Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 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: Cristian Galliano 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 effects are sound effects added to the film during post production (after the shooting stops). They include sounds such as footsteps, clothes rustling, crockery clinking, paper folding, doors opening and slamming, punches hitting, glass breaking, etc. etc. In other words, many of the sounds that the sound recordists on set did their best to avoid recording during the shoot.http://www.sound-ideas.com/what-is-foley.html

Foley effects are added to films during post production, the noises added are usually the ones that would not be picked up well on the recording microphone such as footsteps.

Sound Libraries A sample library is a collection of digital sound recordings, known as samples, for use by composers, arrangers, performers, and producers of music. The sound files are loaded into a sampler—either hardware or software-based—which is then used to create music. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sample_library

A library is a collection of digital sound recordings. These sounds can be imported into audio sequencers such as reaper for editing and also for creating varying sounds.

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.As well as being widely used master formats, uncompressed file types such as WAV and AIFF are also working formats within many audio, video and multi-media applications, and all Digital Audio Workstations used in professional audio production and editing. They are used extensively throughout the digital audio lifecycle, even when they are not the final target format, and familiarity with their composition and use is essential knowledge for good audio production and/or digitisation practice. http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/guide/uncompressed-audio-file-formats

Uncompressed audio files are the best representation of a recording as there is not data lost due to lossy compression. Uncompressed audio files maintain all of their original data and audio and no memory is lost.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

.wav The Wave file format is Windows' native file format for storing digital audio data. It has become one of the most widely supported digital audio file formats on the PC due to the popularity of Windows and the huge number of programs written for the platform. Almost every modern program that can open and/or save digital audio supports this file format, making it both extremely useful and a virtual requirement for software developers to understand. The following specification gives a detailed description of the structure and inner workings of this format. http://www.sonicspot.com/guide/wavefiles.html

The wav file format is windows’ native file format for storing digital audio.

.aiff AIFF is short for Audio Interchange File Format, which is an audio format initially created by Apple Computer for storing and transmitting high-quality sampled audio data. It supports a variety of bit resolutions, sample rates, and channels of audio. This format is quite popular upon Apple platforms, and is commonly adopted in professional programs that handle digital audio waveforms. http://www.abyssmedia.com/formats/aiff-format.shtml

Aiff is an audio format created by apple for storing and transmitting high quality sampled audio data.

.au The Au file format is a simple audio file format introduced by Sun Microsystems. The format was common on NeXT systems and on early Web pages. Originally it was headerless, being simply 8-bit µ-law-encoded data at an 8000 Hz sample rate. Hardware from other vendors often used sample rates as high as 8192 Hz, often integer factors of video clock signals. Newer files have a header that consists of six unsigned 32-bit words, an optional information chunk and then the

data (in big endian format). https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Au_file_format.html

Au is a simple audio file format introduces by sun microsystems.

.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

Smp is a type of audio file, it is a 16bit audio file.

Lossy Compression Refers to data compression techniques in which some amount of data is lost. Lossy compression technologies attempt to eliminate redundant or unnecessary information. Most video compression technologies, such as MPEG, use a lossy technique. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/lossy_compression.html

Lossy compression is where an audio file is compressed and loses some data in order to take up less space.

.mp3 MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3) is a standard technology and format for compressing a sound sequence into a very small file (about one-twelfth the size of the original file) while preserving the original level of sound quality when it is played. MP3 provides near CD quality audio. http://whatis.techtarget.com/fileformat/MP3-MPEG-Audio-Layer-3-AC3-file

Mp3 is a standard audio file format for compression audio into a very small file, It give near cd sound quality.

AUDIO LIMITATIONS Sound Processor Unit A sound card (also known as an audio card) is an internal computer expansion card that facilitates economical input and output of audio signals to and from a

A sound processing unit could also be called a sound card, it is

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

(SPU) computer under control of computer programs. The term sound card is also applied to external audio interfaces that use software to generate sound, as opposed to using hardware inside the PC. Typical uses of sound cards include providing the audio component for multimedia applications such as music composition, editing video or audio, presentation, education and entertainment (games) and video projection. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_card

an internal computer expansion card used specifically for processing audio.

Digital Sound Processor (DSP)

A Digital Signal Processor, or DSP, is a specialized microprocessor that has an architecture which is optimized for the fast operational needs of digital signal processing. A Digital Signal Processor (DSP) can process data in real time, making it ideal for applications that can’t tolerate delays. Digital signal processors take a digital signal and process it to improve the signal into clearer sound, faster data or sharper images. Digital Signal Processors use video, voice, audio, temperature or position signals that have been digitized and mathematically manipulate them.  http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/microprocessors/digital-signal-processors.aspx

A digital sound processor is a microprocessor specialized in dealing with digital audio.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

RAM (pronounced ramm) is an acronym for random access memory, a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly; that is, any byte of memory can be accessed without touching the preceding bytes.RAM is the most common type of memory found in computers and other devices, such as printers. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/RAM.html

Ram is the most common memory found I computers and other devices. It stands for random access memory.

