last update on 9/11/2004    by Han
What is sound card???    Sound Card Layout  

What is sound card???

  Sound card are necessary for all CD-ROMs and become commonplace on modern personal computers. It allows computers to output audio signals and manipulate sounds through speakers and or headphones. Originally when computers were first release, it could not provide any sound. Then several manufactures like Adlib, Roland and Creative Lab release several types of audio broad during for PC adapters.

  Sound cards use two basic methods to translate digital data into analog sounds:

1)      FM synthesis mimics different musical instruments accounting to built-in-formulas.

2)      Wavetable synthesis relies on recordings of actual instruments to produce sound. Wavetable synthesis produces more accurate sound, but is also more expensive.

 Sound cards have several uses and have become a standard option which comes with computers today. The following is a listing of some of the various functions of the sound card:

1)      Audio CDs

2)      Audio conferencing

3)      Business presentations

4)      Creating and playing Midi

5)      Educational software

6)      Games

7)      Record dictations

8)      Voice recognition

9)      Watch movies

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Sound Card Layout

The following is an example of what a generic sound and may look like from the back of your computer.

Line In connector

It allows you to connect a player which can device sound like CD players or MP3.

Line Out connector

It gets sound out of the sound card.  

Volume control

It turns up and down on a non amplified output such as a set of headphones.

Microphone

It records your own sound files or disks

Today several manufacturers are beginning to identify each of the above ports by symbols on the back of the sound card. Below you will find examples of what these symbols mean.

These symbols are color coded which are on the back of the wire with same color that you are connecting to them

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Other Hardware:

Display Card    Ram    CD Rom    Hard Disk    Modem

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