This document provides definitions for sound design and production terms as part of a glossary assignment. It includes definitions for terms related to sound design methodology, sound file formats, audio limitations, audio sampling, and software/hardware used for sound design. For each term, the student provided a short internet definition and described how the term relates to their own production practice. The goal of the assignment was to research and define key terms to build understanding of methods and principles of sound design.

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: Aiden Kelly 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 sound effects technique for synchronous effects or live effects .
http://filmsound.org/foley/
FoleyArtistrywouldoftenbe used
for subtle sounds like the rustlingof
clothes.
Sound Libraries This 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
This is where there would be a group
of sounds/music whichwouldbe
stored ona file.
We used soundlibrariesbystoring a
small mixture of sounds that we put
together to make a short sequence.
SOUND FILE FORMATS Uncompressed Uncompressedaudiofiles are the most accurate digitalrepresentationof a
soundwave, but can alsobe the most resource-intensive methodof
recording andstoring digital audio, bothinterms of storage and
management.
http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/guide/uncompressed-audio-file-formats
This is an accurate digital
representation of a sound wave. That
is usedfor storage and for
management.
.wav .WAV is a Microsoft andIBMaudiofile format standardfor storing anaudio
bitstreamon PCs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAV
This file format is the standard
format that is used to store anaudio
bitstreamon a pc.
.aiff AIFF is short for Audio Interchange File Format, which is anaudio format
initiallycreatedbyApple Computer for storing andtransmitting high-quality
sampledaudio data.
http://www.abyssmedia.com/formats/aiff-format.shtml
This file format would be used for
transmitting andstoring high-quality
soundfiles.
.au It is alsothe standard audio file format for the Java programminglanguage. This is the standard file format that

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/AU.html the Java programming language.
.smp An ".smp" file maybe one of several different types ofaudio file. For
example, it could be a SampleVision audiosample file. This16-bit audiofile
was originallyusedbyTurtle BeachSampleVision;you canopen it with
Adobe Auction, SoundForge Pro or Awave Studio.
http://www.ehow.com/info_12198596_file-smp.html
This is one of manydifferent types of
audiofiles .E.G. one ofits file types
could be a Samplevisionsample file.
Lossy Compression Refers to data compression techniques in which some amount of data is
lost. Lossycompression technologies attempt to eliminate redundant or
unnecessaryinformation.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/lossy_compression.html
LossyCompressionis where some of
the file data would be loss due to the
compressionof the audiofile. It
woulddo this byremoving any
unnecessaryinformationthat was
not needed.
.mp3 MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3)is a standardtechnologyandformat for
compressing a sound sequence intoa verysmall file.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/MP3-MPEG-1-Audio-Layer-3
An .mp3 is the standardformat for
compressing soundsequencesintoa
small file.
This wasa file type that I used for
importing mySFX. For example an
SFXI usedwas as Police officer
shoutingpullover.
AUDIO LIMITATIONS Sound Processor Unit (SPU) The SPU is the unit responsible for allaural capabilities ofthe psx. It
handles 24 voices, hasa 512kb sound buffer, has ADSR envelope filters for
each voice andlots of other features
http://psx.rules.org/spu.txt
This is responsible for producing the
soundof the media file.
Digital Sound Processor (DSP) A Digital Signal Processor, or DSP, is a specializedmicroprocessor that has
an architecture whichis optimizedfor the fast operational needs ofdigital
signal processing.
http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/microprocessors/digital-signal-
processors.aspx
The DSPmakes the soundfile into a
clearer sound to listentoo.
Random Access Memory
(RAM)
Alternativelyreferredto as mainmemory, primarymemory, or system
memory, Random Access Memory(RAM) is a computer storage location
that allows informationto be stored and accessedquickly
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/r/ram.htm
RAM(Random Access Memory) is
usuallyknown as the mainmemory
or system memory. This is the
computer storage locationthat
allows information to be storedand
is also able to be quicklyaccessed.

