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 support MIDI , a standard for representing music electronically. In addition, most sound cards are Sound Blaster- compatible , which means that they can process commands written for a Sound Blaster card, the de facto standard for PC sound. FM Synthesis mimics different musical instruments according to built-in formulas. Wavetable Synthesis relies on recordings of actual instruments to produce sound.
Wavetable synthesis produces more accurate sound, but is also more expensive.
This home page highlights Frontier Design Group's WaveCenter product, a multichannel audio and MIDI sound card for Windows 95 PCs. 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. Generating DTMF tones Provides information on generating DTMF tones using a sound card. Corp. All Rights Reserved.