The document is a glossary of terms related to sound design and production for computer games. It contains definitions of terms such as foley artistry, sound libraries, file formats like .wav and .mp3, audio limitations involving sound cards and processors, recording systems such as MIDI and CDs, and concepts in audio sampling like bit depth and sample rate. For each term, the student provided a short definition from an online source as well as how the term relates to their 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: Thomas
Dowson
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/
I understandthat the soundeffects do wellwith
the techniques for the live effects.
Sound Libraries A sample library is a collection of digital sound recordings, known
as samples, for use by composers, arrangers, performers, and
producers of music.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sample_library
I understandthisterm because ofthe libraryof
samples andalso composers. What learnedand
improvedonabout the soundlibrariesis that there
are different varieties ofsounds andmusic to
choose from.
SOUND FILE
FORMATS
Uncompressed There is onemajor uncompressedaudio format, LPCM, which is thesame variety ofPCMas used
in CompactDiscDigitalAudio. Although LPCMcan bestored ona computer as a raw audio
format, it is usually stored ina .wav file onWindows or ina .aifffileon Mac OS.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_file_format
I understandthat there is just one major
uncompressed audioformat.
.wav The formatfor storing sound in files developed jointlyby Microsoft
and IBM. Support for WAV files was builtinto Windows 95 making itthe de
facto standard for sound on PCs.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/WAV.html
I understandwhat wavis andalsohowit is created
to the audio file. What I learned fromthe WAV file
is that the options that you choose fromhave to be
correct and alsothat the variableshave to be the
same.
.aiff Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF) is an audio file format standard used for
storing sound data for personal computers and other electronic audio devices.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_Interchange_File_Format
I understandthe relevance to this term because I
understandabout the fileformat andhow the
sounddata is stored.
.au Short for audio,a common formatfor sound files on UNIX machines.It is also
the standard audio file formatfor the Java programming language.
http://www.webopedia.com/sgsearch/results?cx=partner-pub-
8768004398756183%3A6766915980&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=au
I understandwhat the relevance of the term means
because of the java programing.

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
.smp SMP (symmetric multiprocessing) is the processing ofprograms bymultiple
processors that share a common operating system and memory.
https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=what+is+a+smp
I understandwhat this term means to the relevant
programming.
Lossy
Compression
Refers to data compression techniques in which some amountofdata is lost.
Lossycompression technologies attemptto eliminate redundantor
unnecessaryinformation.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/lossy_compression.html
I understandthe relevance to the term because of
the lossycompression.
.mp3 a means ofcompressing a sound sequence into a very small file,to enable
digital storage and transmission.
https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=what+is+a+.mp3
I understandwhat the term means bymp3 because
it stores a lot ofmusic for people to listento.
AUDIO
LIMITATIONS
Sound Processor
Unit (SPU)
A sound card (also known as an audio card) is an
internal computer expansion card that facilitates economical input
and output of audio signals to and from a computer under control of
computer programs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_card
I understandabout the audio card and how it uses
software to generate sound.
Digital Sound
Processor (DSP)
A Digital Signal Processor, or DSP, is a specialized microprocessor that
has an architecture which is optimized for the fast operational needs of
digital signal processing.
http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/microprocessors/digital-signal-
processors.aspx
I understandthat it canprocess data infast time.
Random Access
Memory (RAM)
RAM (pronounced ramm) is an acronym for random access memory,a type of
computer memorythatcan be accessed randomly;that is, any byte of memory
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random-access_memory
I understandabout the Random Access Memory
(RAM) that it stores data sothe itemcanbe
accessed.
Mono Audio Mono Audio. When you're using headphones,you may miss some audio if
you're deafor hard of hearing in one ear. That's because stereo recordings
usuallyhave distinctleft- and right-channel audio tracks.
https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=what+is+an+mono+audio
I understandthe definitionof the mono audio
meaningthat I understand that it helps people who
cannot hear can read the text on their iPhone or
iPad.

