This document provides definitions for audio and sound design terms as part of a glossary assignment. It includes: - Definitions for terms like Foley artistry, sound libraries, audio file formats like .wav and .mp3, audio limitations like mono and stereo audio, audio recording systems, MIDI, software sequencers, plug-ins, and audio sampling concepts. - For each term, it also provides details on how the definition relates to the student's own production practice, such as how file formats allow easy transfer of audio or how limitations could impact a project. - The definitions are from online research and each includes a URL source. This glossary is intended to help the student better understand key concepts

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: Jake Hyatt 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 is a person who creates (or re-creates) sounds for movies. For example, ifthe sound ofan actor's
footsteps werenot recordedwell orlost whenthevoicewas re-recorded,a Foleyartistwill recreate them.
http://www.mediacollege.com/employment/film/foley-artist.html
This is relevant tomy ownwork because
ifwe record alltheaudio and later
realise that there werecomplications or
backgroundnoisewecouldre-record
that one section.
Sound Libraries A collection of sounds stored onfile(for example onCDs, DVDs,or as digital audio files)
http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/sound-library
This gives us the ability todo many
takes ofonescene trying newaudio
levels andallows us to go backand
choose the one that welikedthemost.
SOUND FILE
FORMATS
Uncompressed An uncompressed videofileis a largerfilebutit's a betterquality video.when youcompress video ittakes upless space
but the quality ofthepictureisn't as good.
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110602052237AAOmbvO
Knowing this allows me tochoose
betweenqualityandquantity ofthe
audio ifwe only havea certainamount
ofdisc space.
.wav A Wave fileis anaudiofileformat. Usedprimarily in PCs. allows content developers to freely move audiofiles between
platforms for processing,for example.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Wave-file
This file format would beusefulto me
because whenI have theaudiorecorded
I can move itfrom thestudioto my
computereasily sothat itcan beedited.
.aiff AIFF is short for Audio InterchangeFile Format,whichis an audioformat initiallycreated by AppleComputer for storing
and transmitting high-quality sampledaudiodata.
http://www.abyssmedia.com/formats/aiff-format.shtml
I would use this file format ifI decided
that I wantedmy audio tobe ofthe
highest quality.
.au Unix Audio (.au) files areUNIX-generated sound files.AU is a soundfileformatdeveloped bySun for the Unix platform
for use on the Internet.
http://www.convertfiles.com/file_type_description/AU_Audio_File.html
Unix is a programme that is used by big
name companies duetohow good the
programmeis. IfI was touse this
programmeI would havetosavethe
files as “.au”.
.smp SmartMusic PerformanceFile. Music file used by SmartMusic,a music practice applicationfor band,orchestra, and
voice.
http://fileinfo.com/extension/smp
IfI used the programme SmartMusic to
record my audio then this is useful to
know.

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
Lossy Compression Lossy compressiontechnologies attempt toeliminate redundant orunnecessary information.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/lossy_compression.html
This is relevant becausewiththis file
format I willbe able tosaveas much
memory andspaceas possible.
.mp3 MP3 achieves its powerfulcompression by stripping outa lot ofthesounds in a song whichour ears cannot hear, and
using complex mathematicalalgorithms toreducefilesizes further.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-mp3s
MP3 would be the best choiceifI
wanted the smallest file sizepossible
making theaudiofileloadquicker and
be easierto move.
AUDIO LIMITATIONS Sound Processor
Unit (SPU)
Sound processing unit, an integrated circuit specialized in processing audio.
http://en.w ikipedia.org/wiki/SPU
Using a specializedprocessing unit
would be anadvantageas recording
audio is what this was madeto do so it
will be ofa highquality.
Digital Sound
Processor (DSP)
Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) takereal-worldsignals likevoice, audio,video,temperature, pressure,or position that
have been digitizedand thenmathematically manipulate them. ADSP is designedfor performing mathematical
functions like"add", "subtract", "multiply"and "divide"very quickly.
http://www.analog.com/en/content/beginners_guide_to_dsp/fca.html
This would beefficientas this DSP
automatically does thecalculations
meaning that I wouldn’thaveto
personally do it myselfas that could
take up precious time.
Random Access
Memory (RAM)
A type ofcomputer data storage. ARAMdevicemakes is possible toaccess data in randomorder, which makes it very
fast to find a specificpieceofinformation.
http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/what-is-random-access-memory-ram-definition-history-quiz.html#lesson
A RAMcould be usefulto meas I will
have manyaudiofiles stored in one
place and willbedifficult to find a
certainoneby listening to themall,the
RAM would increasethespeedofthis
process immensely.
Mono Audio Mono or monophonic describes a system where alltheaudio signals aremixed together and routed through a single
audio channel.
http://www.mcsquared.com/mono-stereo.htm
This could bea limitation because
mixing the audiosignals together cause
could overlapping orfor someparts to
be louder than others.
Stereo Audio True stereophonicsoundsystems havetwo independentaudio signalchannels.
http://www.mcsquared.com/mono-stereo.htm
This potioncould bebetteras I could
monitor both theaudio signal to ensure
that everything is rightwith each of
them.
Surround Sound Surround soundaudiois, simplyput,soundthat completely surrounds you. Itmeans a speakerin virtuallyevery corner
ofthe room, projecting high-quality digital sound at youfrom allangles.
http://peripherals.about.com/od/speakersandheadphones/a/whatis_ss.htm
Surround soundcould beuseful ifI
wanted the viewerto experiencethat
someonewas behindthem meaning
that only the speakers behind them
would be playing that certain audio at
that time.
Direct Audio (Pulse
Code Modulation –
PCM)
We are understanding itas general digital audio processing with volume samples generated in continuous timeperiods.
http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-doc/alsa-lib/pcm.html
This is usefulbecauseit allows tocheck
the volumeoftheaudioatintervals.
AUDIO RECORDING Analogue Captures the changes in air pressure createdby a sound waveand translates itinto a small electricalvoltage.This
produces a continuous representation ofthesound or an analoguesignal.
This is relevant as I willberecording the
audio in a professional studiomeaning

