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: David Hall 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 effects aresound effects added to the filmduringpost
production (after the shootingstops). They includesounds such as
footsteps, clothes rustling,crockery clinking,paper folding,doors
opening and slamming,punches hitting,glass breaking,etc. etc. In
other words, many of the sounds that the sound recordists on set did
their best to avoid recordingduringthe shoot.
http://www.sound-ideas.com/what-is-foley.html
UsingFoley effects are a great
way to make better audio tracks
for a game or filmas you simply
take samples of audio From life
and cratingyour own in a studio
we had done this by getting
sounds for our sequence
Sound Libraries A samplelibrary isa collection of digital sound recordings,known as
samples,for use by composers, arrangers, performers,and producers
of music.The sound files areloaded into a sampler—either hardware
or software-based
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sample_library
I used a sound library to make
my firstpieceof audio using
simplepieces of sound and the
basic tools given by the software
likesliceand fade
SOUND FILE FORMATS Uncompressed Uncompressed audio files arethe most accuratedigital representation
of a sound wave, but can also be the most resource-intensivemethod
of recordingand storingdigital audio,both in terms of storage and
management. Their accuracy makes them suitablefor archivingand
deliveringaudio athigh resolution,and working with audio ata
professional level,and they arethe 'master' audio formatof choice.
This is good for getting the best
quality out of the music or audio
tracks you make but the filesize
is much bigger meaning longer to
load and render
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.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/guide/uncompressed-audio-file-
formats
.wav WAV is an audio fileformat that was developed by Microsoft.It is so
wide spread today that it is called a standard PC audio fileformat. A
Wave fileis identified by a filename extension of WAV (.wav). Used
primarily in PCs,theWave fileformat has been accepted as a viable
interchange medium for other computer platforms,such as Macintosh.
This allows contentdevelopers to freely move audio files between
platforms for processing,for example.
http://www.coolutils.com/Formats/WAV
This is one of the most popular
fileformats used on all windows
machines and is easy to store as
it is a much smaller filesizethan
uncompressed audio I used this
type of filewhen savingmy work
as I was good for both sizeand
quality
.aiff AIFF is shortfor Audio Interchange FileFormat, which is an audio
format initially created by Apple Computer for storingand transmitting
high-quality sampled audio data.Itsupports a variety of bit
resolutions,samplerates,and channels of audio.This format is quite
popular upon Apple platforms,and is commonly adopted in
professional programs thathandledigital audio waveforms.
http://www.abyssmedia.com/formats/aiff-format.shtml
This is similarto .wav but used by
applemac pc instead though it is
not as used as .wav they both
shear the same property’s
.au The Au fileformat is a simpleaudio fileformatintroduced by Sun
Microsystems.The format was common on NeXT systems and on early
Web pages.Originally itwas headerless,beingsimply 8-bitµ-law-
encoded data at an 8000 Hz samplerate. Hardwarefrom other
vendors often used samplerates as high as 8192 Hz, often integer
factors of video clock signals.Newer files havea header that consists of
six unsigned 32-bitwords
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Au_file_format
This is a much older audio file
format that is notseen much
nowadays as itdoes not hold the
quality orethe amount of date
likethe newer fileformats do
.smp A ".smp" filemay be one of several different types of audio file.For
example, itcould be a Sample Vision audio samplefile.This 16-bit
audio filewas originally used by Turtle Beach Sample Vision;you can
open itwith Adobe Auction, Sound Forge Pro or Awave Studio. It could
also bea samplefilefor AdLib Gold, a PC sound card released in 1992;
Scream Tracker, a mid-1990s music editingprogram; or Swell.Reason,
a music recordingand production program, and uses the ".smp"
extension for sampler instrumentpatches.
This is another old fileformat
that is not seen much today this
was used with one of the first
sound cards used on a pc not
much use in my project
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.ehow.com/info_12198596_file-smp.html
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.Mostvideo compression
technologies,such as MPEG, usea lossy technique.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/lossy_compression.html
This is a usefull format ads itwill
get rid of all the unused data and
keep what is needed reducing
the sizeof the filebut keeping
the quality
.mp3 MP3 files aresimilar to WAV files butare compressed to 1/10th the
sizeyet maintain high sound quality.A typical 3 minute songfileis
about 3.5MB, can be downloaded in less than 10 minutes over a 56K
modem connection. Even if you don't understand what a Megabyte is,
understand that 1/10th the size:
http://mistupid.com/mp3/
Practically thesame as .wav and
probably the most used audio
fileformat as ithas a great
median between quality and
quantity this is my favourite file
format to use this is the main
format that the sounds I used
came from as I had to convert
them to mp3 and put them in
reaper
AUDIO LIMITATIONS Sound Processor Unit
(SPU)
An expansion board that enables a computer to
manipulate and output sounds. Sound cards are necessary
for nearly all CD-ROMs and have become commonplace on
modern personal computers. Sound cards enable the
computer to output sound through speakers connected to
the board, to record sound input from a microphone
connected to the computer, and manipulate sound
stored on a disk.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/sound_card.html
Usingthe sound card you can get
the best quality out of the audio
you use and allows you to
connect speakers headphones or
a mic to the computer and also
manipulatesound stored on a
disk
Digital Sound Processor
(DSP)
Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) takereal-world signalslikevoice,audio,
video, temperature, pressure,or position thathave been digitized and
then mathematically manipulatethem. A DSP is designed for
performing mathematical functions like"add", "subtract", "multiply"
and "divide" very quickly.
