Sound Production TheoryU73

PMD1: Understand the use of sound and music in games

PMD2: Understand methods and principles of sound design and production

Date due: Monday 22/04/13

From the Unit Spec – PMD1-2

GC Pass Merit Distinction

1

describe uses of sound and music in games using some subject terminology appropriately

explain use of sound and music in games with reference to detailed illustrative examples and with generally correct use of subject terminology

comprehensively explain use of sound and music in games with elucidated examples and consistently using subject terminology correctly

2

describe methods and principles of sound design and production using some subject terminology appropriately

explain methods and principles of sound design and production with reference to detailed illustrative examples and with generally correct use of subject terminology

comprehensively explain methods and principles of sound design and production with elucidated examples and consistently using subject terminology correctly

• The six key subcategories of this GC are:

• Theory of sound• Psychology of sound• Audio environment• Sources• Game music• Legal issues

• Note that you must show evidence of understanding all of these categories in order to achieve the GC.

PMD1 – Understand use

‘Sound’ is an interpretation made by the brain of vibrations caused through solids, liquids and gases. Sound can not travel through a vacuum. Why?When represented visually, sound is displayed as a waveform, which takes on one of several shapes, depending on the signal.The most recognisable wave is a sine wave.

PMD1a – Theory of Sound

Sounds can also be classified using several categories. These are:• Wavelength• Dictates the spatial length of a wave and is inversely

proportional to frequency; longer wavelengths will have lower frequencies.

• Amplitude• Dictates the loudness of a sound. This is measures in

decibels (dB).

• Frequency• Dictates the pitch of a sound. This is measures cycles

per second, or Hertz (Hz).PMD1a – Theory of Sound

• Slow moving air is sensed as a low pitched bass sound. This is caused by a low frequency – down to 20 Hz

• Quickly moving air is sensed as a high pitched treble sound. This is caused by a high frequency – up to 20 KHz

http://tinyurl.com/cj6p5us

http://tinyurl.com/cz3gssk

PMD1a – Theory of Sound

Sound for games can come from several sources. The major sources for sound assets in the game industry are:• Foley artistry

• Foley artistry is the process of creating sound effects through recording a variety of objects interacting with one another.

• Sound libraries• Banks of sound effects from a wide range of sources and for a

variety of purposes. Developers can choose single sounds of full libraries, with a range of costs; these range from free, to royalty-based, to fully licensed.

• Original development• Stock music assets

PMD1d – Sources Foley video

Using sound in a game comes with a variety of possible legal complications; some are relatively simple, while others can lead to extreme complications and lawsuits.• Copyright• Royalties• Licenses• Consist of term, territory and renewal provisions.

• Talent release contract• Document granting permission for the producer photograph

/ record ‘talent’ – the artist(s) in question.

PMD1e – Legal issues

The following subcategories were covered before Easter in the Amnesia / Hotline Miami case studies lesson:• Psychology of sound• Audio environment• Game music

Use your notes from the lesson to inform your write-up of these topics.

PMD1b,c,e

Now enjoy this hilarious gif, which is vaguely related to the concept of sound and music.

Just about.

• The five key subcategories of this GC are:

• Sound design methodology• Sound file formats• Audio limitations of game platforms• Audio recording systems• Audio sampling

• Note that you must show evidence of understanding all of these categories in order to achieve the GC.

PMD2 – Understand methods

Sound design methodology merely consists of the planning and preparation associated with any production project, but tailored specifically towards sound.This includes, but is not limited to:• Asset lists• Deadline setting• Production timeline• Location scouting• Permissions• Health and Safety

PMD2a – Sound design methodology

As with images, sound files come in a variety of formats; each of these have both advantages and disadvantages. Much like their graphic counterparts, sound files can also make use of compression.

PMD2b – Sound file formats

Lossy• MP3• MP4• Ogg

Uncompressed• FLAC• AIFF• WAV

It is important to know that audio quality is limited by the target platform’s output or storage hardware. Examples of these limitations include, but are not limited to:• Sound processor unit (SPU)• Digital sound processor (DSP)• RAM• Storage• File format• Audio output (mono, stereo, 5.1, 7.1)

PMD2c – Audio limitations

Analogue Sound• As with images, ‘real life’ sound is an

analogue signal.• The term analogue means that the changes

between tones and rhythms are smooth, and don’t noticeably change from one point to another.

