A method and device for allocating a bit-budget to a plurality of first parts and to a second part of a CELP core module of (a) an encoder for encoding a sound signal or (b) a decoder for decoding the sound signal. In a frame of the sound signal comprising sub-frames, respective bit-budgets are allocated to the first CELP core module parts and a bit-budget remaining after allocating to the first CELP core module parts their respective bit-budgets is allocated to the second CELP core module part. According to an alternative, the second CELP core module part bit-budget is distributed between the sub-frames of the frame and a larger bit-budget is allocated to at least one of the sub-frames of the frame. The at least one sub-frame may be the first sub-frame of the frame, at least one sub-frame following the first sub-frame, or the sub-frame using a glottal-impulse-shape codebook.