This is a great way to convert
what audio you make likeyou
voiceand customize to like
cutting itdown and so on very
help full
4. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
4
http://www.analog.com/en/content/beginners_guide_to_dsp/fca.html
Random Access Memory
(RAM)
Alternatively referred to as main memory, primary memory, or system
memory, Random Access Memory (RAM) is a computer storage
location thatallows information to be stored and accessed quickly
from random locations within DRAM on a memory module. Because
information is accessed randomly instead of sequentially likeitis on
a CD or hard drive,the computer can access thedata much faster.
However, unlikeROM and the hard drive RAM is a volatilememory and
requires power in order to keep the data accessible,if power is lostall
data contained in memory lost.
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/r/ram.htm
The ram is very usefull as the
more you have the faster you can
move the audio files around to
do stuff with and makes it easier
to render the final productramis
majorly importantas if you have
alongtrack to render it will need
more ram to process the tack
and create the final product
Mono Audio Mono or monophonic describes a systemwhere all the audio signals
are mixed together and routed through a singleaudio channel.Mono
systems can have multipleloudspeakers,and even multiplewidely
separated loudspeakers.The key is thatthe signal containsno level
and arrival time/phaseinformation thatwould replicateor simulate
directional cues.
http://www.mcsquared.com/mono-stereo.htm
This is a simpleway to output the
audio you play through all the
speakers you have connected to
you pc but they all play the same
at the same tome no way to
make the sound move around
Stereo Audio True stereophonic sound systems have two independent audio signal
channels,and the signalsthatarereproduced have a specific level and
phaserelationship to each other so that when played back through a
suitablereproduction system, there will bean apparentimage of the
original sound source.Stereo would be a requirement if there is a need
to replicatethe aural perspectiveand localization of instruments on a
stage or platform,a very common requirement in performing arts
centres.
http://www.mcsquared.com/mono-stereo.htm
This allows you to give a feel that
for example a person is talking
and walkingaround the room as
the audio sounds likeits moving
around the room I also used this
as itis much beater for the style
of sounds I was usingplus it
much more commonly used than
mono
Surround Sound Surround sound is a term used to describea type of audio output in
which the sound appears to "surround the listener" by 360 degrees.
Surround sound systems use three or more channels and speakers in
front and behind the listener to create a surroundingenvelope of
This is the best way to listen to
any thing as you get to simulatea
360 degree sound so for example
a car drivingpastyou will hear it
5. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
5
sound and directional audio sources.Theterm surround sound has
become popular in recent years and more commonly used sincethe
advent of home theater systems. Surround sound can be either
an analog or digital system.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/surround_sound.html
as if there was a car drivingpast
you
Direct Audio (Pulse Code
Modulation – PCM)
Pulsecode modulation (PCM) is a digital representation of an analog
signal thattakes samples of the amplitudeof the analogsignal at
regular intervals.The sampled analogdata is changed to, and then
represented by, binary data.PCM requires a very accurateclock.The
number of samples per second, rangingfrom 8,000 to 192,000,is
usually several times the maximum frequency of the analogwaveform
in Hertz (Hz), or cycles per second, which ranges from 8 to 192 KHz.
http://www.techopedia.com/definition/24128/pulse-code-
modulation-pcm
This allows us to see an digital
version of an analogy signal this
is a very accuratereadingthat
need a lotof attention
AUDIO RECORDING SYSTEMS Analogue Analogy recordingmethods store signalsasa continuous
signal in or on the media. The signal may be stored as a physical
texture on a phonograph record, or a fluctuation in the field
strength of a magnetic recording. This is different from digital
recording which digital signals arerepresented as discretenumbers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_recording
This is storinga recordinglike
audio on a physical itemlikea
tape this uses a much older and
different technique to digital
which use discreetnumbers this
is the original way to record all
the audio you wanted used by
pros and households for many
years
Digital Mini Disc One easy way to think about a Minidisc islikea floppy disk -- you can
record and erase files on a Minidisc justas easily asyou can on a floppy
disk.The bigdifference between the a Minidisc and a floppy disk isthat
a Minidisc can hold about100 times more data (about
140 megabytes in data mode, 160 megabytes in audio mode vs. 1.44
megabytes for a floppy).
