Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

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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: Jake Thompson Ball 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 artists match live sound effects with the action of the picture.

The sound effects are laid "manually" and not cut in with film.

http://www.filmsound.org/terminology/foley.htm

I made a music video last year and I had to use this when I was putting sounds over the cl ips that we couldn’t use at

the time of filming.

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

I had to use libraries to pick a song that I

was going to use for the video and I used multiple songs for an advert I made.

SOUND FILE FORMATS Uncompressed There is one major uncompressed audio format, LPCM, which is the same variety of PCM as used in Compact Disc Digital Audio.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_file_format

This means that none of your files will be lost but can take up more memory.

.wav The format 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/TERM/W/WAV.html

This is like the default sound that you get on your computer with windows 95.

.aiff AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) is one of the two most-

used audio file formats used in the Apple Macintosh operating system. http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/AIFF-Audio-Interchange-File-Format

This is a clear sound that apple mainly

use with their products.

.au Short for audio, a common format for sound files on UNIX machines. It is also the standard audio file format for the Java programming language. AU files generally end with an .au extension. On PCs, two other popular sound formats are WAV and MIDI.

This is a popular sound file that is used with java.

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

.smp (Symmetric Multiprocessing) A multiprocessing architecture in which multiple CPUs, residing in one cabinet, share the same memory. SMP systems provide scalability. As business increases,

additional CPUs can be added to absorb the increased transaction volume. http://www.yourdictionary.com/smp

I know that .smp is short for Symmetric Multiprocessing and it

can process multiple cpus.

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. http://techterms.com/definition/lossy

This means if not compressed you can lose a bit of your files.

.mp3 A means of compressing a sound sequence into a very small file, to enable digital storage and transmission. https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=.mp3+definition

I know that mp3 is a file for music as I had to convert music from YouTube to

get the song on the computer using YouTube to MP3 converter.

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.

Nearly all sound cards support MIDI, a standard for representing music

electronically. In addition, most sound cards are Sound Blaster-

compatible, which means that they can process commands written for a

Sound Blaster card, the de facto standard for PC sound.

Sound cards use two basic methods to translate digital data into analogue

sounds: FM Synthesis mimics different musical instruments according to built-in formulas.

Wavetable Synthesis relies on recordings of actual instruments to produce sound. Wavetable synthesis produces more accurate sound, but is also more expensive. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/sound_card.html

I know that this is just l ike a memory card but ca lled a sound card so that

sounds of different varieties can be transferred.

Digital Sound Processor (DSP)

1. Digital Signal Processor (DSP)- Definition. This this is what you can use to get mus ic at a better quality using a

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

3

A digital signal processor (DSP) is a specialized

microprocessor designed specifically for digital signal processing, generally in real-time computing. The DSP

processes digital signals converted (using an Analogy-to-digital converter (ADC)) from analogy signals. www.audiocodes.com/glossary/dsp

converter from ADC to DSP.

Random Access Memory

(RAM) 1. RAM stands for random-access memory, but what

does that mean? Your computer RAM is essentially

short term memory where data is stored as the processor needs it. This isn't to be confused with long-

term data that's stored on your hard drive, which stays there even when your computer is turned off.

2. www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/tech-tips-and.../computer-ram.html

RAM is space in your computer that can

hold files whilst the computer i s turned on but needs to be taken out when

tuned off.

Mono Audio Commonly called mono sound, mono, or non-stereo sound, this early sound system used a single channel of audio for sound output. In monophonic sound systems, the signal sent to the sound system encodes one single stream of sound and it usually uses just one speaker. Monophonic sound is the most basic format of sound output.

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/monophonic_sound.html

This is a sound that is compressed together so i t won’t be shared between two speakers.

Stereo Audio Commonly called stereo sound or just stereo, stereophonic sound divides sounds across two channels (recorded on two separate sources) then the recorded sounds are mixed so that some elements are channelled to the left and others to the right. Stereophonic sound is generally considered the best sound technology of the 1950 and early 1960's.

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/stereophonic_sound.html

This is sound that comes from a stereo. But has two cross through two different speakers or more making i t sound more

rea l .

