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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: Neil Rogero 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 Foleyeffects are soundeffects addedto the film during post production (after the shooting stops). They
include sounds suchas footsteps, clothes rustling, crockeryclinking, paper folding, doors opening and
slamming, punches hitting, glass breaking, etc. etc. Inother words, manyof the sounds that the sound
recordists on set didtheir best to avoidrecording during the shoot.
http://www.sound-ideas.com/what-is-foley.html
It’s basicallysoundeffects that
theymostlyusedinfilms and
theyused equipment to make
noises to dothe effect inthe
film.
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
If you collect a lot of dvds, cds
and have stackof them and
basicallyshows that you have a
collectionof them.
SOUND FILE
FORMATS
Uncompressed Uncompressing (or decompressing) is the act of expandinga compressionfile back intoits original form.
Software that you downloadfrom the Internet oftencomesina compressed package that can
uncompressitself whenyou click onit. You canalso uncompressedfiles usingpopular tools such as
PKZIPin the DOS operating system, WinZipin Windows, andMacZip inMacintosh.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/uncompressing-or-decompressing
Uncompressedis where an
audiocapture device or
software to compress the data.
Uncompressed video streams
take up a lot of diskspace and
more
transmission bandwidthbut it
provides the best quality.
.wav The format for storing sound infiles developedjointlybyMicrosoft and IBM. Support for WAV files was
built intoWindows 95 making it the de facto standard for soundon PCs. WAV sound filesend with
a.wavextensionandcanbe playedbynearlyall Windows applications that support sound.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/WAV.html
Stores soundandyou could use
this for soundeffects or make
sounds ofyour ownthis would
be helpful ifyou were making
an advertisement and add
soundeffects.
.aiff Short for Audio Interchange File Format, a commonformat for storing andtransmitting sampled sound. You coulduse this for storing

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
The format was developedby Apple Computer and is the standard audioformat for Macintosh
computers. It is also used bySilicoGraphics Incorporated (SGI).
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/AIFF.html
soundin a file andtransmitting
into a sampledsound.
.au Short for audio, a common format for soundfiles on UNIXmachines. It is also the standard audio file
format for the Java programming language. AU files generallyend withan .au extension On PCs, two
other popular soundformats are WAV andMIDI.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/AU.html
Au is files generallyuse on pc
for other soundformats and
you use wavor midi to get
different types of sound.
.smp Short for Symmetric Multiprocessing, a computer architecture that provides fast performance by
making multiple CPUs available to complete individualprocesses simultaneously(multiprocessing).
Unlike asymmetrical processing, anyidle processor canbe assignedanytask, and additional CPUs can
be added to improve performance andhandle increasedloads. A varietyof specializedoperating
systems andhardware arrangements are available to support SMP. Specific applications can benefit
from SMPif the code allows multithreading.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/SMP.html
SMP symmetric multiprocessing
is the processingof programs by
multiple processor that share a
common operating
systemandmemory.
Lossy
Compression
Refers to data compression techniques in which some amount of data is lost. Lossycompression
technologies attempt to eliminate redundant or unnecessaryinformation. Most videocompression
technologies, suchas MPEG, use a Lossytechnique.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/lossy_compression.html
The data compressinwhich
some ofthe data is lost. Most
video compression technologies
such as MPEG use a lossy
technique.
.mp3 The name of the file extensionandalso the name of the type of file for MPEG, audiolayer 3. Layer 3 is
one of three coding schemes (layer 1, layer 2 and layer 3) for the compression ofaudio signals. Layer 3
uses perceptual audiocodingandpsychoacoustic compressionto remove all superfluous information
(more specifically, the redundant and irrelevant parts of a soundsignal. The stuff the humanear doesn't
hear anyway). It alsoadds a MDCT (ModifiedDiscrete Cosine Transform)that implements a filter bank,
increasingthe frequencyresolution 18 timeshigher thanthat of layer 2.
The result in real terms is layer 3 shrinks the original sounddata from a CD (witha bit rate of 1411.2
kilobits per one secondof stereo music)bya factor of 12 (down to 112-128kbps) without sacrificing
soundquality.
