Task 1 Methods and Principles of Sound Design and Production

Draft

Name: Daniel Shepherd

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 are sound effects added to the film during post production.”
This is used to add all the sound effects into a film to make it sound realistic, for example; When a car crashes you would use this to sync the sound of the crash with the car crashing.
Sound Libraries
a collection of sounds stored on file” 
http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/sound-library
We used this to take pre-recorded sounds to practise using pitch and playback effects, pan etc.
SOUND FILE FORMATS
Uncompressed
 to create anuncompressed copy of the file, but also to restore thetimestamp and other attributes of the compressed file. 
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/uncompress
This is used to allow you to edit all the tracks easier and at a better quality.
.wav
A Wave file is an audio file format, created by Microsoft, that has become a standard PC audio file format system and game sounds to CD-quality audio.” 
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Wave-file

We exported all our work by rendering in this file format.
.aiff
“AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) is one of the two most-used audio files formats used in the Apple operating system.” 
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/AIFF-Audio-Interchange-File-Format
You would use this file format if you wanted to save sound projects on an Apple product. This format is a uncompressed, lossless file.
.au
“A digital audio file format from Sun that is used on the Internet and can be played by a Java program.” 
http://www.yourdictionary.com/au-file
This is an uncompressed file format which results in being a better quality, which also makes it better than other formats like .MP3.
.smp
“ a music practice application for band, orchestra, and voice” http://fileinfo.com/extension/smp

Used to edit audio in real-time. Can be manipulated.
Lossy Compression
“Lossy file compression results in lost data and quality from the original version. Lossy compression is typically associated with image files, such as JPEGs http://techterms.com/definition/lossy

This makes the file smaller and also makes the quality sound worse than the original copy.
.mp3
MP3 is the name of the file extension and also the common name of the type of file for MPEG-1 audio layer 3. Today, MP3 is the common audio format for consumer audio streaming and storage “ http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/MP3.html

You would use this if you were to put your sounds onto the internet or in a store to be heard by the public. This is a compressed file which makes the quality worse.
AUDIO LIMITATIONS
Sound Processor Unit (SPU)
“A sound 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.” 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_card

After my sound idea’s had been created I used this to listen to my work (playback).
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.” https://www.futureelectronics.com/en/Microprocessors/digital-signal-processors.aspx

You would use this to process sound in real-time
Random Access Memory (RAM)
Random Access Memory (RAM) is a hardware device that allows information to be stored and retrieved on a computer.”
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/r/ram.htm

This let me get all the sound files onto Reaper and allows me to save my project somewhere else.
Mono Audio
“mono sound, mono, or non-stereo sound, this early sound system used a single channel of audio for sound output.”

This was used when I didn’t use the pan envelope.
Stereo Audio
“stereo sound or just stereo, stereophonic sound divides sounds across two channels then the recorded sounds are mixed so that some elements are channeled to the left and others to the right. “ http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/stereophonic_sound.html

I used this when I was using multiple envelope tracks like pan, volume etc.
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 listener providing sound from a 360° radius.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surround_sound

This is used to make sound more realistic and make the listener hear the sound all around him.
Direct Audio (Pulse Code Modulation – PCM)
“Pulse code modulation (PCM) is a digital representation of an analog signal that takes samples of the amplitude of the analog signal at regular intervals.”
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/24128/pulse-code-modulation-pcm

This is used so we can listen to our projects through headphones/headsets.
AUDIO RECORDING SYSTEMS
Analogue
“relating to or using signals or information represented by a continuously variable physical quantity such as spatial position, voltage, etc.”
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/analogue

This is where the computer reads the data and makes it so we can listen to it.
Digital Mini Disc
“a digital disc medium for storing music or data where a small disc is housed in a cartridge and is either recordable or playback.”
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/minidisc

This is used to store music or data onto as an external storage 
Compact Disc (CD)
an optical disk approximately 4.75 inches (12 cm) in diameter, onwhich a program, data, music, etc., is digitally encoded for a laserbeam to scan, decode, and transmit to a 
playback system, computermonitor, or television set.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/compact+disk
Used to make data/music portable
Digital Audio Tape (DAT)
“DAT (Digital Audio Tape) is a standard medium and technology for the digital recording of audio on tape at a professional level of quality.”
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/DAT-Digital-Audio-Tape
Used to record audio on a tape also get a high quality level
MIDI
“MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a protocol developed in the 1980's which allows electronic instruments and other digital musical tools to communicate with each other.”
http://www.instructables.com/id/What-is-MIDI/
This is the tracks of the project, where all the notes are played onto.
Software Sequencers
A music sequencer (or simply sequencer) is a device or application software that can record, edit, or play back music” 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_sequencer
Allows you to play a digital instrument straight onto a track on your software (Reaper).
Software Plug-ins
“A plugin is a software add-on that is installed onto a program, enabling it to perform additional features.”
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/p/plugin.htm
Allows you to edit your existing sounds with effects.
MIDI Keyboard Instruments
“A MIDI keyboard is typically a piano-style user interface used for sending MIDI signals or commands over a USB or MIDI cable to other devices”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI_keyboard
This is the virtual keyboard I used to add all the different notes onto the midi tracks in Reaper so I can edit it post production
AUDIO SAMPLING
File Size Constraints  - Bit-depth
“Bit depth is the number of bits used to carry the data in each sample of audio.”
  http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Bit_Depth
I used this to control the quality when we rendered our projects in .WAV.
File Size Constraints  - Sample Rate
“Sample rate is the number of samples of audio carried per second, measured in Hz or kHz (one kHz being 1 000 Hz).”
  http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Sample_Rates
I used this to control the quality of the rendering and at what frequency can be heard.

