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: Joshua Gillespie 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 A Foley Artist 'recreates' sound effects for film, television and radio productions on a Foley Stage in a Post Production Studio.http://www.marblehead.net/foley/whatisitman.html

I used foley artistry when creating sound effects for my game. I went out and recorded sounds and then used effects to manipulate them.

Sound Libraries A sound library is a collection of digital sound recordings, known as samples, for use by composers, arrangers, performers, and producers of music.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sample_library

I created a sound library when I recorded the sounds that I was going to use for my game.

SOUND FILE FORMATS Uncompressed Uncompressed audio formats (often referred to as PCM formats) are just as the name suggests — formats that use no compression. This means all the data is available, at the risk of large file sizes. A WAV audio file is an example of an uncompressed audio file.http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Computer_Science/digital_audio_formats.asp

When I was recording my sounds the original file type was uncompressed.

.wav Waveform Audio File Format (WAVE, or more commonly known as WAV due to its filename, It is an application of the Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF) bitstream format method for storing data in "chunks"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAV

I used this file type when using reaper, when creating my sounds this is what they were saved as.

.aiff Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF) is an audio file format standard used for storing sound data for personal computers and other electronic audio devices.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_Interchange_File_Format

Although I have not worked with this, this file type can be saved using reaper.

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

Although I have not worked with this, this file type can be saved using reaper.

.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

Although I have not worked with this, this file type can be saved using reaper.

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

Beach SampleVision; you can open it with Adobe Auction, Sound Forge Pro or Awave Studio.http://www.ehow.com/info_12198596_file-smp.html#ixzz2zd1ePVxY

Lossy Compression In information technology, "lossy" compression is a data encoding method that compresses data by discarding (losing) 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

I save the file as a smaller type, I could use lossy compression but I would lose some of the audio.

.mp3 MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is an encoding format for digital audio which uses a form of lossy data compression. It is a common audio format for consumer audio streaming or storage, as well as a de facto standard of digital audio compression for the transfer and playback of music on most digital audio players.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3

This is also one of the file types that I have used, I could save some of my work using this file type on reaper.

AUDIO LIMITATIONS Sound Processor Unit (SPU)

One of the limitations of consumer soundcards is their comparatively large sampling latency; this is the time it takes for the AD Converter to complete conversion of a sound sample and transfer it to the computer's main memory.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_card

I have not used this within my work but I could see how it could be useful in taking less time to render some of my work.

Digital Sound Processor (DSP)

Digital signal processing (DSP) is the mathematical manipulation of an information signal to modify or improve it in some way. It is characterized by the representation of discrete time, discrete frequency, or other discrete domain signals by a sequence of numbers or symbols and the processing of these signals.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_signal_processing

I have not used this software but I could use it to put better quality into my work

Random Access Memory (RAM)

A random-access memory device allows data items to be read and written in roughly the same amount of time regardless of the order in which data items are accessed.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random-access_memory

I used RAM when creating my sounds to help render them.

Mono Audio 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. Monophonic sound is the most basic format of sound output.http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/monophonic_sound.html

I recorded some of my sounds using mono audio.

Stereo Audio Stereophonic sound or, more commonly, stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that creates an illusion of directionality and audible perspective.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereophonic_sound

I rendered all of my work through Stereo audio to have better quality.

Surround Sound Surround sound is a technique for enriching the sound reproduction quality of an audio source with additional audio channels from speakers that surround the listenerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surround_sound

Surround sound could be used to enrich my work by playing it through multiple speakers.

Direct Audio (Pulse Code Pulse-code modulation (PCM) is a method used to digitally represent sampled analog I used direct audio when saving

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

Modulation – PCM) signals. It is the standard form of digital audio in computers, Compact Discs, digital telephony and other digital audio applications.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse-code_modulation

my work and uploading to soundcloud.

AUDIO RECORDING SYSTEMS

Analogue Analog recording is a technique used for the recording of analog signals which among many possibilities include audio frequency, analog audio and analog video information for later playback.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analogue_audio

When I went out recording sounds this is how they were saved.

Digital Mini Disc The MiniDisc (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

I have not used a digital mini disc, but I do not see how it could be useful.

Compact Disc (CD) Compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format. The format was originally developed to store and play back sound recordings only (CD-DA), but was later adapted for storage of datahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_disc

I could use CD to save my work onto so I could play it through a CD player.

Digital Audio Tape (DAT) Digital Audio Tape (DAT or R-DAT) is a signal recording and playback medium developed by Sony and introduced in 1987.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Audio_Tape

I have not used a digital audio tape, but I do not see how it could be useful.

MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical 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.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI

I used MIDI to create some of the sounds in my library; the use of a keyboard on screen is very useful.

Software Sequencers a device or application software 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

I could use one of these to play my sounds and edit them.

Software Plug-ins A plug-in (or plugin, extension, or add-on / addon) is a software component that adds a specific feature to an existing software application.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_(computing)

I have used software plugins to add effects onto my sounds to make them sound more realistic and have a better quality.

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

I have not used the MIDI keyboard instrument much, I have only used it to create a fantasy sound.

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

Most of my sound has been at a depth of 16, and because of this most devices are compatible.

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

File Size Constraints - Sample Rate

The sample rate is the number of samples of a sound that are taken per second to represent the event digitally.http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/sample-rate

A lower sample rate relating to my work would not allow as many sounds to be played at the same time.

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