Sound recording glossary improved mk2
- 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: David Hall 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 aresound effects added to the filmduringpost production (after the shootingstops). They includesounds 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 recordingduringthe shoot. http://www.sound-ideas.com/what-is-foley.html UsingFoley effects are a great way to make better audio tracks for a game or filmas you simply take samples of audio From life and cratingyour own in a studio we had done this by getting sounds for our sequence Sound Libraries A samplelibrary isa collection of digital sound recordings,known as samples,for use by composers, arrangers, performers,and producers of music.The sound files areloaded into a sampler—either hardware or software-based en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sample_library I used a sound library to make my firstpieceof audio using simplepieces of sound and the basic tools given by the software likesliceand fade SOUND FILE FORMATS Uncompressed Uncompressed audio files arethe most accuratedigital representation of a sound wave, but can also be the most resource-intensivemethod of recordingand storingdigital audio,both in terms of storage and management. Their accuracy makes them suitablefor archivingand deliveringaudio athigh resolution,and working with audio ata professional level,and they arethe 'master' audio formatof choice. This is good for getting the best quality out of the music or audio tracks you make but the filesize is much bigger meaning longer to load and render
- 2. Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1 2 http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/guide/uncompressed-audio-file- formats .wav WAV is an audio fileformat that was developed by Microsoft.It is so wide spread today that it is called a standard PC audio fileformat. A Wave fileis identified by a filename extension of WAV (.wav). Used primarily in PCs,theWave fileformat has been accepted as a viable interchange medium for other computer platforms,such as Macintosh. This allows contentdevelopers to freely move audio files between platforms for processing,for example. http://www.coolutils.com/Formats/WAV This is one of the most popular fileformats used on all windows machines and is easy to store as it is a much smaller filesizethan uncompressed audio I used this type of filewhen savingmy work as I was good for both sizeand quality .aiff AIFF is shortfor Audio Interchange FileFormat, which is an audio format initially created by Apple Computer for storingand transmitting high-quality sampled audio data.Itsupports a variety of bit resolutions,samplerates,and channels of audio.This format is quite popular upon Apple platforms,and is commonly adopted in professional programs thathandledigital audio waveforms. http://www.abyssmedia.com/formats/aiff-format.shtml This is similarto .wav but used by applemac pc instead though it is not as used as .wav they both shear the same property’s .au The Au fileformat is a simpleaudio fileformatintroduced by Sun Microsystems.The format was common on NeXT systems and on early Web pages.Originally itwas headerless,beingsimply 8-bitµ-law- encoded data at an 8000 Hz samplerate. Hardwarefrom other vendors often used samplerates as high as 8192 Hz, often integer factors of video clock signals.Newer files havea header that consists of six unsigned 32-bitwords http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Au_file_format This is a much older audio file format that is notseen much nowadays as itdoes not hold the quality orethe amount of date likethe newer fileformats do .smp A ".smp" filemay be one of several different types of audio file.For example, itcould be a Sample Vision audio samplefile.This 16-bit audio filewas originally used by Turtle Beach Sample Vision;you can open itwith Adobe Auction, Sound Forge Pro or Awave Studio. It could also bea samplefilefor AdLib Gold, a PC sound card released in 1992; Scream Tracker, a mid-1990s music editingprogram; or Swell.Reason, a music recordingand production program, and uses the ".smp" extension for sampler instrumentpatches. This is another old fileformat that is not seen much today this was used with one of the first sound cards used on a pc not much use in my project
- 3. Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1 3 http://www.ehow.com/info_12198596_file-smp.html 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.Mostvideo compression technologies,such as MPEG, usea lossy technique. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/lossy_compression.html This is a usefull format ads itwill get rid of all the unused data and keep what is needed reducing the sizeof the filebut keeping the quality .mp3 MP3 files aresimilar to WAV files butare compressed to 1/10th the sizeyet maintain high sound quality.A typical 3 minute songfileis about 3.5MB, can be downloaded in less than 10 minutes over a 56K modem connection. Even if you don't understand what a Megabyte is, understand that 1/10th the size: http://mistupid.com/mp3/ Practically thesame as .wav and probably the most used audio fileformat as ithas a great median between quality and quantity this is my favourite file format to use this is the main format that the sounds I used came from as I had to convert them to mp3 and put them in reaper AUDIO LIMITATIONS Sound Processor Unit (SPU) An expansion board that enables a computer to manipulate and output sounds. Sound cards are necessary for nearly all CD-ROMs and have become commonplace on modern personal computers. Sound cards enable the computer to output sound through speakers connected to the board, to record sound input from a microphone connected to the computer, and manipulate sound stored on a disk. