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 Mcdonagh 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/
A Foley Artist is a person who creates (or re-creates) sounds for
movies. For example, if the sound of an actor's footsteps were not
recorded well or lost when the voice was re-recorded, a Foley artist
will recreate them. In fact, except for dialogue and music, almost all
the sounds you hear in Hollywood films is Foley sound.Foley artists
work in a Foley studio, a room with many props, a viewing screen and
recording equipment. The artist watches the film and creates the
sound in real time. In most cases several different tracks are recorded,
for example:
A "move track", which includes the sounds of general movement,
clothes swishing, etc.
Footsteps
"Specifics" — individual sound effects for particular actions on screen,
e.g. fights, etc.
http://www.mediacollege.com/employment/film/foley-artist.html
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. The sound files are loaded into a sampler - either hardware
or computer-based - which is then used to create music.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sample_library
SOUND FILE FORMATS Uncompressed Compressed files take up less storage space and can be transferred to These are the type files that are made

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
other computers more quickly than uncompressed files. You can work
with compressed files and folders in the same way that you work with
uncompressed files and folders. You can also combine several files into
a single compressed folder. This makes it easier to share a group of
files
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/compress-
uncompress-files-zip-files#1TC=windows-7
in reaper before you render them
.wav Waveform Audio File Format (WAVE, or more commonly known as
WAV due to its filename extension) (rarely, Audio for Windows[9]) is a
Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio
bitstream on PCs. It is an application of the Resource Interchange File
Format (RIFF) bitstream format method for storing data in "chunks",
and thus is also close to the 8SVX and the AIFF format used on Amiga
and Macintosh computers, respectively. It is the main format used on
Windows systems for raw and typically uncompressed audio. The usual
bitstream encoding is the linear pulse-code modulation (LPCM) format.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAV
I normally render the audio sounds I
have done in Reaper
.aiff udio Interchange File Format (AIFF) is an audio file format standard
used for storing sound data for personal computers and other
electronic audio devices. The format was developed by Apple Inc. in
1988 based on Electronic Arts' Interchange File Format (IFF, widely
used on Amiga systems) and is most commonly used on Apple
Macintosh computer systems.
The audio data in a standard AIFF file is uncompressed pulse-code
modulation (PCM). There is also a compressed variant of AIFF known as
AIFF-C or AIFC, with various defined compression codecs.
Unlike the better-known lossy MP3 format, AIFF is uncompressed
(which aids rapid streaming of multiple audio files from disk to the
application), and is lossless. Like any uncompressed, lossless format, it
uses much more disk space than MP3—about 10MB for one minute of
stereo audio at a sample rate of 44.1 kHz and a bit depth of 16 bits. In
addition to audio data, AIFF can include loop point data and the
musical note of a sample, for use by hardware samplers and musical
applications.

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
The file extension for the standard AIFF format is .aiff or .aif. For the
compressed variants it is supposed to be .aifc, but .aiff or .aif are
accepted as well by audio applications supporting the format.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_Interchange_File_Format
.au
.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. Reason, a music
recording and production program, uses the ".smp" extension for
sampler instrument patches.
An ".smp" file may also be an image file used by Xionics Document
Technologies, a company that develops software for copying, scanning,
printing and related tasks. This black-and-white image file is very rare.
You can open it with the freeware program XnView. In addition, the
photo editing program PhotoExpress uses the extension ".smp" for
gallery files showcasing a number of photos.
Several file types used in editing or viewing images use the ".smp" file
extension. For example, the program IDRISI Taiga uses it extension for
palette files. These files store color information for satellite images,
which are stored in the ."rst" format. PhotoImpact, an image editing
program, uses the ".smp" extension for files storing the program's
presets.
An ".smp" file may be a playlist for Sprintbit Playlist Manager, a
program used to create and manage playlists of music and video files.
It could also be a project file for Screensaver Maker, a program for
creating your own screensavers. Finally, it could be an email message
file for the email program IMail Server. Due to the number of different
programs that use the ".smp" extension, no listing may be complete