Improved

Name: Daniel Shepherd

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 are sound effects added to the film during post production.”
A sound effects technique for synchronous effects or live effects”
This is used to add all the sound effects into a film to make it sound realistic, for example; When a car crashes you would use this to sync the sound of the crash with the car crashing.
Sound Libraries
a collection of sounds stored on file” 
http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/sound-library
 sample library is a collection of digital sound recordings,”
We used this to take pre-recorded sounds to practise using pitch and playback effects, pan etc. It also helps to make thing organized so you know where to find all the sounds.
SOUND FILE FORMATS
Uncompressed
 to create anuncompressed copy of the file, but also to restore thetimestamp and other attributes of the compressed file. 
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/uncompress
“restore to its uncompressed form”
This is used to allow you to edit all the tracks easier and at a better quality. It makes the file you use larger so it takes up more room on your PC storeage.
.wav
A Wave file is an audio file format, created by Microsoft, that has become a standard PC audio file format system.
A format for storing uncompressed audiofiles.”
We exported all our work by rendering in this file format. This is a good way to store the non-finished version without it taking up much space on your PC.
.aiff
“AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) is one of the two most-used audio files formats used in the Apple operating system.” 
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/AIFF-Audio-Interchange-File-Format
“AIFF is an audio format originally developed by Apple Computer for storing high-quality sampled audio data.”
You would use this file format if you wanted to save sound projects on an Apple product. This format is a uncompressed, lossless file which you would use if your project was still in development.
.au
“A digital audio file format from Sun that is used on the Internet and can be played by a Java program.” 
http://www.yourdictionary.com/au-file
“short for audio, a common format for sound files on UNIX machines”
This is an uncompressed file format which results in being a lower quality. It takes up more room on your storage on your PC which could affect how much you can actually do
.smp
“ a music practice application for band, orchestra, and voice”
http://fileinfo.com/extension/smp
For communication to several MIDI samplers. All sample rates are supported by the package, although not all are supported by the samplers themselves.”
Used to edit audio in real-time. Can be manipulated. Supports all the sample rates so makes it a flexible file format to use.
Lossy Compression
“Lossy file compression results in lost data and quality from the original version.”
Refers to data compression techniques in which some amount of data is lost.”
This makes the file smaller and also makes the quality sound worse than the original copy. It also help to upload time to sites like; YouTube, Itunes etc…
.mp3
MP3 is the name of the file extension and also the common name of the type of file for MPEG-1 audio layer 3.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/MP3.html
When creating an MP3 file, the bitrate that is used to encode the audio has a big effect on the quality of the sound.”
You would use this if you were to put your sounds onto the internet or in a store to be heard by the public. This is a compressed file which makes the quality worse so makes this a no go for top end music making.
AUDIO LIMITATIONS
Sound Processor Unit (SPU)
“A sound 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.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_card
An expansion card that processes and converts audio signals. Also called audiocard.”
After my sound idea’s had been created I used this to listen to my work (playback).
This allows me to be able to create the sounds I want and to know what I’m doing in real-time.
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.” https://www.futureelectronics.com/en/Microprocessors/digital-signal-processors.aspx
“A DSP for Digital Sound Processing refers to the acoustic effects recreated by a digital processor to give the impression that the user is in a concert hall”
You would use this to process sound in real-time. You would use these effects to get a sound you couldn’t get using the instrument yourself.
Random Access Memory (RAM)
Random Access Memory (RAM) is a hardware device that allows information to be stored and retrieved on a computer.”
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/r/ram.htm
“Ram is the place in a computer where the operating system, application programs, and data in current use are kept “
This let me get all the sound files onto Reaper and allows me to save my project somewhere else. It also helps me keep a track of all the work I have/will do and keep it organised
Mono Audio
“mono sound, mono, or non-stereo sound, this early sound system used a single channel of audio for sound output.”
“Mono sound  is intended to be heard as if it were a single channel of sound perceived as coming from one position”
This was used when I didn’t use the pan envelope. It also allows me to get the sensation that someone is talking to me from a specific direction.
Stereo Audio
“stereo sound or just stereo, stereophonic sound divides sounds across two channels then the recorded sounds are mixed so that some elements are channeled to the left and others to the right. “ http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/stereophonic_sound.html
reproduction of sound using two or more separate microphones to feed two or more loudspeakers”
I used this when I was using multiple envelope tracks like pan, volume etc. It allows make my sounds sound like they’re coming from multiply angles for example; Left and Right.
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 listener providing sound from a 360° radius.” 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surround_sound
“A multichannel sound technology that produces five channels of sound in the left, right, center, left surround and right surround positions.”