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/sound_card.html Usingthe sound card you can get the best quality out of the audio you use and allows you to connect speakers headphones or a mic to the computer and also manipulatesound stored on a disk Digital Sound Processor (DSP) Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) takereal-world signalslikevoice,audio, video, temperature, pressure,or position thathave been digitized and then mathematically manipulatethem. A DSP is designed for performing mathematical functions like"add", "subtract", "multiply" and "divide" very quickly. This is a great way to convert what audio you make likeyou voiceand customize to like cutting itdown and so on very help full
- 4. Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1 4 http://www.analog.com/en/content/beginners_guide_to_dsp/fca.html Random Access Memory (RAM) Alternatively referred to as main memory, primary memory, or system memory, Random Access Memory (RAM) is a computer storage location thatallows information to be stored and accessed quickly from random locations within DRAM on a memory module. Because information is accessed randomly instead of sequentially likeitis on a CD or hard drive,the computer can access thedata much faster. However, unlikeROM and the hard drive RAM is a volatilememory and requires power in order to keep the data accessible,if power is lostall data contained in memory lost. http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/r/ram.htm The ram is very usefull as the more you have the faster you can move the audio files around to do stuff with and makes it easier to render the final productramis majorly importantas if you have alongtrack to render it will need more ram to process the tack and create the final product Mono Audio Mono or monophonic describes a systemwhere all the audio signals are mixed together and routed through a singleaudio channel.Mono systems can have multipleloudspeakers,and even multiplewidely separated loudspeakers.The key is thatthe signal containsno level and arrival time/phaseinformation thatwould replicateor simulate directional cues. http://www.mcsquared.com/mono-stereo.htm This is a simpleway to output the audio you play through all the speakers you have connected to you pc but they all play the same at the same tome no way to make the sound move around Stereo Audio True stereophonic sound systems have two independent audio signal channels,and the signalsthatarereproduced have a specific level and phaserelationship to each other so that when played back through a suitablereproduction system, there will bean apparentimage of the original sound source.Stereo would be a requirement if there is a need to replicatethe aural perspectiveand localization of instruments on a stage or platform,a very common requirement in performing arts centres. http://www.mcsquared.com/mono-stereo.htm This allows you to give a feel that for example a person is talking and walkingaround the room as the audio sounds likeits moving around the room I also used this as itis much beater for the style of sounds I was usingplus it much more commonly used than mono Surround Sound Surround sound is a term used to describea 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 surroundingenvelope of This is the best way to listen to any thing as you get to simulatea 360 degree sound so for example a car drivingpastyou will hear it
- 5. Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1 5 sound and directional audio sources.Theterm surround sound has become popular in recent years and more commonly used sincethe advent of home theater systems. Surround sound can be either an analog or digital system. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/surround_sound.html as if there was a car drivingpast you Direct Audio (Pulse Code Modulation – PCM) Pulsecode modulation (PCM) is a digital representation of an analog signal thattakes samples of the amplitudeof the analogsignal at regular intervals.The sampled analogdata is changed to, and then represented by, binary data.PCM requires a very accurateclock.The number of samples per second, rangingfrom 8,000 to 192,000,is usually several times the maximum frequency of the analogwaveform in Hertz (Hz), or cycles per second, which ranges from 8 to 192 KHz. http://www.techopedia.com/definition/24128/pulse-code- modulation-pcm This allows us to see an digital version of an analogy signal this is a very accuratereadingthat need a lotof attention AUDIO RECORDING SYSTEMS Analogue Analogy recordingmethods store signalsasa 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 arerepresented as discretenumbers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_recording This is storinga recordinglike audio on a physical itemlikea tape this uses a much older and different technique to digital which use discreetnumbers this is the original way to record all the audio you wanted used by pros and households for many years Digital Mini Disc One easy way to think about a Minidisc islikea floppy disk -- you can record and erase files on a Minidisc justas easily asyou can on a floppy disk.The bigdifference between the a Minidisc and a floppy disk isthat a Minidisc can hold about100 times more data (about 140 megabytes in data mode, 160 megabytes in audio mode vs. 1.44 megabytes for a floppy). http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question55.htm The mini disk is similar to floppy disk and works likean sd card it is a good thing for storingdater but even better for storingaudio files likemusic Compact Disc (CD) Abbreviated as CD, a compact disc is a flat,round storage medium that is read by a laser in a CD-ROM drivethat was invented by James The cd is a step up from the mini disk though it is bigger it holds
