Glossary

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: Ben
Atherton
RESEARCHED DEFINITION (provide short internet researched definition
and URL link)
DESCRIBE THE RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCHED
TERM TO YOUR OWN PRODUCTION PRACTICE?
SOUND DESIGN
METHODOLOG
Y
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.
Foleying is an excellent means ofsupplying the subtle sounds that
production mikes often miss.The rustling ofclothing and a queak of a
saddle when a rider mounts his horse give a scene a touch of realism that
is difficult to provide using other effects methods.
http://www.filmsound.org/terminology/foley.htm
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
SOUND FILE
FORMATS
Uncompressed Uncompressed audio files are the most accurate digital
representation of a soundwave, but can also be the most resource-
intensive method of recording and storing digital audio, both in
terms of storage and management. Their accuracy makes them
suitable for archiving and delivering audio at high resolution, and
working with audio at a professional level, and they are the 'master'
audio format of choice.
http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/guide/uncompressed-audio-file-
formats
.wav A Wave fileis an audio fileformat,created by Microsoft,that has become
a standard PC audio fileformatfor everything from system and game
sounds to CD-quality audio.A Wave fileis identified by a filename
extension of WAV (.wav). Used primarily in PCs,the Wave fileformat has
been accepted as a viableinterchangemedium for other computer

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
platforms,such as Macintosh.This allows contentdevelopers to freely
move audio files between platforms for processing,for example.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Wave-file
.aiff Audio Interchange File Format - developed by Apple and Amiga.
Works similarly to WAV but uses a different method of dividing the
PCM data into manageable chunks. Widely available free codecs
for all platforms. AIFF is the native format for audio on Mac OSX
[Note: Mac OSX is also WAV compatible at all levels].
AIFF also has the facility to store a loop point for the audio, and
also a musical note, both of which features are useful for playing
back musical samples.
.au (AUdio file) A digital audio file format from Sun that is used on the I
nternet and can be played by a Java program. It provides toll-
quality sound and uses the .AU extension. Itgenerally uses the u-
Law (mu-Law) encoding method, and raw u-
Law files and AU files are the same except for the file header.
.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
Lossy
Compression
lossycompressionis a type of compression where a certain amount of
informationis discarded.
As an aside, the time maysoon come whenstorage is socheapthat there is no
need for lossycompression.
lossycompression, onthe other hand, means some data are lost duringshrinking.
.mp3 There are many audio file formats of which the first was MPEG-1
Audio Layer 3 -- or more commonly referred to as MP3. It is
a lossy compression algorithm that removes certain frequencies
that humans can't hear. When creating an MP3 file, the bitrate that

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
is used to encode the audio has a big effect on the quality of the
sound. Setting a bitrate that is too low can produce a file that has
poor sounding quality.
http://mp3.about.com/od/glossary/g/mp3def.htm
AUDIO
LIMITATIONS
Sound Processor
Unit (SPU)
Also called a "sound board" or "audio adapter," it is a plug-
in card that records and plays back sound. Supporting both digital a
udio and MIDI, sound cards provide an inputport for a microphone o
r other sound source and output ports to speakers and amplifiers. S
ound circuits are typically built into the chipset on the motherboard,
but can be disabled if a separatesound card is installed
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Audio+processing+unit
Digital Sound
Processor (DSP)
A digital signalprocessor (DSP) is a specializedmicroprocessor designed
specificallyfor digital signal processing, generallyinreal-time computing. The DSP
processes digital signals converted(usinganAnalog-to-digitalconverter (ADC))
from analog signals. Output is then convertedbackto analogform usinga Digital-
to-analog converter (DAC).
Random Access
Memory (RAM)
RAMis volatile memorythat stores data for a temporaryamount of time before
either moving it to the ROMor wipingI, it handlesdata that doesn’t needto be
kept for verylong suchas what you have copiedandis wipedwhenthe computer
is turnedoff
Mono Audio 1. 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.
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 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

4. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
4
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
Surround Sound
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, digital telephony and other digital audio applications. In a
PCM stream, the amplitude of the analogue 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
AUDIO
RECORDING
SYSTEMS
Analogue An analogue recording is one that is made by changing the
sound waves into electrical signals of the same type.
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/analogue
Digital Mini Disc a digital discmediumforstoringmusicordata where a small discis
housedin acartridge and iseitherrecordable orplayback
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/minidisc
Compact Disc
(CD)
Compactdisc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format.The format
was originallydeveloped to store and play only sound recordings butwas
later adapted for storage ofdata (CD-ROM). Several other formats were
further derived from these,including write-once audio and data storage
(CD-R), rewritable media (CD-RW),Video CompactDisc (VCD), Super
Video CompactDisc (SVCD), Photo CD, PictureCD,CD-i, and Enhanced
Music CD. Audio CDs and audio CD players have been commercially
available since October 1982.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_disc
Digital Audio
Tape (DAT)
1. Digital Audio Tape (DAT or R-DAT) is a signal recording and
playback medium developed by Sony and introduced in 1987. In
appearance it is similar to a Compact Cassette, using 4 mm
magnetic tape enclosed in a protective shell, but is roughly half the
size at 73 mm × 54 mm × 10.5 mm.
2. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Audio_Tape
MIDI MIDI Stands for "Musical Instrument Digital Interface." It is a connectivity

5. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
5
standardthat musicians useto hook together musical instruments (such as
keyboards and synthesizers) and computer equipment.
http://techterms.com/definition/midi
Software
Sequencers
1. A music sequencer (or simplysequencer) is a device or
application software thatcan record,edit, or play back music,by handling
note and performance information in several forms,typically MIDI or
CV/Gate, and possiblyaudio and automation data for DAWs and plug-ins.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_sequencer
Software Plug-ins An audio plug-in, in computer software,is a plug-in that can add or
enhance audio-related functionalityin a computer program.Such
functionality may include digital signal processing or sound synthesis.
Audio plug-ins usuallyprovide their own user interface,which often
contains GUI widgets thatcan be used to control and visualise the plug-in's
audio parameters
MIDI Keyboard
Instruments
1. A MIDI keyboard is typically a piano-style user interface keyboarddevice
used for sending MIDI signals or commands over a USB or MIDIcable to
other devices connected and operating on the same MIDIprotocol interface.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI_keyboard
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 correspondsto the resolution of
each sample. Examples of bit depth include Compact Disc Digital Audio, w hich uses
16 bits per sample, and DVD-Audio and Blu-ray Disc w hich can support up to 24 bits
per sample.
In basic implementations, variations in bit depth primarily affect the noise level
fromquantization error—thus the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and dynamic range.
How ever, techniques such as dithering, noise shaping and oversampling mitigate
these effects without changing the bit depth. Bit depth also affects bit rate and file
size.
Bit depth is only meaningful in reference to a PCM digital signal. Non-PCM formats,
such as lossy compression formats like MP3, AACand Vorbis, do not have
associated bit depths. For example, in MP3, quantization is performed on PCM
samples that have been transformed into the frequency domain.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_bit_depth
File Size
Constraints -
Sample Rate
A frequency of how many times audio is measured per second,usually
measured in kilohertz(kHz); a usual number you mightsee is 44.1kHz.
This is tied directly to bit depth or the number of bits measured in each
cycle
http://superuser.com/questions/388382/what-does-the-sample-rate-and-
sample-size-of-audio-means

6. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
6