BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73 Sound Glossary

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: Shaun
Warburton
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, 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.”
http://www.mediacollege.com/employment/film/foley-artist.html
This meaning is
relevant to my work
as I used various
methods to create my
own sound such as
switching a light
switch off to make a
shooting effect
Sound Libraries “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 relevant to my
production as it helps
store a collection of
sounds that I have
produced.
SOUND FILE
FORMATS
Uncompressed “(Of data) not compressed.”
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/uncompressed
We use our files in a
uncompressed state
to achieve full quality
in the sound.

IG2 Task 1
2
.wav “WAV is the format used for storing sound in files developed jointly by Microsoft and IBM. Support for WAV files was
built into Windows 95 making it the de facto standard for sound on PCs. WAV sound files end with a .wav extension and
can be played by nearly all Windows applications that support sound.”
http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Computer_Science/digital_audio_formats.asp
I used this file format
to save my work that I
was creating
.aiff “("Audio Interchange File Format.") AIFF is a file format designed to store audio data. It was developed by Apple
Computer, but is based on Electronic Arts' IFF (Interchange File Format), a container format originally used on Amiga
systems.”
http://www.techterms.com/definition/aiff
This file format is
used for saving the
audio.
.au “AU is a file extension for a sound file format belonging to Sun, NeXT and DEC and used in UNIX. The AU file format is
also known as the Sparc-audio or u-law fomat. AU files contain three parts: the audio data and text for a header
(containing 24 bytes) and an annotation block.”
http://whatis.techtarget.com/fileformat/AU-Sun-NeXT-DEC-UNIX-sound-file
This file format is
used for saving the
audio.
.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.”
http://www.ehow.com/info_12198596_file-smp.html
This file format is
used for saving the
audio.
Lossy Compression “Lossy file compression results in lost data and quality from the original version. Lossy compression is typically
associated with image files, such as JPEGs, but can also be used for audio files, like MP3s or AAC files. The "lossyness" of
an image file may show up as jagged edges or pixelated areas. In audio files, the lossyness may produce a watery sound
or reduce the dynamic range of the audio.”
http://www.techterms.com/definition/lossy
It is a encoding
method that helps to
compress data by
discarding/losing
some of the data
which helps lower the
memory while still
keeping a good
quality of sound.
.mp3 “Stands for "MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3." MP3 is popular compressed audio file format that helped popularize digital music
downloads beginning in the late 1990s. MP3 files are typically about one tenth the size of uncompressed WAVE or AIFF
files, but maintain nearly the same CD-quality sound. Because of their small size and good fidelity, MP3 files have
become a popular way to store music files on both computers and portable devices like the iPod.”
http://www.techterms.com/definition/mp3
This file format is
used for saving the
audio.
AUDIO
LIMITATIONS
Sound Processor
Unit (SPU)
A sound 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.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_card
The sound processor
just processes the
data of the audio file
into a sound when

IG2 Task 1
3
then in turn lets you
play through a
speaker.
Digital Sound
Processor (DSP)
The digital processing unit (DPU) consists of 4 digital signal processors. One processor is assigned to the red detector
data (red processor), two to the blue detector data (blue processor 1 and 2) and the fourth, 'white' or master processor
has been allocated image shifting and recognition tasks.
http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_user_support/documentation/socdoc/socdoc/instdocs/om_gsrq/node188.html
This process of the
digital sound
processor helps to
convert analogue
information into an
audible sound this is
then helped by the
use of a speaker.
Random Access
Memory (RAM)
“RAM is made up of small memory chips that form a memory module. These modules are installed in the RAM slots on
the motherboard of your computer.
Every time you open a program, it gets loaded from the hard drive into the RAM. This is because reading data from the
RAM is much faster than reading data from the hard drive. Running programs from the RAM of the computer allows
them to function without any lag time. The more RAM your computer has, the more data can be loaded from the hard
drive into the RAM, which can effectively speed up your computer.”
http://www.techterms.com/definition/ram
This is what helped
me create more in
detail work
Mono Audio Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction (often shortened to mono) is single-channel. Typically there is only one
microphone, one loudspeaker, or (in the case of headphones and multiple loudspeakers) channels are fed from a
common signal path. In the case of multiple microphones the paths are mixed into a single signal path at some stage.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monaural
Mono audio is the
kind of sound that
comes out of the
computers speakers.
Also mono is the
most basic format of
sound ouput.
Stereo Audio True stereophonic sound systems have two independent audio signal channels, and the signals that are reproduced
have a specific level and phase relationship to each other so that when played back through a suitable reproduction
system, there will be an apparent image of the original sound source. Stereo would be a requirement if there is a need
to replicate the aural perspective and localization of instruments on a stage or platform, a very common requirement in
performing arts centres.
http://www.mcsquared.com/mono-stereo.htm
These days most
people use
headphones rather
than speakers by
doing this I believe
that we have a stereo
output as the sound is
coming drom two
speakers hense the
two
headphone/earphone
buds.
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
Surround sound is a
numerous amount of