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

Mono sound is single channel meaning that there is only one microphone or one loud 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.[1] 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 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

Stereo audio is a method of sound reproduction; it usually uses 2 or more channels.

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

Surround sound is a term used to describe a type of audio output in which the sound appears

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

to 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 theater systems. Surround sound can be either an analog or digital system. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/surround_sound.html

to "surround the listener" by 360 degrees. Surround sound plays the sound all around the listener and give the impression that the sounds are actually happening around them.

Direct Audio (Pulse Code Modulation – PCM)

Direct Audio Input (DAI) is a feature of some BTE hearing aids which allows an external source to be directly connected as an input that bypasses the microphone. For example, a television, telephone, computer, CD player, microphone, ALS or ALD to be directly input to the hearing aid. http://www.nchearingloss.org/dai.htm

Direct Audio Input allows an external source to be directly connected as an input that bypasses the microphone.

AUDIO RECORDING SYSTEMS

AnalogueAnalog (or analogue) recording (Greek, ana is "according to" and logos "relationship") is a technique used for the recording of analog signals which, among many possibilities, analog audio and analog video for later playback. Analog recording methods store signals as a continuous signal in or on the media. The signal may be stored as a physical texture on a phonograph record, or a fluctuation in the field strength of a magnetic recording. This is different from digital recording which digital signals are represented as discrete numbers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_recording

Analogue recording is where you record an anologue signal for later playback.

Digital Mini Disc The Sony MiniDisc is another format that Sony has been trying to popularize for many years. A MiniDisc looks a lot like afloppy disk but is slightly smaller (7 cm, 2.75 inches square). http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question55.htm

The sony digital minidisc is another disk format that sony has been trying to popularize.

Compact Disc (CD) an optical disk approximately 4.75 inches (12 cm) in diameter, onwhich a program, data, music, etc., is digitally encoded for a laserbeam to scan, decode, and transmit to a playback system, computermonitor, or television set. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/compact+disk

A compact disk is an optical disk on which data, a program, music ect. Can be digitally encoded for a laserbeam to read.

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

A Digital Audio Tape is a standard medium and technology for the digital recording of audio at a professional level.

MIDIMIDI (/ ̍ m ɪ d i / ; short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical

MIDI is an acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface and

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

standard that describes a protocol, digital interface and connectors and allows a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers and other related devices to connect and communicate with one another.[1] A single MIDI link can carry up to sixteen channels of information, each of which can be routed to a separate device. MIDI carries event messages that specify notation, pitch and velocity, control signals for parameters such as volume, vibrato, audio panning, cues, and clock signals that set and synchronize tempo between multiple devices. These messages are sent to other devices where they control sound generation and other features. This data can also be recorded into a hardware or software device called a sequencer, which can be used to edit the data and to play it back at a later time.[2]:4 MIDI technology was standardized in 1983 by a panel of music industry representatives, and is maintained by the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA). All official MIDI standards are jointly developed and published by the MMA in Los Angeles, California, US, and for Japan, the MIDI Committee of the Association of Musical Electronics Industry (AMEI) in Tokyo. Advantages of MIDI include compactness (an entire song can be coded in a few hundred lines, i.e. in a few kilobytes), ease of modification and manipulation and choice of instruments.[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI

allows a wide variety of electronic musical instruments to be connected and to communicate with one and other.

Software Sequencers 1. A music sequencer (or simply sequencer) is a device or applicationsoftware 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

A sequencer is a device which can record, edit, or play back music. Reaper is a audio sequencing software which we use to edit sounds, and also create different sounds. Software sequencers have built in functions such as pitch and playback rate editors. The playback rate editor allows the user to increase the speed of the audio track. The pitch editor allows the user to change the the pitch thus making a higher or lower noise.

Software Plug-ins In computing, a plug-in (or add-in / addin, plugin, extension or add-on / addon) is a software component that adds a specific feature to an existing software application. When an application supports plug-ins, it enables customization. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_%28computing%29

Software plugins are components to software which add specific features to that program. For example in reaper we can get VST plugins which we can use to edit audio and add

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

different effects such as a Phaser, a Flanger and also a Digital Delay.

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 analog musical instruments. These samples or waveforms are also referred to as voices or timbres. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI_keyboard

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. These can be plugged into a computer to create sounds and is commonly used to create dubstep music. However it can be used to make all types of music.

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

The bit depth is the number of bits of information in each sample. The amount of bit depth will affect the stress on the cpu and will also affect the amount of Ram used.

File Size Constraints - Sample Rate

1. Sample rate is the number of samples of audio carried per second, measured in Hz or kHz (one kHz being 1 000 Hz). For example, 44 100 samples per second can be expressed as either 44 100 Hz, or 44.1 kHz. Bandwidth is the difference between the highest and lowest frequencies carried in an audio stream.http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Sample_Rates

The sample rate is the number of samples of audio carried per second. The higher the sample rate the more cpu usage the audio is going to use.

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