while a
CD player is digital. This is because a turntable reads bumps and
grooves from a record as a continuous signal, while a CD player only
reads a series of ones and zeros.
http://www.techterms.com/definition/analog
Analogue is how we as humans
perceive the world, ex: a rock
falls into a pool of water and we
are able to recognise this as
sound through the vibrations
sent through the air.
Digital Mini Disc a digital disc medium for storing music or data where a small
disc is housed in a cartridge and is either recordable or playback
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/minidisc
We have used Mini discs often to
transport our work. We did this a
lot during our environmental
recordings and voice work. It
made it easy to get our work
from one work station to
another as well as share our
work between a group.
Compact Disc (CD) A compact disc [sometimes spelled disk] (CD) is a small, portable,
round medium made of molded polymer (close in size to the floppy
disk) for electronically recording, storing, and playing back audio,
video, text, and other information in digital form.
A compact disc can be used as a
method of both storing and
playing music.

5. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
5
http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/definition/compact-disc
Digital Audio Tape (DAT) DAT (Digital Audio Tape) is a standard medium and technology for the digital
recording of audio on tape at a professional level of quality. A DAT drive is a
digital tape recorder with rotating heads similar to those found in a video
deck. Most DAT drives can record at sample rates of 44.1 kHz, the CD audio
standard, and 48 kHz.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/DAT-Digital-Audio-Tape
Digital Audio Tape is also a
method of storing audio data,
whilst maintaining a high level of
quality.
MIDI "Musical Instrument Digital Interface." It is a connectivity standard that
musicians use to hook together musical instruments (such as
keyboards and synthesizers) and computer equipment. Using MIDI, a
musician can easily create and edit digital music tracks. The MIDI
system records the notes played, the length of the notes, the dynamics
(volume alterations), the tempo, the instrument being played, and
hundreds of other parameters, called control changes.
http://www.techterms.com/definition/midi
This is something we have used
often. When creating our own
sounds and music from scratch,
we would use a MIDI. This
allowed us to create audio using
a series of MIDI instruments and
sound effects.
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
We use a programme called
Raptor. This is what provides the
means to creating our audio.
Software Plug-ins A software plug-in is an add-on for a program that adds functionality to
it.
http://www.techterms.com/definition/plugin
We have used a few of these in
the form of MIDI instruments. On
it’s own, Raptor didn’t have an
extensively large array of
instruments to choose from.
However the college had some
stored on the student share,
therefore we were able to install
a number of additional
instruments for use in our
projects.

6. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
6
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#didyouknowout
These are essentially the tools
that we use to aid us in creating
sound with a MIDI.
Each instrument has it’s own
unique settings which allow us to
create a variety of sounds and/or
music.
AUDIO SAMPLING File Size Constraints - Bit-
depth
bit depth is the number of bits of information in each sample, and it
directly corresponds to the resolution of each sample. Examples of
bit depth include Compact Disc Digital Audio, which uses 16 bits per
sample, and DVD-Audio and Blu-ray Disc which can support up to 24
bits per sample.
In basic implementations, variations in bit depth primarily affect the
noise level from quantization error—thus the signal-to-noise ratio
(SNR) and dynamic range. However, techniques such as dithering,
noise shaping and oversampling mitigate these effects without
changing the bit depth. Bit depth also affects bit rate and file size.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_bit_depth
File size constraints affect the
amount of data capable of being
stored as well as the overall
quality of the sound. While you
can still maintain a good level of
quality whilst reducing the file
size through lossy compression,
ultimately the higher the
memory means you can keep a
higher level of quality.
File Size Constraints -
Sample Rate
In developing an audio sound for computers or telecommunication, the
sample rate is the number of samples of a sound that are taken per second to
represent the event digitally.
The more samples taken per second, the more accurate the digital
representation of the sound can be. For example, the current sample rate for
CD-quality audio is 44,100 samples per second. This sample rate can
accurately reproduce the audio frequencies up to 20,500hertz, covering the
full range of human hearing.
Upon rendering out a sound, my
monitor would display a sample
rate. At first I was unaware of it’s
significance but after my
research I have learnt that it is a
visual indicator of the sounds
quality.

7. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
7
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/sample-rate