Because MP3 files are small, theycaneasilybe transferredacross
The Internet.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/MP3.html
An electronic player that stores
music and youcould usethis on
the go if you are going out or
workingout and some people
might findthis reallyuseful.

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
AUDIO
LIMITATIONS
Sound Processor
Unit (SPU)
For those whowant the most out their car audiosystem, a qualitysoundprocessor is a must. After
some slight adjustments, your systems will sound like it hasbeen professionallytunedandoptimized.
Tune your system to perfectionwiththese crossovers, equalizers, and bass drivers.
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/cat_i20_sound-processors.html
These you coulduse to listento
music if youwere in a car and
this would be helpful if you
were on the go specially.
Digital Sound
Processor (DSP)
The DolbyDigital Cinema SoundProcessor CP750 provideseasy-to-operate audiocontrol in digital
cinema environments. It supports innovative DolbySurround7.1 premium surroundsound and
integratesseamlesslywith existing technologies.
http://www.dolby.com/us/en/professional/cinema/products/cp750.html
This technologythat canbe
usedis to recordandgenerate
to reproduce soundusing
audio.
Random Access
Memory (RAM)
RAM(pronounced ram) is anacronym for random access memory, a type of computer memorythat can
be accessed randomly;that is, andanybyte of memorycanbe accessedwithout touching the preceding
bytes. RAMis the most commontype of memoryfoundin computers andother devices, such
as printers.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/RAM.html
This is a computer data that
stores memorythat allows data
items to be readanddirectly
access storage media such as
cd’s, dvds.
Mono Audio Mono Audio. When you're using headphones, youmaymisssome audio if you're deaf or hardof
hearing in one ear. That's becausestereorecordings usuallyhave distinct left- andright-
channelaudio tracks.
https://www.apple.com/accessibility/ios/
If you are using headphones
and you could hear eachsound
from left to right this is really
useful if you are concentrating
on a specific sound.
Stereo Audio The humanear hears sounds in stereo, andthe brain uses the subtle differences in sounds entering the
left andright ears to locate sounds inthe environment. To re-create this sonic experience, stereo
recordings require two audio channels throughout the recording and playbackprocess. The
microphones must be properlypositionedto accuratelycapture a stereo image, andspeakers must also
be spacedproperlyto re-create a stereoimage accurately.
If anypart of the audio reproduction pathwayeliminates one of the audiochannels, the stereo image
will most likelybe compromised. For example, if your playback system hasa CD player (two audio
channels) connectedto onlyone speaker, you will not hear the intendedstereoimage.
https://documentation.apple.com/en/finalcutpro/usermanual/index.html#chapter=52%26section=6%2
6tasks=true
Audio stereo means sound
which is divided intotwo
separate channels. These two
channels are playedback
simultaneouslyvia separate
speakers. The effect is to create
a fuller sound, andprovide the
abilityto mix certainsounds
betweenchannels.
Surround Sound Surroundsoundis a term usedto describe a type of audiooutput inwhich the soundappears
to "surround the listener" by360 degrees. Surroundsound systems use three or more channels and
speakers infront andbehind the listener to create a surroundingenvelope of sound and directional
This is where yousurround a
room with speakers and it splits
the soundfromwhere it’s

4. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
4
audiosources. The term surroundsound hasbecome popular in recent years and more commonlyused
since the advent of home theatre systems. Surroundsound canbe either an analogue or digital system.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/surround_sound.html
coming fromthis is reallyuseful
if you are watching a film.