• When sound is digitised, it is referred to as sampling.

PMD2e – Audio sampling

Sampling• Sampling has to convert sound in the range of

20 Hz to 20 KHz and deal with a range of different amplitudes.

• Sampling involves taking measurements of a sound wave at regular intervals.

Sampling

Sampling Frequency• Sampling frequency is the rate at which

samples are taken – it is stated in Hertz.

• CD quality sound is sampled at 44.1 KHz.

• This means that the wave is measured 44,100 times per wave.

Sampling Frequency• This is called the Nyquist frequency, named

after the scientist who developed the idea of sampling analogue data.

• The minimum sampling rate must always be at least twice the highest frequency in a signal.

• Sampling depth (audio resolution) is the number of levels a wave is measured at.

This example features only a 2 bit resolution. This will lead to very low quality recordings.

Sampling Depth / Audio Resolution

Sampling Depth / Audio Resolution

• Use these links to hear audio recordings at different resolutions.

http://tinyurl.com/cxmtsr7

http://tinyurl.com/buenxlq

http://tinyurl.com/d8a3mod

How will the file sizes compare?

Enjoy another hilarious, ridiculously-remotely-connected image.

Laugh, damn you.

You need to write these up as two separate webzine or blog articles, entitled “Sound and Music in Games” and “Sound and Music Production Methods”.

These pieces of extended writing should aim to have the same written standard as that required by any other piece of theory work, but remember the specific unit requirements.

Use the unit spec as a checklist to ensure you have covered everything that you need to.

Write-Up and examples

The following are examples of the differences between Pass, Merit and Distinction grade writing. Use them to inform your work.

Write-Up and examples

Pass Merit

“Music sets the mood, the themes and the emotions of a game, whilst the sound effects bring the movements and actions to life.”

“Ever watched a film or television show without sound? Well, not so great is it? It’s the same for games. Music sets the mood, the themes and the emotions of the game, whilst the sound effects bring the movements and actions to life. Seeing someone running through snow or across a gravel track etc just doesn’t seem right unless you can hear the sound of their feet making a noise.”

PMD1 – Understand use

The following are examples of the differences between Pass, Merit and Distinction grade writing. Use them to inform your work.

Write-Up and examples

Distinction“Ever watched a film, for example Jaws, without sound? Well – not so great is it? It’s the same for games. Music will set the mood, the themes and the emotions of players if used well in a game, whilst sound effects bring movements and actions in the game world to life. Seeing someone running through snow or across a gravel track just doesn’t seem right unless you can hear a crisp snow sound or crunching gravel beneath their feet. Pong, the hugely popular arcade game from 1972, had just one sound – ‘pong’ – hence the name. It had no music, ambient sounds or other sound effects, just the ‘pong’, yet during gameplay this single sound was able to depict the pace of the ball as it moved across the screen, promoting excitement and a sense of urgency for the player to move the paddle to hit the ball, thus proving sound is an important factor in enhancing a player’s experience.”

PMD1 – Understand use

The following are examples of the differences between Pass, Merit and Distinction grade writing. Use them to inform your work.

Write-Up and examples

Pass Merit

“Sound for games only became important with the arrival of the 8-bit consoles. Early game consoles used a 1-bit processor and could only create a single sound like a beep... Cartridge-type games do not require much space for sound.”

“Early game consoles like console X used 1-bit processors and could only create a single sound like a beep. Although they were monophonic sounds they were there to serve a purpose. Sound for games only became important to enhance gameplay with the arrival of the 8-bit consoles. Cartridge-type games do not require much space for sound. They use small files that tell the internal sound device what notes to play and when.”

PMD2 – Understand methods

The following are examples of the differences between Pass, Merit and Distinction grade writing. Use them to inform your work.

Write-Up and examples

Distinction“The early game console X used a 1-bit processor and could only create a single sound like a beep. This was due to the limited memory, storage capacity and processor speed of the console. Although they were monophonic sounds, they were there to serve a purpose. Sound for games only became important to enhance gameplay with the arrival of the 8-bit systems. Later, Atari released a line of 8-bit computers featuring 4 channels of mono sound using an innovative sound chip called “Pokey”. It had four independently controllable sound channels, all able to play simultaneously. Each channel had a frequency register determining the note, and a control register regulating the volume and the noise content. Later they incorporated the Yamaha YM2149 chip, which also allowed three voices.”

PMD2 – Understand methods