IG2 Task 1
4
create a surrounding envelope of sound and directional audio sources. The term surround sound has become popular in
recent years and more commonly used since the advent of home theatre systems. Surround sound can be either an
analog or digital system.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/surround_sound.html
speakers around the
room, the speakers
are sent different
information for the
alignment of the
sound. When the
speakers are set up
properly, this would
help you get more
involved in the
experience with
sounds coming from
360 degrees around
you.
Direct Audio
(Pulse Code
Modulation –
PCM)
Pulse-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.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse-code_modulation
This is a digital
portrayal of audio.
AUDIO
RECORDING
SYSTEMS
Analogue As humans, we perceive the world in analogue. Everything we see and hear is a continuous transmission of
information to our senses. This continuous stream is what defines analog data. Digital information, on the other
hand, estimates analogue data using only ones and zeros.
For example, a turntable (or record player) is an analogue device, while a CD player is digital. This is because a
turntable reads bumps and grooves from a record as a continuous signal, while a CD player only reads a series of
ones and zeros. Likewise, a VCR is an analogue device, while a DVD player is digital. A VCR reads audio and video
from a tape as a continuous stream of information, while a DVD player just reads ones and zeros from a disc.
Since digital devices read only ones and zeros, they can only approximate an audio or video signal. This means
analogue data is actually more accurate than digital data. However, digital data can can be manipulated easier and
preserved better than analogue data. More importantly, computers can only handle digital data, which is why most
information today is stored digitally. But if you want to transfer video from old analogue video tapes into your
computer so you can edit them, you're not out of luck. You can use a digital to analogue converter (DAC) to convert
the analogue information into a digital signal that can be recognized by your computer.
http://www.techterms.com/definition/analog
Analogue is
everything we see
and hear is a
continuous
transmission of
information to our
senses for example; a
handful of pebbles
being thrown into a
lake/river we as
humans are able to
recognise this sound
as the vibrations
through the air help.
Digital Mini Disc The MiniDisc (MD) is an obsolete magneto-optical disc-based data storage device for 74 minutes and, later, 80 minutes,
of digitized audio or 1 gigabyte of Hi-MD data. The Sony brand audio players were on the market from September 1992
until March 2013.
I have used mini discs
in my work to help
transport my work

IG2 Task 1
5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiniDisc around different work
stations. I used them
a lot while doing my
environmental
recordings and voice
recordings.
Compact Disc (CD) CDs were read-only, but newer technology allows users to record as well. CDs will probably continue to be popular for
music recording and playback.
http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/definition/compact-disc
Compact discs are a
method that helps to
store music and also
play music.
Digital Audio Tape
(DAT)
a type of magnetic tape that uses a scheme called helical scan to record data. A DAT cartridge is slightly larger than a
credit card in width and height and contains a magnetic tape that can hold from 2 to 24 gigabytes of data.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/DAT.html
DAT (Digital Audio
Tape) is used to help
store the audio data
and keeping a very
high quality of sound.
MIDI “Short for musical instrument digital interface, MIDI is a standard adopted by the electronic music industry for
controlling devices, such as synthesizers and sound cards, that emit music. At minimum, a MIDI representation of a
sound includes values for the note's pitch, length, and volume. It can also include additional characteristics, such as
attack and delay time.”
http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Computer_Science/digital_audio_formats.asp
I used the MIDI
keyboard a lot this
helped me create
random and various
sounds
Software
Sequencers
In digital audio recording, a sequencer is a program in a computer or stand-alone keyboard unit that puts together a
sound sequence from a series (or sequence) of Musical Instrument Digital Interface ( MIDI ) events (operations). The
MIDI sequencer allows the user to record and edit a musical performance without using an audio-based input source.
The performance is recorded as a series of events that would ordinarily be played in from a keyboard instrument.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/sequencer
We used a
programme to help us
produce and create
our very own sound
this programme is
called Reaper
Software Plug-ins Plug-in applications are programs that can easily be installed and used as part of your Web browser. Initially, the
Netscape browser allowed you to download, install, and define supplementary programs that played sound or motion
video or performed other functions.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/plug-in
I used the plug-ins to
put an effect on my
sounds that I had
created
MIDI Keyboard
Instruments
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a protocol designed for recording and playing back music on digital
synthesizers that is supported by many makes of personal computer sound cards. Originally intended to control one
keyboard from another, it was quickly adopted for the personal computer. Rather than representing musical sound
directly, it transmits information about how music is produced.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/MIDI-Musical-Instrument-Digital-Interface
These are
fundamentally the
tools that I used to
help aid myself in
creating sound with a
MIDI. Each
instrument that I
used had its own
unique setting which

IG2 Task 1
6
helped me to create a
variety of sounds.
AUDIO SAMPLING File Size
Constraints - Bit-
depth
The number of binary bits (ones and zeroes) used to record the sampled level of the waveform. Thus 8-bit sampling
uses an 8 digit binary number to record the level, giving 2^8, or 256 potential values.
Bit depth determines the ratio between the quietest and loudest signals the system can record (dynamic range); 16 bit
has 65,536 possible values (i.e. 2^16), and hence a far higher dynamic range (96dB) than 8-bit recording. 24-bit
sampling has 16,777,216 discrete levels, giving 144dB dynamic range, which exceeds the tolerances of human hearing.
http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/guide/uncompressed-audio-file-formats
While lossy
compression helps to
reduce the memory
while keeping the
quality at a good level,
however keeping the
memory very high
improves the sound
quality at a greater
level.
File Size
Constraints -
Sample Rate
In signal processing, sampling is the reduction of a continuous signal to a discrete signal. A common example is the
conversion of a sound wave (a continuous signal) to a sequence of samples (a discrete-time signal).
A sample refers to a value or set of values at a point in time and/or space.
A sampler is a subsystem or operation that extracts samples from a continuous signal.
A theoretical ideal sampler produces samples equivalent to the instantaneous value of the continuous signal at the
desired points.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampling_(signal_processing)
When rendering out
my sound, the
monitor would display
a sample rate. When I
looked it up I learnt
that it is a visual
indicator of the sound
quality.

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73 Sound Glossary

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