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
Stereo Audio Stereo(or Stereophonic sound) is the reproduction of sound using twoor more
independent audiochannels in a way that creates the impression of sound
heard from various directions,as in natural hearing.
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Mono_vs_Stereo
I understandthe relevance of the term because of
audiochannelsthat create the impression.
Surround Sound Surround sound is a term used to describe a 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 soundand directional audio sources.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/surround_sound.html
I understandthe termof surroundsoundbecause it
basicallysurrounds the listener or anyone else in
the room.
Direct Audio
(Pulse Code
Modulation –
PCM)
Pulse-code modulation (PCM) is a method used to digitallyrepresent
sampled analog signals.It is the standard form of digital audio in
computers, CompactDiscs,digital telephonyand other digital audio
applications.In a PCM stream,the amplitude ofthe analog signal is sampled
regularlyat 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
I understandthe relevance of the term because it
digitallyrepresents sampledanalogysignals.
AUDIO
RECORDING
SYSTEMS
Analogue relating to or using signals or information represented bya continuously
variable physical quantity such as spatial position,
https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=what+is+Analogue+
I understandthe relevance of the term because I
understandthat it uses signals of variationor
physical quantity.
Digital Mini Disc The MiniDisc (MD) is an obsolete magneto-optical disc-based data storage
device for 74 minutes and,later,80 minutes, ofdigitized audio or 1 gigabyte
of Hi-MD data. The Sony brand audio players were on the marketfrom
September 1992 until March 2013.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiniDisc
I understandthe relevance of the term because of
the optical based data inthe storage devise.
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 backaudio, video, text, and other information in digital form.
I understandwhat the relevance of the term means
bythe compact disk it useselectronically
recordings.

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://searchstorage.techtarget.com/definition/compact-disc
Digital Audio
Tape (DAT)
DAT (Digital AudioTape)is a standard mediumandtechnologyfor
the digital recording ofaudio ontape at a professional level of quality. A DAT drive is a
digital tape recorder withrotating heads similar to those found ina videodeck.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/DAT-Digital-Audio-Tape
I understandwhat the relevance of the term means
bydigitalaudio tape because of the digital tape
recorder.
MIDI MIDI (/ˈmɪdi/; shortfor Musical InstrumentDigital Interface) is a technical
standard thatdescribes a protocol,digital interface and connectors and allows
a wide variety of electronic musical instruments
https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=what is midi inmusic
I understandthe relevance of the term because of
the protocol andthe digital interface.
Software
Sequencers
1. A music sequencer (or simply sequencer) is a device or
application software that can record, edit, or play back
music, by handling note and performance information in
several forms, typically MIDI or CV/Gate, and possibly
audio and automation data for DAWs and plug-ins.
https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=what+is+a
+software+sequencer
I understandthe relevance of the term because of
the software that canrecord and edit.
Software Plug-ins1. In computing, a plug-in (or add-in / addin, plugin, extension
or add-on / addon) is a software component that adds a
specific feature to an existing software application. When
an application supports plug-ins, it enables customization.
https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-
instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-
8#q=what+is+Software+Plug-ins
I understandthat the software components adda
specific feature to the existing software.

5. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
5
MIDI Keyboard
Instruments
A 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. This could also
be a personal computer running software such as a digital audio
workstation (DAW) that listens to and sends MIDI information to
other MIDI devices connected by cable or running internal to the
personal computer system.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI_keyboard
I understandthe relevance of the term typically
know to the pianostyle because of the keyboard
device used for sending the MIDI signals.
AUDIO SAMPLING File Size
Constraints - Bit-
depth
In digital audio using pulse-code modulation (PCM), 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.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_bit_depth
I understandthe relevance of the term because
using the pulsecode is the bits ofinformationinto
each sample.
File Size
Constraints -
Sample Rate
Sampling rate; 3.1.2 Bit depth; 3.1.3 Speech sampling ... or
any other dimension, and similar results are obtained in
two or more dimensions. ... The sampling frequency
or sampling rate, fs, is the average number of
samples ..... which is unambiguous because of
the constraint that the pre-sampled signal was analytic.
https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-
8#q=what+is+File+Size+Constraints++-+Sample+Rate
I understandthe relevance of the term because it
explains about the sampling rate of the bit depth.
What I learnedwas that the sample rates I had
done I foundout about the depth andalsothe way
in which the bit depthis.