- 6. Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1 6 Russell and firstcreated at a Philips factory in Germany on August 17, 1982.The standard CD is capableof holding72 minutes of music or 650 MB of data. 80 minute CDs arealso commonly used to store data and are capableof containing700 MB of data. The picture is an example of what the standard compactdisc looks like http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/c/compactd.htm much more data and is a lot faster for the pc to read Digital Audio Tape (DAT) Digital Audio Tape (DAT or R-DAT) is a signal recordingand playback medium developed by Sony and introduced in 1987.In appearanceit is similar to a Compact Cassette, using4 mm magnetic tape enclosed in a protective shell,butis roughly half the sizeat 73 mm × 54 mm × 10.5 mm. As the name suggests, the recordingis digital rather than analogy.DAT has the ability to record at higher, equal or lower samplingrates than a CD (48, 44.1 or 32 kHz sampling rate respectively) at 16 bits quantization. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Audio_Tape This a really old type based audio storage no longer used but was quite good in the day the magnetic tape was very easy to ruin so soon after they introduced the disk MIDI MIDI (Musical InstrumentDigital Interface) is a protocol developed in the 1980's which allows electronic instruments and other digital musical tools to communicate with each other. MIDI itself does not make sound,it is justa series of messages like"note on," "note off," "note/pitch," "pitchbend," and many more. These messages are interpreted by a MIDI instrument to produce sound. A MIDI instrument can be a piece of hardware (electronic keyboard, synthesizer) or part of a software environment (ableton, garageband, digital performer, logic...). http://www.instructables.com/id/What-is-MIDI/ This is one of the ways that we can produce music in programs likereaper usingthe midi keyboard and some vtsi sounds this can be put together to make songs or sounds to be used in production Software Sequencers In digital audio recording,a sequencer is a program in a computer or stand-alonekeyboard unit that puts together a sound sequence from a series (or sequence) of Musical InstrumentDigital Interface ( MIDI ) events (operations).The MIDI sequencer allows theuser to record and edit a musical performancewithout usingan audio-based This is a good way to edit you audio files itmakes the job a lot faster and easier to do without the need for audio input
- 7. Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1 7 input source. http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/sequencer Software Plug-ins Software plug-in is an add-on for a program that adds functionality to it. For example, a Photoshop plug-in (such as Eye Candy) may add extra filters that you can use to manipulateimages.A browser plug-in (such as Macromedia Flash or AppleQuickTime) allows you to play certain multimedia files within your Web browser. VST plug-ins add effects for audio recordingand sequencingprograms such as Cubaseand Logic Audio. http://techterms.com/definition/plugin Plugins that come with midi makes the software much simpler to use and gives us a whole bunch of stuff to take advantage of we used a whole range of plugins such as Vstand Vsti sound effects and sequencers MIDI Keyboard Instruments A Musical InstrumentDigital Interface(MIDI) keyboard is a musical instrument likea piano keyboard. The MIDI portion indicates thatthe instrument has a communication protocol builtin that allows itto communicate with a computer or other MIDI-equipped instrument. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-midi-keyboard.htm This is essential to haveas it works as a sound board good for quick implementation of sounds in a likeaudio piece we used vsti software to make our own sound effects and musical pieces AUDIO SAMPLING File Size Constraints - Bit- depth In digital audio using pulse-codemodulation (PCM), bitdepth is the number of bits of information in each sample, and it directly corresponds to the resolution of each sample.Examples of bitdepth includeCompact Disc Digital Audio,which uses 16 bits per sample, and DVD-Audio and Blu-ray Disc which can supportup to 24 bits per sample. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_bit_depth The better the bit the disk can hold the better the depth and quality of the sampleyou get File Size Constraints - Sample Rate Sample rate indicates the number of digital samples taken of an audio signal each second.This rate determines the frequency range of an audio file.The higher the samplerate, the closer the shapeof the digital waveformis to that of the original analog waveform. Low samplerates limitthe range of frequencies that can be recorded, which can resultin a recordingthat poorly represents the original sound. http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Soundbooth/2.0/WS41FBD92E-39EA- 4eda-B490-EDE8EA1175C8a.html A good way to measure the frequency in a music sample keeps the filesizelow I used the 4100 samplerate as itis perfectly good quality audio and I doesn’t alter any of the sounds
- 8. Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1 8