Work

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 Giblin 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 is the reproduction of everyday sound effects which are
added in post-production to enhance the quality of audio.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foley_artist
This affects my production
practice because this is how I
got my raw files for my sound
effects.
Sound Libraries A collection of sounds stored on file
http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/sound-library
My sound library is used to
store all of my sound files
that I will edit.
SOUND FILE FORMATS Uncompressed Not compressed
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/uncompressed
Uncompressed files affect me
by taking up large amounts of
memory and this is how a raw
file is.
.wav Waveform Audio File Format is a Microsoft and IBM audio file
format standard for storing an audio bit stream on PCs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wav
.wav is used in my own
production so that I can
produce high quality sound
effects.
.aiff Short for Audio Interchange File Format, a common format for
storing and transmitting sampled sound. The format was
developed by Apple Computer and is the standard audio format
for Macintosh computers.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/AIFF.html
This file type does not take
part in my production
because I use a PC and this is
a file type mainly aimed at
Mac users.
.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
This has not been used in my
production but may become
useful when adding the
sounds into a game.

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
extension. On PCs, two other popular sound formats
are WAV and MIDI.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/AU.html
.smp Short for Symmetric Multiprocessing, a computer architecture
that provides fast performance by making
multiple CPUs available to complete
individual processes simultaneously (multiprocessing). Unlike
asymmetrical processing, any idle processor can be assigned
any task, and additional CPUs can be added to improve
performance and handle increased loads.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/SMP.html
This takes a part in my
production because it allows
me to have fast and
responsive control whilst I am
editing or listening to the
sounds.
Lossy Compression In information technology, "lossy" compression is a data
encoding method that compresses data by discarding some of it.
The procedure aims to minimize the amount of data that needs
to be held, handled, and/or transmitted by a computer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lossy_compression
This does not take a major
role in my production
process.
.mp3 A means of compressing a sound sequence into a very small
file, to enable digital storage and transmission.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3
This assists me in my
production process by
allowing me to take up less
memory which gives the
ability to have more sound
files without filling up my
memory.
AUDIO LIMITATIONS Sound Processor Unit
(SPU)
Integrated circuit that generates an audio signal and sends it to a
computer's speakers. The sound card can accept an analogue
sound (as from a microphone or audio tape) and convert it to
digital data that can be stored in an audio file, or accept digitized
audio signals (as from an audio file) and convert them to
analogue signals that can be played on the computer's
speakers.
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Audio+processing+unit
This takes a major role
because without this I would
not be able to hear any of the
sound that I am creating.
Digital Sound Processor
(DSP)
Short for digital signal processing, which refers to manipulating
analogue information, such as sound or photographs that has
This is a good method to use
to compress my sound files

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
been converted into a digital form. DSP also implies the use of
a data compression technique.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/DSP.html
which is very similar to what
converting multiple files to
.mp3 does.
Random Access Memory
(RAM)
This is the instant memory the computer uses to run the
applications that are open. The more RAM the computer has the
more things it can do at any one time. It is the combination of the
RAM and processor that dictates the speed of the computer.
http://www.vicoms.co.uk/page4.htm
This is like the sound
processor unit without this I
would not have the ability to
access the programs that I
need to create my sound
effects.
Mono Audio One singular track of audio. I use this in my sound effects
very little because it is the
subpar version of stereo and
surround sound.
Stereo Audio Stereophonic sound divides sound across two channels. One
channel going left and one going right. It was considered to be
the best sound technology of the 1950s and early 1960s.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/stereophonic_sound.html
I use this when I want to
create a certain kind of sound
effect for example if I wanted
to create a sound effect that
was similar to the Doppler
Effect.
Surround Sound A system of stereophony involving three or more speakers
surrounding the listener so as to give a more realistic effect.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=surround+sound+definition&oq=surround+sound+defin&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.10862j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-
8
I use this when I want to
create a immersive sound
because of its ability to create
the sound and make it feel
like it is coming from a certain
direction.
Direct Audio (Pulse Code
Modulation – PCM)
Pulse Code Modulation: (PCM) a way to convert sound or
analogue information to binary information (0s and 1s) by taking
samples of the sound and record the resulting number as binary
information. Used on all CDs, DVD-Audio, and just about every
other digital audio format.
http://www.presentationsolutions.ca/projectors_glossary.php
This doesn’t take part in my
production process because it
is intended to create sound
for CDs and DVDs which are
not included in my project.
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 analogue
data. Digital information, on the other hand, estimates analogue
Analogue sound is used in all
of my sound process.

4. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
4
data using only ones and zeros.
http://www.techterms.com/definition/analog
Digital Mini Disc The Mini Disc (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.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiniDisc
Mini Discs play not part in my
production process due to
there being better options on
the market. Making these
discs obsolete.
Compact Disc (CD) A small plastic disc on which music or other digital information is
stored in the form of a pattern of metal-coated pits from which it
can be read using laser light reflected off the disc.
http://tinyurl.com/oyjlyp7
A CD does not take part in my
production process because
all of my work is digitally
stored.
Digital Audio Tape (DAT) Digital Audio Tape is a signal recording and playback medium
developed by Sony and introduced in 1987. In appearance it is
similar to a Compact Cassette.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Audio_Tape
I did not use this method in
my sound effects.
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
MIDI took part in my
production process because it
allowed me to add additional
sounds onto sound effects to
fine tune them to how I
wanted them to be.
Software Sequencers A sequencing software package designed to be loaded into a
computer. Software sequencers usually have more features and
have the advantage of showing you a lot more information at
once because they use the computer's screen and aren't locked
into the knobs or buttons or display of a hardware sequencer.
http://www.wannaplaymusic.com/get-started/keyboard-terminology
Software Plug-ins In computing, a plug-in (or plugin, extension, or add-on / add-on)
is a software component that adds a specific feature to an
existing software application. When an application supports plug-
ins, it enables customization. The common examples are the
I used plug ins in my
production process because
they help me to make the
sounds how I want them to
sound and give me the ability

5. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
5
plug-ins used in web browsers to add new features such as
search-engines, virus scanners, or the ability to utilize a new file
type such as a new video format. Well-known browser plug-ins
includes the Adobe Flash Player, the QuickTime Player, and the
Java plug-in, which can launch a user-activated Java applet on a
web page to its execution a local Java virtual machine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_(computing)
to change any sound to sound
like anything.
MIDI Keyboard
Instruments
A MIDI keyboard is typically a piano-style user
interface keyboard device used for sending MIDI signals or
commands over a USB or MIDI cable to other devices connected
and operating on the same MIDI protocol interface. This could
also be a personal computer running software such as a digital
audio workstation (DAW) that listens to and sends MIDI
information to other MIDI devices connected by cable or running
internal to the personal computer system. The basic MIDI
keyboard does not produce sound. Instead, MIDI information is
sent to an electronic module capable of reproducing an array of
digital sounds or samples that resemble traditional analogue
musical instruments. These samples or waveforms are also
referred to as voices or timbres.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI_keyboard
I used this to add in extra
instrumental sounds into my
sound effects. I used it
because it gives you the
ability to create something
from nothing and allows you
to make an average sound
effect into a great sound
effect.
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
corresponds to the resolution of each sample. Examples of bit
depth include Compact Disc Digital Audio, which uses 16 bits
per sample, and DVD-Audio and Blu-ray Disc which can support
up to 24 bits per sample.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_bit_depth
File Size Constraints -
Sample Rate
The sampling rate, sample rate, or sampling frequency defines
the number of samples per unit of time taken from a continuous
signal to make a discrete signal. For time-domain signals, the

6. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
6
unit for sampling rate is hertz,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sample_rate