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.
Nearly all sound cards supportMIDI, a standard for representing music electronically. In addition, most sound cards are Sound Blaster-compatible, which means that they can processcommands written for a Sound Blaster card, the de facto standard for PC sound.
Sound cards use two basic methods to translate digital data into analog sounds:
Creative Labs sound products page Provides links to Creative Labs's Sound Blaster card products. In addition, there are links to a sound card buyers guide, product reviews, news, awards, and software demos.
Generating DTMF tones Provides information on generating DTMF tones using a sound card.
PC Sound Card Overview Outlines the features and components of a modern PC sound card, covering both FM and wavetable synthesis. Includes graphics, diagrams and an integrated glossary. This page is from "The PC Technology Guide."