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
SYSTEMS http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zn4pyrd that the airwill stay thesameso only
when my I talkwill the mic pickanything
up.
Digital Mini Disc A pre-recorded MiniDisc is exactly likea CD, a MiniDisc uses a digital compression technique calledATRAC(Adaptive
Transform Acoustic Coding) whenstoring music.
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question55.htm
IfI wanted me audioto beput ona disc
but also compressed then I wouldusea
mini disc.
Compact Disc (CD) A compact disc, also knownas a CD, is a plastic optical disc witha metalized surfacethatis usedfor digitalaudio
storage.
http://www.cd-info.com/cd/
IfI didn’t wantmy audio to be
compressed but also easyto transport
and share withother peoplethenI
would usea regularCD.
Digital Audio Tape
(DAT)
DAT(Digital Audio Tape) is a standardmedium and technology for the digitalrecording of audioon tapeat a
professionallevel ofquality.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/DAT-Digital-Audio-Tape
Digital audiotapes areoutdated around
this timeand havebeenreplacedwith
the CD but ifI was to useonethenI
would definitely geta professional
quality ofaudio.
MIDI MIDI itselfdoes not makesound, itis just a series ofmessages like "note on,""noteoff,""note/pitch,""pitchbend,"and
many more.
http://www.instructables.com/id/What-is-MIDI/
These messages cantell mewhatthe
mic has picked upand whenthevolume
lowers or raises etc. This is usefulas I
can easily findwherea problemis.
Software Sequencers An electronicdevice orsoftwareprogram thatdigitally stores sound for modification and
playback througha synthesizer.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sequencer
This is relevant as it stores theaudio
straightawaydigitally allowing it tobe
changed and modified instantly
speeding up the process.
Software Plug-ins A hardware or softwaremodulethatadds a specificfeature orserviceto a larger system.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/plug_in.html
These areusefulto addfeatures thatI
could useto a programmethatwouldn’t
originally havethem.
MIDI Keyboard
Instruments
A MusicalInstrument Digital Interface (MIDI) keyboardis a musicalinstrument likea piano keyboard.The MIDIportion
indicates thattheinstrument has a communication protocol built inthat allows it tocommunicatewith a computeror
other MIDI-equipped instrument.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-midi-keyboard.htm
I could usethese instruments toadd
backgroundmusic or certainsound
effects easily.
AUDIO SAMPLING File Size Constraints
- Bit-depth
a certainvaluesetfor describing theresolution ofthesound data (samples) thatis to becaptured and stored inan
audio file--this attributeis calledBit Depth.
http://mp3.about.com/od/glossary/g/Bit-Depth-Definition-What-Does-Bit-Depth-Mean.htm
IfI wanted my audio tohave a high
resolutionthen I would haveto deal
with the highBit Depth andlowering
the Bit Depth wouldmeana lower
resolutionfor my audio.
File Size Constraints
- Sample Rate
Sampling rate or sampling frequency defines thenumber ofsamples per second(or perother unit) takenfrom a
continuous signal tomakea discreteor digital signal.
http://www.digitizationguidelines.gov/term.php?term=samplingrateaudio
I would personally take samples ofthe
audio frequently and listen over themto
ensure that thesound is goodand that
the voices areclear and understandable.