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question55.htm
The mini disk is similar to floppy
disk and works likean sd card it
is a good thing for storingdater
but even better for storingaudio
files likemusic
Compact Disc (CD) Abbreviated as CD, a compact disc is a flat,round storage medium that
is read by a laser in a CD-ROM drivethat was invented by James
The cd is a step up from the mini
disk though it is bigger it holds
6. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
6
Russell and firstcreated at a Philips factory in Germany on August
17, 1982.The standard CD is capableof holding72 minutes of music or
650 MB of data. 80 minute CDs arealso commonly used to store data
and are capableof containing700 MB of data. The picture is an
example of what the standard compactdisc looks like
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/c/compactd.htm
much more data and is a lot
faster for the pc to read
Digital Audio Tape (DAT) Digital Audio Tape (DAT or R-DAT) is a signal recordingand playback
medium developed by Sony and introduced in 1987.In appearanceit is
similar to a Compact Cassette, using4 mm magnetic tape enclosed in a
protective shell,butis roughly half the sizeat 73 mm × 54 mm ×
10.5 mm. As the name suggests, the recordingis digital rather
than analogy.DAT has the ability to record at higher, equal or lower
samplingrates than a CD (48, 44.1 or 32 kHz sampling
rate respectively) at 16 bits quantization.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Audio_Tape
This a really old type based audio
storage no longer used but was
quite good in the day the
magnetic tape was very easy to
ruin so soon after they
introduced the disk
MIDI MIDI (Musical InstrumentDigital Interface) is a protocol developed in
the 1980's which allows electronic instruments and other digital
musical tools to communicate with each other. MIDI itself does not
make sound,it is justa series of messages like"note on," "note off,"
"note/pitch," "pitchbend," and many more. These messages are
interpreted by a MIDI instrument to produce sound. A MIDI
instrument can be a piece of hardware (electronic keyboard,
synthesizer) or part of a software environment (ableton, garageband,
digital performer, logic...).
http://www.instructables.com/id/What-is-MIDI/
This is one of the ways that we
can produce music in programs
likereaper usingthe midi
keyboard and some vtsi sounds
this can be put together to make
songs or sounds to be used in
production
Software Sequencers In digital audio recording,a sequencer is a program in a computer or
stand-alonekeyboard unit that puts together a sound sequence from a
series (or sequence) of Musical InstrumentDigital Interface
( MIDI ) events (operations).The MIDI sequencer allows theuser to
record and edit a musical performancewithout usingan audio-based
This is a good way to edit you
audio files itmakes the job a lot
faster and easier to do without
the need for audio input
7. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
7
input source.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/sequencer
Software Plug-ins 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
filters that you can use to manipulateimages.A browser plug-in (such
as Macromedia Flash or AppleQuickTime) allows you to play certain
multimedia files within your Web browser. VST plug-ins add effects for
audio recordingand sequencingprograms such as Cubaseand Logic
Audio.
http://techterms.com/definition/plugin
Plugins that come with midi
makes the software much
simpler to use and gives us a
whole bunch of stuff to take
advantage of we used a whole
range of plugins such as Vstand
Vsti sound effects and
sequencers
MIDI Keyboard
Instruments
A Musical InstrumentDigital Interface(MIDI) keyboard is a musical
instrument likea piano keyboard. The MIDI portion indicates thatthe
instrument has a communication protocol builtin that allows itto
communicate with a computer or other MIDI-equipped instrument.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-midi-keyboard.htm
This is essential to haveas it
works as a sound board good for
quick implementation of sounds
in a likeaudio piece we used vsti
software to make our own sound
effects and musical pieces
AUDIO SAMPLING File Size Constraints - Bit-
depth
In digital audio using pulse-codemodulation (PCM), bitdepth is the
number of bits of information in each sample, and it directly
corresponds to the resolution of each sample.Examples of bitdepth
includeCompact Disc Digital Audio,which uses 16 bits per sample,
and DVD-Audio and Blu-ray Disc which can supportup to 24 bits per
sample.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_bit_depth
The better the bit the disk can
hold the better the depth and
quality of the sampleyou get
File Size Constraints -
Sample Rate
Sample rate indicates the number of digital samples taken of an audio
signal each second.This rate determines the frequency range of an
audio file.The higher the samplerate, the closer the shapeof the
digital waveformis to that of the original analog waveform. Low
samplerates limitthe range of frequencies that can be recorded,
which can resultin a recordingthat poorly represents the original
sound.
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Soundbooth/2.0/WS41FBD92E-39EA-
4eda-B490-EDE8EA1175C8a.html
A good way to measure the
frequency in a music sample
keeps the filesizelow I used the
4100 samplerate as itis perfectly
good quality audio and I doesn’t
alter any of the sounds
8. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
8