Direct Audio
(Pulse Code
Modulation –
PCM)
Pulse-densitymodulation, or PDM, is a form of modulation usedto represent
an analogsignal with digitaldata. Ina PDMsignal, specific amplitude values are not encoded intopulses
of different size as theywouldbe in pulse-code modulation (PCM). Instead, it is the relative densityof
the pulses that corresponds to the analog signal's amplitude. The output of a 1-bit DACis the same as
the PDMencodingof the signal. Pulse-widthmodulation (PWM) is a special case of PDMwhere the
switchingfrequencyis fixedandall the pulsescorresponding to one sample are contiguous in the digital
signal. For a 50% voltage with a resolutionof 8-bits, a PWMwaveform will turnonfor 128 clock cycles
and then off for the remaining 128 cycles. WithPDMandthe same clock rate the signalwouldalternate
betweenonand off everyother cycle. The average is 50% for both waveforms, but the PDMsignal
switches more often. For 100% or 0% level, theyare the same.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse-density_modulation
This presents sampled analog
signals it is a standard form of
digital audioandusedin
computers.
AUDIO
RECORDING
SYSTEMS
Analogue In digital audiowe represent thiselectricalsignal as a stream ofnumbers that computers understand.
An analogue to digital (AD) converter takes a ‘sample’ of the voltage that’s present at its input and
represents that as a specific number;the higher the voltage, the higher the number.
http://www.musicradar.com/tuition/tech/analogue-and-digital-sound-explained-587053
When usedinreference
to data storage and
transmission, analogformat is
that in which informationis
transmitted bymodulating a
continuous transmission signal,
such as amplifyinga signal's
strengthor varying its
frequencyto addor take away
data.
Digital Mini Disc The Minidisc (MD)is anobsolete magneto-opticaldisc-based data storage device for 74 minutes and,
later, 80 minutes, of digitized audio or 1 gigabyte of Hi-MD data. The Sonybrandaudio players were on
the market fromSeptember 1992 until March2013.
Minidisc was announcedby Sonyin September 1992 andreleased that November for sale inJapanand
in December inEurope, Canada, the USA and other countries. The music format was originallybased
exclusivelyon ATRACaudiodata compression, but the optionof linear PCM digitalrecording was later
introduced to attainaudioqualitycomparable to that of a compact disc. Minidiscs were verypopular in
Japanbut made a limitedimpact elsewhere.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiniDisc
Minidisc are about as friendlyas
you can get. You want to play
one, just stick it inthe slot and
push play. Recordingis just a
matter of pressing the Record
button.
Compact Disc (CD) Known byits abbreviation, CD, a compact disc is a polycarbonate with one or more metal layers capable
of storing digitalinformation. The most prevalent types of compact discs are those usedbythe music
CD is basicallyusedaroundstill
in our time and it is veryuseful

5. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
5
industryto store digital recordings and CD-ROMs used to store computer data. Both ofthese types of
compact disc are readonly, which means that once the data has been recordedontothem, theycan
onlybe read, or played.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/compact_disc.html
on how simple it is to use and
how others use it for a game,
film or music.
Digital Audio Tape
(DAT)
Acronym for digitalaudio tape, a type of magnetic tape that uses a scheme called helical scan to
record data. A DAT cartridge is slightlylarger thana credit card in widthandheight andcontains a
magnetic tape that can holdfrom2 to 24 gigabytes of data. It cansupport data transfer ratesof about
2 MBps. Like other types of tapes, DATs are sequential-access media.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/DAT.html
It was veryuseful backinthat
time whentechnologywasn’t
that advance yet and people
use it to playmusic throughit
and back thenpeople foundit
reallysimple fromday-to-day.
MIDI Pronounced middy, an acronym for musical instrument digital interface, a standard adoptedbythe
electronic music industryfor controllingdevices, suchas synthesizers andsoundcards that emit music.
At minimum, a MIDI representationof a sound includes valuesfor the note's pitch, length, andvolume.
It can alsoinclude additional characteristics, suchas attackanddelaytime.
The MIDI standard is supportedbymost synthesizers, sosounds createdon one synthesizer can be
played and manipulatedon another synthesizer. Computers that have a MIDI interface can record
sounds created bya synthesizer andthen manipulate the data to produce newsounds. For example,
you can change the keyof a composition witha single keystroke.
