Nathan Bolton
Unit 73: Sound for Computer Games (Year 1)
Understand the methods and principles of sound design and
production.
Research and explain when you would use the following sound
formats and why?
Uncompressed:
Uncompressed files keep all the audio
quality of the original source intact, like in a CD.
File types include, WAV, AIFF, AU, SMP,
VOC.
WAV/AIFF: Both are interchangeable.
They still have relatively large file sizes, but still also has a higher
quality of sound.
AU: Sound file format that is used
on Sun, NeXt, and Silicon Graphics computers.
SMP: Used for civil engineering
design and documentation.
VOC: Used to store tape images for
Sinclair ZX Spectrum emulators.
Lossy compression:
Lossy compression files compress
the audio for space saving, though at a slightly lower quality.
File types include, MP3, RA, VOX.
MP3: Stores music supported by
various software and hardware multimedia players. Mobiles, tablets, cd players,
etc.
RA: RealPlayer/RealAudio, which
supports most audio and video format stored in a file format developed by
RealNetworks.
VOX: Similar to wave files but it
doesn’t contain any information about the file.
Audio Sampling:
1. How can
resolution and bit-depth constrain file size?
Resolution:
The more pixels, the higher the quality. If you want the sound to be high
quality it will have a bigger file size.
Bit-depth:
Bit depth is the number of bits of information in each sample (resolution). The
more bits in each sample, the higher the quality. The higher the quality, the
higher the file size, resulting in you needing more space in the computer if
you have lots if audio files.
2. Explain
what the following words mean:
Sample
rate: the number of samples of audio carried per second
Mono:
heard as if it were a single channel of sound perceived as coming from one
position.
Stereo:
sound reproduction that creates an illusion of multi-directional audible
perspective.
Surround:
a system involving three or more speakers surrounding the listener to give a
more realistic effect.
Audio Limitations of Games Platforms.
How can the
following information limit the recording sound?
DSP (Digital Signal Processor) – it involves more power consumption,
information is lost because you can only take samples at intervals
RAM
(Random Access Memory) – it gets erased when the power is switched off.
File
format (e.g. MP3, WAV, AIFF) – large file sizes or not as good a quality.
Audio
output (e.g. Mono, Stereo, Surround) – important information can be lost, extra
noise can be introduced.
PCM (Pulse
Code Modulation) - requires large bandwidth and very complex coding.
In what types of scenario
may you use the following audio recording equipment?
Multitrack recording – to create
music.
Multi
Instrument Interface – To connect a keyboard to a computer to record with.
DAT
– to record sounds/music/FX.
Analogue
– to create music/FX.
Software
Plugins – when you want to change something about the sound.
Software
Sequencer – when you want to edit music/FX.
