Sound Sampling
If you're lucky, you have a keyboard or synthesizer that has every sound effect you could possibly imagine at your fingertips. But the majority of us don't have this luxury, so let's improvise. There are numerous sources out there for you to capture the exact sounds you're looking for. One source is right within Flash, in its Common Library of Sounds. You can access these sounds by selecting Window, Common Libraries, Sounds from the top drop-down menu. Also, several Web sites offer sound clips, loops , and effects available for download. Once you have your arsenal of sounds, you must consider certain factors before making it a part of your Flash document. Sampling FrequencyAlways consider what is the optimal usage for your target audience and published format. If you're working on a CD-ROMbased application, for example, you're not too worried about file compression because a CD-ROM medium can store a lot of information. However, if you're working on a Web site, you want to keep your file size down to minimize download time. Frequency is how many waves of sound pass a given point in 1 second. This sampling frequency is measured in hertz (Hz) and kilohertz (kHz). The higher the Hz the better the sound. 44.1 kHz is the standard CD publishing rate, while 22 kHz is the standard for Web publishing. Table 15.1 outlines standard sample frequency rates and their related sound quality. Table 15.1. Sampling Rates and Sound Quality
Bit DepthBit depth is how many bits of information are being used to store the sound data. Thus, bit depth also determines the quality of sound. Similar to the frequency, the higher the bit depth the better the sound. 16 bit is the standard CD publishing bit rate, while 8 bit is the standard for Web publishing. However, you be the judge. If you find that 16 bit is not adding too much to your published file size, then by all means get the best quality you can. Table 15.2 outlines standard bit depths and their related sound qualities. Table 15.2. Bit Depth and Sound Quality
File SizeFrequencies and bit rates play roles in your sound file size, but there are other things to consider. Another factor that contributes to file size is the duration of the sound. The longer the sound the bigger the sound file. Also, whether it is stereo or mono will affect the file size. Stereo will double a sound file's size, as opposed to mono. Once again, the value of all these factors will truly depend on the medium you are designing for. TIP Always trim your sound files down to as small as possible with sound-editing software. This will ensure that the sound file is at its most efficient for better Flash results, and that it will yield smaller file sizes.
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EAN: 2147483647
Pages: 142