Surround Sound A system of stereophony involving three or more speakers surrounding the

l i stener so as to give a more realistic effect. https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=surround+sound+definition&start=0

This can be connected to a tele or

anything with sound then placed around the room and the speakers produce sound from different directions.

Direct Audio (Pulse Code Modulation – PCM)

Pulse-code modulation (PCM) is a method used

to digitally represent sampled analogue signals. It is the standard form of digital audio in computers, Compact Discs, telephony and other digital audio applications.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse-code_modulation

This is just a direct audio that doesn’t change with what Media you use i t with.

AUDIO RECORDING Analogue 1. Refers to recording audio in a format of continuous vibrations that are analogous to the original sound waves. Before audio recording

These are the vibration on a speaker that gives i t the sound l ike a sound

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

4

SYSTEMS became digital, sounds were "carved" into vinyl records or written

to tape as magnetic waveforms.

2. www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/60827/analog-audio

wave.

Digital Mini Disc A music medium designed by Sony as a portable replacement for music Compact Discs. In 1994 Sony

announced a data version which can hold 140 MB or about 100 MB using error correction. These will be competitive with 128 MB magneto-optical disks. Mini Discs may be either a re-

writable or mass-produced read-only type. Sony has also announced a standard data format. http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Mini+Disc

This is just l ike a floppy disk but i t makes i t easy to copy or erase files of the disk.

Compact Disc (CD) A compact disc [sometimes spelled disk] (CD) is a small, portable,

round medium made of moulded polymer (close in size to the

floppy disk) for electronically recording, storing, and playing back

audio, video, text, and other information in digital form.

http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/definition/compact-disc

I know that a CD can hold up to 80 minutes of audio or 700MB of data.

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

This is used to get better quality of sound when recording as the rotating

heads collect the sound waves to get a clearer signal.

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

5

MIDI Pronounced middy, an acronym for musical instrument digital interface, 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/TERM/M/MIDI.html

I know that this is an acronym for Mus ical Instrument Digital Interface.

This is like the information about the sound.

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. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_sequencer

This software is used to edit sounds of people, animals or any other sound.

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. 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 Audio.

http://techterms.com/definition/plugin

Software plug-ins is l ike add-ons in a

game. It allows you to get extra things

for your software.

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. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-midi-keyboard.htm

It turns the keys on an ordinary keyboard in to a kind of piano type thing.

AUDIO SAMPLING File Size Constraints - Bit-

depth

Bit depth (aka "word length") fixes the encoded dynamic range of an audio event or item. 24-bit audio provides a dynamic range that approaches the limits of the dynamic ranges of sound encountered in nature; in contrast, 16-bit audio, the CD standard, may be inadequate for many types of material especially where high level transients are encoded, such as the transfer of damaged discs. When reformatting, the International Association of Sound and Audio-visual Archives (IASA) recommends a bit depth of at least 24 in order to ensure that the transfer process captures the full dynamic range.

Bit depth is the number of data that can

be s tored in the file. It can be used to carry the data in each sample of audio.

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

6

http://www.digitizationguidelines.gov/term.php?term=bitdepthaudio

File Size Constraints - Sample Rate

1. bitrate: simply amount of data per second, this can vary within

a file (variable bit rate) or have a static value

2. Sample rate: a frequency of how many times audio is

measured per second, usually measured in kilohertz (kHz); a

usual number you might see is 44.1 kHz. This is tied directly

to bit depth or the number of bits measured in each cycle

So at this point, we have to do some math and see that bit rate is

bits per second (usually measured in Mbits/seconds), so bit

rate = sample rate x bit depth. As far as I know, your sample

size would simply be one of these one-second chunks of data.

Doing the pure math will reveal that these files would be very large,

however there are a number of compression algorithms employed

to keep the files lower without losing significant quality.

http://superuser.com/questions/388382/what-does-the-sample-

rate-and-sample-size-of-audio-means

I now know that sample rat is the frequency of how many times the audio measured per second. The sound is measured in kilohertz.