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: Thomas Dowson

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 sound effects technique for synchronous effects or live effects"http://filmsound.org/foley/

I understand that the sound effects do well with the techniques for the live effects.

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

I understand this term because of the library of samples and also composers. What learned and improved on about the sound libraries is that there are different varieties of sounds and music to choose from.

SOUND FILE FORMATS

Uncompressed There is one major uncompressed audio format, LPCM, which is the same variety of PCM as used in Compact Disc Digital Audio. Although LPCM can be stored on a computer as a raw audio format, it is usually stored in a .wav file on Windows or in a .aiff file on Mac OS.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_file_format

I understand that there is just one major uncompressed audio format.

.wav The format for storing sound in files developed jointly by Microsoft and IBM. Support for WAV files was built into Windows 95 making it the de facto standard for sound on PCs.http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/WAV.html

I understand what wav is and also how it is created to the audio file. What I learned from the WAV file is that the options that you choose from have to be correct and also that the variables have to be the same.

.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

I understand the relevance to this term because I understand about the file format and how the sound data is stored.

.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.http://www.webopedia.com/sgsearch/results?cx=partner-pub-8768004398756183%3A6766915980&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=au

I understand what the relevance of the term means because of the java programing.

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

.smp SMP (symmetric multiprocessing) is the processing of programs by multiple processors that share a common operating system and memory.https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=what+is+a+smp

I understand what this term means to the relevant programming.

Lossy Compression

Refers to data compression techniques in which some amount ofdata is lost. Lossy compression technologies attempt to eliminate redundant or unnecessary information.http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/lossy_compression.html

I understand the relevance to the term because of the lossy compression.

.mp3 a means of compressing a sound sequence into a very small file, to enable digital storage and transmission.https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=what+is+a+.mp3

I understand what the term means by mp3 because it stores a lot of music for people to listen to.

AUDIO LIMITATIONS

Sound Processor Unit (SPU)

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 computer under control of computer programs.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_card

I understand about the audio card and how it uses software to generate sound.

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.http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/microprocessors/digital-signal-processors.aspx

I understand that it can process data in fast time.

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 memoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random-access_memory

I understand about the Random Access Memory (RAM) that it stores data so the item can be accessed.

Mono Audio Mono Audio. When you're using headphones, you may miss some audio if you're deaf or hard of hearing in one ear. That's because stereo recordings usually have distinct left- and right-channel audio tracks.https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=what+is+an+mono+audio

I understand the definition of the mono audio meaning that I understand that it helps people who cannot hear can read the text on their iPhone or iPad.

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

Stereo Audio Stereo (or Stereophonic sound) is the reproduction of sound using two or more independent audio channels in a way that creates the impression of sound heard from various directions, as in natural hearing.http://www.diffen.com/difference/Mono_vs_Stereo

I understand the relevance of the term because of audio channels that create the impression.

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 to create a surrounding envelope of sound and directional audio sources.http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/surround_sound.html

I understand the term of surround sound because it basically surrounds the listener or anyone else in the room.

Direct Audio (Pulse Code Modulation – PCM)

Pulse-code modulation (PCM) is a method used to digitally represent sampled analog signals. It is the standard form of digital audio in computers, Compact Discs, digital telephonyand other digital audio applications. In a PCM stream, the amplitude of the analog 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

I understand the relevance of the term because it digitally represents sampled analogy signals.

AUDIO RECORDING SYSTEMS

Analogue relating to or using signals or information represented by a continuously variable physical quantity such as spatial position,https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=what+is+Analogue+

I understand the relevance of the term because I understand that it uses signals of variation or physical quantity.

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. The Sony brand audio players were on the market from September 1992 until March 2013.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiniDisc

I understand the relevance of the term because of the optical based data in the storage devise.

Compact Disc (CD) A compact disc [sometimes spelled disk] (CD) is a small, portable, round medium made

of molded polymer (close in size to the floppy disk) for electronically recording, storing,

and playing back audio, video, text, and other information in digital form.

I understand what the relevance of the term means by the compact disk it uses electronically recordings.

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

http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/definition/compact-disc

Digital Audio Tape (DAT)

DAT (Digital Audio Tape) is a standard medium and technology for the digital recording ofaudio 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.http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/DAT-Digital-Audio-Tape

I understand what the relevance of the term means by digital audio tape because of the digital tape recorder.

MIDI MIDI (/ˈmɪdi/; short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a protocol, digital interface and connectors and allows a wide variety of electronic musical instrumentshttps://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=what is midi in music

I understand the relevance of the term because of the protocol and the digital interface.

Software Sequencers

1. A music sequencer (or simply sequencer) is 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.

https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=what+is+a+software+sequencer

I understand the relevance of the term because of the software that can record and edit.

Software Plug-ins1. 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.https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=what+is+Software+Plug-ins

I understand that the software components add a specific feature to the existing software.

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

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

I understand the relevance of the term typically know to the piano style because of the keyboard device used for sending the MIDI signals.

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

I understand the relevance of the term because using the pulse code is the bits of information into each sample.

File Size Constraints - Sample Rate

Sampling rate; 3.1.2 Bit depth; 3.1.3 Speech sampling ... or any other dimension, and similar results are obtained in two or more dimensions. ... The sampling frequency or sampling rate, fs, is the average number of samples ..... which is unambiguous because of the constraint that the pre-sampled signal was analytic.https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=what+is+File+Size+Constraints++-+Sample+Rate

I understand the relevance of the term because it explains about the sampling rate of the bit depth. What I learned was that the sample rates I had done I found out about the depth and also the way in which the bit depth is.

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