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.ehow.com/info_12198596_file-smp.html
Lossy Compression In information technology, "lossy" compression is the class of data
encoding methods that uses inexact approximations (or partial data
discarding) for representing the content that has been encoded. Such
compression techniques are used to reduce the amount of data that
would otherwise be needed to store, handle, and/or transmit the
represented content. The different versions of the photo of the dog at
the right demonstrate how the approximation of an image becomes
progressively coarser as more details of the data that made up the
original image are removed. The amount of data reduction possible
using lossy compression can often be much more substantial than
what is possible with lossless data compression techniques.
Using well-designed lossy compression technology, a substantial
amount of data reduction is often possible before the result is
sufficiently degraded to be noticed by the user. Even when the degree
of degradation becomes noticeable, further data reduction may often
be desirable for some applications (e.g., to make real-time
communication possible through a limited bit-rate channel, to reduce
the time needed to transmit the content, or to reduce the necessary
storage capacity).
Lossy compression is most commonly used to compress multimedia
data (audio, video, and still images), especially in applications such as
streaming media and internet telephony. By contrast, lossless
compression is typically required for text and data files, such as bank
records and text articles. In many cases it is advantageous to make a
master lossless file that can then be used to produce compressed files
for different purposes; for example, a multi-megabyte file can be used
at full size to produce a full-page advertisement in a glossy magazine,
and a 10 kilobyte lossy copy can be made for a small image on a web
page.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lossy_compression
.mp3
The name of the file extension and also the name of the type of file for
MPEG, audio layer 3. Layer 3 is one of three coding schemes (layer 1,
I used these to download audio sounds
from YouTube to listen to

5. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
5
layer 2 and layer 3) for the compression of audio signals. Layer 3 uses
perceptual audio coding and psychoacoustic compression to remove all
superfluous information (more specifically, the redundant and
irrelevant parts of a sound signal. The stuff the human ear doesn't hear
anyway). It also adds a MDCT (Modified Discrete Cosine Transform)
that implements a filter bank, increasing the frequency resolution 18
times higher than that of layer 2.The result in real terms is layer 3
shrinks the original sound data from a CD (with a bit rate of 1411.2
kilobits per one second of stereo music) by a factor of 12 (down to 112-
128kbps) without sacrificing sound quality.Because MP3 files are small,
they can easily be transferred across the Internet.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/MP3.html
AUDIO LIMITATIONS Sound Processor Unit (SPU) A sound card (also known as an audio card) is an internal computer
expansion card that facilitates the input and output of audio signals to
and from a computer under control of computer programs. The term
sound card is also applied to external audio interfaces that use
software to generate sound, as opposed to using hardware inside the
PC. Typical uses of sound cards include providing the audio component
for multimedia applications such as music composition, editing video
or audio, presentation, education and entertainment (games) and
video projection.Sound functionality can also be integrated onto the
motherboard, using basically the same components as a plug-in card.
The best plug-in cards, which use better and more expensive
I would have automatically used these
sice they are incide the computer

6. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
6
components, can achieve higher quality than integrated sound. The
integrated sound system is often still referred to as a "sound card".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_processing_unit
Digital Sound Processor (DSP) Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) take real-world signals like voice, audio,
video, temperature, pressure, or position that have been digitized and
then mathematically manipulate them. A DSP is designed for
performing mathematical functions like "add", "subtract", "multiply"
and "divide" very quickly.Signals need to be processed so that the
information that they contain can be displayed, analyzed, or converted
to another type of signal that may be of use. In the real-world, analog
products detect signals such as sound, light, temperature or pressure
and manipulate them. Converters such as an Analog-to-Digital
converter then take the real-world signal and turn it into the digital
format of 1's and 0's. From here, the DSP takes over by capturing the
digitized information and processing it. It then feeds the digitized
information back for use in the real world. It does this in one of two
ways, either digitally or in an analog format by going through a Digital-
to-Analog converter. All of this occurs at very high speeds.
http://www.analog.com/en/content/beginners_guide_to_dsp/fca.html
Random Access Memory (RAM) RAM (pronounced ramm) is an acronym for random access memory, a
type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly; that is, any
byte of memory can be accessed without touching the preceding bytes.
RAM is the most common type of memory found in computers and
other devices, such as printers.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/RAM.html
You always use ram whenever you do
anything on the computer
Mono Audio Mono (Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction) has audio in a
single channel, often centered in the “sound field”. i.e. and stereo
(Stereophonic) are classification of sound.