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
Mono Audio Mono or monophonic describes a systemwhere all the audiosignalsare
mixed together androutedthrough a single audiochannel.
http://www.mcsquared.com/mono-stereo.htm
This is what describes a systemwhich
all the audiosignals are mixed, and
then are routedthroughsingle
channelled audio channels.
Stereo Audio True stereophonic soundsystems have two independent audiosignal
channels, andthe signals that are reproduced have a specific level and
phase relationshipto each other sothat when playedbackthrougha
suitable reproductionsystem, there will be anapparent image ofthe
originalsoundsource.
http://www.mcsquared.com/mono-stereo.htm
This is where twodifferent sounds
are usedto produce one single
sound.
Surround Sound Surroundsoundaudiois, simplyput, sound that completelysurrounds you.
It means a speaker invirtuallyeverycorner of the room, projecting high-
qualitydigital sound at you fromallanglesjust as though youwere in a
theatre.
http://peripherals.about.com/od/speakersandheadphones/a/whatis_ss.htm
SurroundSoundis where speakers
are placed in all ofthe corners
aroundthe roomandthen it would
project high qualitydigitalsound,
from everyspeaker that surrounding
you.
Direct Audio (Pulse Code
Modulation – PCM)
Pulse code modulation (PCM) is a digital representationof an analogue
signal that takessamples of the amplitude of the analogue signal at regular
intervals. The sampledanalogue data is changedto, andthen represented
by, binarydata.
http://www.techopedia.com/definition/24128/pulse-code-modulation-pcm
This is a digital representationof an
analog signal that thenwouldtake a
sample ofthe amplitude
Analogue In telecommunications, ananalog signalis one in whicha base carrier's
alternatingcurrent frequencyis modified in some way, suchas by
amplifying the strengthof the signal or varying the frequency, inorder to
add informationto the signal. Broadcast andtelephone transmission have
conventionallyused analog technology.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/analog
Analog signals are analternating
frequencythat’s modifiedinsome
way. This is done byamplifying the
signal strength. Analogsignals are
mainlyused for broadcasts and
telephone transmission.
Digital Mini Disc One easywayto think about a MiniDisc is like a floppydisk -- you canrecord
and erase fileson a MiniDisc just as easilyas you canon a floppydisk. The
big difference betweenthe a MiniDisc anda floppydiskis that a MiniDisc
can hold about 100 times more data
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question55.htm
A digital mini disk is a small disc that
can hold lots of data andyou can
erase files easily.
Compact Disc (CD) CDs can hold upto 700 MB of data or 80 minutesof audio. The data ona CD
is stored as small notches onthe disc and is read bya laser from anoptical
A CD is something that is usedto
store lots ofdata andupto 80

4. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
4
drive. The drives translate the notches(which represent 1's and0's) into
usable data.
http://techterms.com/definition/cd
minutes ofaudio.
Digital Audio Tape (DAT) Digital AudioTape (DAT or R-DAT) is a signal recordingandplayback
medium.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Audio_Tape
A Digital AudioTape is usedto as a
signal recordingandplayback
medium.
MIDI MIDI (/ˈmɪdi/;short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface)is a technical
standardthat describes a protocol, digital interface and connectors and
allows a wide varietyof electronic musicalinstruments, computers and
other related devicesto connect andcommunicate withone another.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI
A MIDI is a digital interface that is
usedfor electronic musical
instruments.
MIDI was usedinour productionby
creating our sounds using VSTI. For
example MIDI was used for creating a
simple soundtrackfor myaudiocut
scene.
Software Sequencers The term ‘software sequencer’ was originallycoined to represent
applications which offeredwhat were bytoday’s standards onlybasic MIDI
recording andprogramming facilities.
http://www.thomann.de/gb/onlineexpert_topic_software_sequencers.html
A Software Sequencer is a basic
recording andprogramming facility.
Software Plug-ins Theyare called that because these are little computer applications that run
inside a "host" application, i.e., a sequencer, typically. These plugindevices
are veryimportant, as theyhave ledthe software revolutiontowards our
virtual studios which is changingallrecording studios, bothhome andpro.
http://tweakheadz.com/software-plugins/
This is an applicationthat is a host
application.
Software plugins were used to create
my own SFXor even background
music using the plugin VSTI.
MIDI Keyboard Instruments A MusicalInstrument Digital Interface (MIDI) keyboardis a musical
instrument like a pianokeyboard. The MIDI portionindicates that the
instrument has a communicationprotocol built in that allows it to
communicate witha computer or other MIDI-equippedinstrument.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-midi-keyboard.htm
This is a digital musical instrument
that lets you to be able to
communicate witha computer/other
instruments withMIDI equipped.
This digitalkeyboard can work
together withthe plugins to create a
varietyof different noises.
AUDIO SAMPLING File Size Constraints - Bit-
depth
, bit depthis the number of bits of information ineach sample, andit
directlycorresponds to the resolutionof each sample. Examplesof bit depth
include Compact Disc Digital Audio, whichuses 16 bits per sample, andDVD-
Audio and Blu-rayDisc whichcansupport up to 24 bits per sample.
A file size constraint Bit depth is
where theywouldonlyuse 16 bit or
24 bits per samples.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_bit_depth
File Size Constraints - Sample
Rate
This is a frequencyof how manytimesaudio is measuredper second,
usuallymeasured inkilohertz (kHz);a usualnumber you might see is
44.1kHz. This is tieddirectlyto bit depthor the number of bits measuredin
each cycle.
http://superuser.com/questions/388382/what-does-the-sample-rate-and-
sample-size-of-audio-means
Sample rate constraints are where
the frequencyis measuredper
second and is measured inkHz.