A number of software programs are available for composing and editingmusic that conforms to the
MIDI standard. Theyoffer a varietyof functions:for instance, when you playa tune on a keyboard
connectedto a computer, a music program can translate what you playintoa writtenscore.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/MIDI.html
Back at that time theyused that
to create music from that type
of instrument andpeople found
it amusing and reallyuseful.
Software
Sequencers
A music sequencer (or simplysequencer) is a device or application software that canrecord, edit, or
playback music, byhandling note andperformance informationinseveralforms, typicallyMIDI or
CV/Gate, andpossiblyaudioandautomationdata for DAWs and plug-ins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_sequencer
People use this to adjust the
soundof the type of music or
effect andtheyalsouse it to
test sounds ifit’s right by
playing it on a loop.
Software Plug-ins In computing, a plug-in(or add-in/ addin, plugin, extensionor add-on/ add-on)is
a software component that adds a specific feature to anexisting software application. Whenan
applicationsupports plug-ins, it enables customization.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_%28computing%29
A hardware or software modul
e that adds a specific feature or
service to a larger system. The
idea is that the newcomponent
simplyplugs in to the existing
system.
MIDI Keyboard A MusicalInstrument Digital Interface (MIDI) keyboardis a musicalinstrument like a piano keyboard. This is the typicallypianoor

6. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
6
Instruments The MIDI portion indicates that the instrument has a communicationprotocol built inthat allows it to
communicate witha computer or other MIDI-equippedinstrument.
The MIDI interface is now so easyto implement that almost all keyboards soldtodayare some type of
MIDI keyboard. This ranges froma simple 100 US dollar (USD) MIDI keyboard sold at the local
department store to a 30,000 USD grandpianowith a built-incontroller. Everytype canconnect to any
other type of musical instrument that sports a MIDI interface. The 30,000 USD instrument willsound
much better than the 100 USD instrument, but both can be controlledbythe computer or other
instrument inthe same way.
It is alsopossible to purchase a MIDI keyboard withnosoundcapabilities at all. This device requires
the musician to have some other MIDI device that is capable ofunderstanding the MIDI messages and
generating the correct sounds. This other instrument maybe a computer or a dedicated soundbox with
a number of different instruments programmed into it. This approachallows one companyto
concentrate onmaking the keyboardandanother to specialize inrecreating instruments electronically.
It alsoallows the musicianto upgrade the instrument without losingthe familiarityof the keyboard.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-midi-keyboard.htm
keyboard to playon andmost
popular onthis generation by
reading the notes andplaying
sound/music to it.
AUDIO SAMPLING File Size
Constraints - Bit-
depth
In digital audiousing pulse-code modulation (PCM), bit depthis the number of bits of informationin
each sample, andit directlycorresponds to the resolution of each sample. Examplesof bit depth
include Compact Disc Digital Audio, whichuses 16 bits per sample, andDVD-Audio and Blu-ray
Disc which can support up to 24 bits per sample.
In basic implementations, variations inbit depthprimarilyaffect the noiselevel from quantization error
thus the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)anddynamic range. However, techniques suchas dithering, noise
shaping andoversamplingmitigate these effects without changing the bit depth. Bit depth also
affects bit rate andfile size.
Bit depthis onlymeaningful inreference to a PCM digital signal. Non-PCMformats, suchas lossy
compressionformats like MP3, AACand Vorbis, donot have associatedbit depths. For example, inMP3,
quantizationis performed onPCMsamples that have beentransformedintothe frequencydomain.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_bit_depth
This would be useful when
checking onwhat hardware or
software you canmake the
soundqualitybetter bymaking
it higher.
File Size
Constraints -
Sample Rate
In signal processing, samplingis the reductionof a continuous signalto a discrete signal. A common
example is the conversionof a sound wave (a continuous signal) to a sequence ofsamples (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 operationthat extracts samples froma continuous signal.
A theoretical ideal sampler produces samplesequivalent to the instantaneous value ofthe continuous
signal at the desiredpoints.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampling_%28signal_processing%29
This would be used inmy
productionprocess for when I
need the audio to playlike bit-
depth the higher the sample the
better the soundquality.

7. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
7