This is used to make sound more realistic and make the listener hear the sound all around him. This is used to completely submerge the listener from all directions to make it sound realistic. This also would be useful in film that have an ability to be seen in 3D to enhance the experience.
Direct Audio (Pulse Code Modulation – PCM)
“Pulse code modulation (PCM) is a digital representation of an analog signal that takes samples of the amplitude of the analog signal at regular intervals.”
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/24128/pulse-code-modulation-pcm
Pulse code modulation (PCM) is a digital scheme for transmitting analog data.”
This is used so we can listen to our projects through headphones/headsets. It allows the listener to listen to the sounds in private or in a public environment. Allows him to get a better feel for the sounds he is listening to or making.
AUDIO RECORDING SYSTEMS
Analogue
“relating to or using signals or information represented by a continuously variable physical quantity such as spatial position, voltage, etc.” 
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/analogue
An analogue ​recording is one that is made by ​changing the ​sound waves into ​electrical signals of the same ​type.”
This is where the computer reads the data and makes it so we can listen to it. Without this we wouldn’t be able to listen to our projects
Digital Mini Disc
“a digital disc medium for storing music or data where a small disc is housed in a cartridge and is either recordable or playback.”
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/minidisc
“The MiniDisc (MD) is a magneto-optical disc-based data storage device for 74 minutes and, later, 80 minutes, of digitized audio or 1 gigabyte of Hi-MD data.”
This is used to store music or data onto as an external storage. You can take this disc to a different place and still edit any data on it with ease
Compact Disc (CD)
an optical disk approximately 4.75 inches (12 cm) in diameter, onwhich a program, data, music, etc., is digitally encoded for a laserbeam to scan, decode, and transmit to a 
playback system, computer monitor, or television set.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/compact+disk
 “a compact disc is a polycarbonate with one or more metal layers capable of storing digital information. “
Used to make data/music portable. Good for to use it for people who aren’t well up on all the new gadgets e.g. Phones, internet etc…
Digital Audio Tape (DAT)
“DAT (Digital Audio Tape) is a standard medium and technology for the digital recording of audio on tape at a professional level of quality.”
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/DAT-Digital-Audio-Tape
“a type of magnetic tape that uses a scheme called helical scan to record data.”
Used to record audio on a tape also get a high quality level. You can record sounds outside without needing a PC to do it and then allows you to upload onto the software and you are able to edit it.
MIDI
“MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a protocol developed in the 1980's which allows electronic instruments and other digital musical tools to communicate with each other.”
http://www.instructables.com/id/What-is-MIDI/
“MIDI is a protocol designed for recording and playing back music on digital synthesizers that is supported by many makes of personal computer sound cards.”
This is the tracks of the project, where all the notes are played onto. Allows use to use virtual instruments with ease and help speed up the process
Software Sequencers
A music sequencer (or simply sequencer) is a device or application software that can record, edit, or play back music” 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_sequencer
In digital audio recording, a sequencer is a program in a computer or stand-alone keyboard unit that puts together a sound sequence from a series (or sequence) of Musical Instrument “
Allows you to play a digital instrument straight onto a track on your software (Reaper). Allows you to play back any music you need/want to listen to help with editing tracks.
Software Plug-ins
“A plugin is a software add-on that is installed onto a program, enabling it to perform additional features.”
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/p/plugin.htm
“A software plug-in is an add-on for a program that adds functionality to it.
Allows you to edit your existing sounds with effects. Makes you able to create sounds you otherwise couldn’t create with just the instrument.
MIDI Keyboard Instruments
“A MIDI keyboard is typically a piano-style user interface used for sending MIDI signals or commands over a USB or MIDI cable to other devices”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI_keyboard
“A Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) keyboard is a musical instrument like a piano keyboard.”
This is the virtual keyboard I used to add all the different notes onto the midi tracks in Reaper so I can edit it post production. It allows people with not much musical skill to be able to create full sounds that sound good and nice to listen too.
AUDIO SAMPLING
File Size Constraints  - Bit-depth
“Bit depth is the number of bits used to carry the data in each sample of audio.”
  http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Bit_Depth
“Number of bits used in representing the smallest unit of information (such as a byte or pixel) in an audio/video or graphic data file.”
I used this to control the quality when we rendered our projects in .WAV. Allows you to get what sound level you get; Amazing, mediocre or poor.
File Size Constraints  - Sample Rate
“Sample rate is the number of samples of audio carried per second, measured in Hz or kHz (one kHz being 1 000 Hz).”
  http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Sample_Rates
“In developing an audio sound for computers or telecommunication, the sample rate is the number of samples of a sound that are taken per second to represent the event digitally.”
I used this to control the quality of the rendering and at what frequency can be heard. Allows you to be able to set a target audience because young people can hear high pitch noises and older people can’t.