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://www.diffen.com/difference/Mono_vs_Stereo
Stereo Audio Stereophonic sound or, more commonly, stereo, is a method of sound
reproduction that creates an illusion of directionality and audible
perspective. This is usually achieved by using two or more independent
audio channels through a configuration of two or more loudspeakers
(or stereo headphones)in such a way as to create the impression of
sound heard from various directions, as in natural hearing.[1] Thus the
term "stereophonic" applies to so-called "quadraphonic" and
"surround-sound" systems as well as the more common two-channel,
two-speaker systems. It is often contrasted with monophonic, or
"mono" sound, where audio is in the form of one channel, often
centered in the sound field (analogous to a visual field). Stereo sound is
now common in entertainment systems such as broadcast radio and
TV, recorded music and the cinema.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereophonic_sound
Used this when listen to my sounds in
reaper
Surround Sound Surround sound is a technique for enriching the sound reproduction
quality of an audio source with additional audio channels from
speakers that surround the listener (surround channels), providing
sound from a 360° radius in the horizontal plane (2D) as opposed to
"screen channels" (centre, [front] left, and [front] right) originating
only from the listener's forward arc.
Surround sound is characterized by a listener location or sweet spot
where the audio effects work best, and presents a fixed or forward
perspective of the sound field to the listener at this location. The
technique enhances the perception of sound spatialization by
exploiting sound localization; a listener's ability to identify the location
or origin of a detected sound in direction and distance. Typically this is
achieved by using multiple discrete audio channels routed to an array
of loudspeakers.
There are various surround sound based formats and techniques,
varying in reproduction and recording methods along with the number
and positioning of additional channels.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereophonic_sound
I used this when i was using my
surround sound
Direct Audio (Pulse Code Pulse-code modulation (PCM) is a method used to digitally represent

8. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
8
Modulation – PCM) 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.
Linear pulse-code modulation (LPCM) is a specific type of PCM where
the quantization levels are linearly uniform.[5] This is in contrast to
PCM using, for instance, A-law algorithm or μ-law algorithm where
quantization levels vary as a function of amplitude. Though PCM is a
more general term, it is often used to describe data encoded as LPCM.
PCM streams have two basic properties that determine their fidelity to
the original analog signal: the sampling rate, which is the number of
times per second that samples are taken; and the bit depth, which
determines the number of possible digital values that each sample can
take
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse-code_modulation
AUDIO RECORDING SYSTEMS Analogue log (or analogue) recording (Greek, ana is "according to" and logos
"relationship") is a technique used for the recording of analog signals
which among many possibilities include audio frequency, analog audio
and analog video information for later playback. Analog recording
methods store signals as a continual wave in or on the media. The
wave might 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 of which among many possibilities
include digital audio and digital video, which digital signals are
represented as data or discrete numbers
. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_recording
Digital Mini Disc ulse-code modulation (PCM) is 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.
Linear pulse-code modulation (LPCM) is a specific type of PCM where

9. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
9
the quantization levels are linearly uniform.[5] This is in contrast to
PCM using, for instance, A-law algorithm or μ-law algorithm where
quantization levels vary as a function of amplitude. Though PCM is a
more general term, it is often used to describe data encoded as LPCM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse-code_modulation
Compact Disc (CD) Compact Disc Digital Audio (CDDA or CD-DA) is the standard format for
audio compact discs. The standard is defined in the Red Book, one of a
series of "Rainbow Books" (named for their binding colors) that contain
the technical specifications for all CD formats. The Red Book specifies
the physical parameters and properties of the CD, the optical "stylus"
parameters, deviations and error rate, modulation system (eight-to-
fourteen modulation, EFM) and error correction facility (cross-
interleaved Reed–Solomon coding, CIRC), and the eight subcode
channels. These parameters are common to all compact discs and used
by all logical formats, such as CD-ROM. The standard also specifies the
form of digital audio encoding: 2-channel signed 16-bit Linear PCM
sampled at 44,100 Hz. Although rarely used, the specification allows
for discs to be mastered with a form of emphasis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_Disc_Digital_Audio
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. DAT has become the
standard archiving technology in professional and semi-professional
recording environments for master recordings. Digital inputs and
outputs on professional DAT decks allow the user to transfer
recordings from the DAT tape to an audio workstation for precise
editing. The compact size and low cost of the DAT medium makes it an
excellent way to compile the recordings that are going to be used to
create a CD master.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/DAT-Digital-Audio-Tape
MIDI MIDI short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical
standard that describes a protocol, digital interface and connectors
and allows a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers
and other related devices to connect and communicate with one

10. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
10
another.[1] A single MIDI link can carry up to sixteen channels of
information, each of which can be routed to a separate device.
MIDI carries event messages that specify notation, pitch and velocity,
control signals for parameters such as volume, vibrato, audio panning,
cues, and clock signals that set and synchronize tempo between
multiple devices. These messages are sent to other devices where they
control sound generation and other features. This data can also be
recorded into a hardware or software device called a sequencer, which
can be used to edit the data and to play it back at a later time.[2]:4
MIDI technology was standardized in 1983 by a panel of music industry
representatives, and is maintained by the MIDI Manufacturers
Association (MMA). All official MIDI standards are jointly developed
and published by the MMA in Los Angeles, California, US, and for
Japan, the MIDI Committee of the Association of Musical Electronics
Industry (AMEI) in Tokyo.Advantages of MIDI include compactness (an
entire song can be coded in a few hundred lines, i.e. in a few kilobytes),
ease of modification and manipulation and choice of instruments
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI
Software Sequencers Realtime sequencers record the musical notes in real-time as on audio
recorders, and play back musical notes with designated tempo,
quantizations, and pitch. For editing, usually "punch in/punch out"
feature originated in the tape recording is provided, although it
requires enough skills to obtain desired result. For detailed editing,
possibly another visual editing modes under graphical user interface
may be more suitable. Anyway, this mode provides usability similar to
the audio recorder already familiarized by musicians, and it is widely
supported on software sequencer, DAW, and built-in hardware
sequencers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_sequencer
Software Plug-ins Though software plug-ins might not make your room smell as nice as
the scented ones you stick in an outlet, they are still useful. A 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 manipulate images. A browser plug-in (such as
Macromedia Flash or Apple QuickTime) allows you to play certain
multimedia files within your Web browser. VST plug-ins add effects for
audio recording and sequencing programs such as Cubase and Logic
I used plug ins while making my audio
in reaper

11. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
11
Audio.
Most graphics and audio programs today support plug-ins since they
are a convenient way to expand the capabilities of the program.
Though some plug-ins may be shipped with the program, most are
developed by third-parties and are sold separately. Because companies
that make browser plug-ins are often competing for a standard (such
as Flash and QuickTime), these plug-ins are usually available as free
downloads from the Internet
http://www.techterms.com/definition/plugin
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.The MIDI interface is now so easy
to implement that almost all keyboards sold today are some
type of MIDI keyboard. This ranges from a simple 100 US
dollar (USD) MIDI keyboard sold at the local department store
to a 30,000 USD grand piano with a built-in controller. Every
type can connect to any other type of musical instrument that
sports a MIDI interface. The 30,000 USD instrument will
sound much better than the 100 USD instrument, but both
can be controlled by the computer or other instrument in the
sameway.http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-midi-
keyboard.htm#didyouknowout
I always use this in reaper as this is the
only to make the sounds I want
AUDIO SAMPLING File Size Constraints - Bit-
depth
In digital audio, there has to be a certain value set for describing the
resolution of the sound data (samples) that is to be captured and
stored in an audio file -- this attribute is called Bit Depth. Similarly for
video files (images, videos), this measurement range is also used to
determine the resolution of a picture -- the higher the bit depth (e.g.
16 bit versus 24 bit) the better the image will be. This attribute is
exactly the same for digital audio and thus a higher bit depth will give a
much more detailed sound recording.
File Size Constraints - Sample The file size limitation of a 32bit application is 2GB. In a way i would use this because when

12. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
12
Rate
The maximum duration of a single audio file can be calculated like this:
16 Bit = 2 Byte
Stereo = 2 channels
192 KHz = 192000 samples per second
2 * 2 * 192000 Bytes/sec = 768000 Bytes/sec
60 sec * 768000 Bytes = 46080000 Bytes/min = ~44 MB/min
44 MB * 46 min = ~2GB
Additional Information
Maximum duration of a single file at different sample frequencies
(stereo, 16-bit):
44,1 KHz: ~203 min (10 MB/min)
48 KHz: ~186 min (11 MB/min)
88,2 KHz: ~101 min (20 MB/min)
96 KHz: ~93 min (22 MB/min)
192 KHz: ~46 min (44 MB/min)
https://www.ableton.com/en/articles/maximum-file-size/
i make the sounds i would not be able
to make it to big but in reaper the files
are very small