| Computers are stepping in the multimedia | | | | be inserted into a PCI slot on the motherboard. The |
| entertainment zone more and more each year. They | | | | card you select will depend on the function it serves. |
| have begun to take over from the video player, the | | | | If you want to watch DVD's a basic card will suffice. |
| stereo, the karaoke machine and the television. | | | | If you are looking for something that will help you |
| The motherboard of a computer comes with a basic | | | | record music, or add a microphone you will probably |
| sound component but because of the nature of the | | | | need something more sophisticated and if you are a |
| tasks involved these computers need higher quality | | | | professional musician or video editor it would be best |
| components when it comes to sound and video | | | | to get a card with multitrack recording and high |
| cards. | | | | sound quality. |
| Digital format | | | | What to look for |
| Before the eighties all audio was analog but with the | | | | Take a look at the specifications of a sound card to |
| advent of CDs on the market, the digital format | | | | find more about its quality. One number to take not |
| began to take over. All information from a computer | | | | of is the S/N or signal to noise ratio. This is the ratio |
| is digital including the audio. In order to hear a song it | | | | between the audio sounds versus the background |
| must be changed into an analog signal. Although there | | | | noise in a room. The higher this ratio is, the better |
| are attempts to improve the quality, the digital | | | | the sound card quality. This number is measured in |
| format has gaps in its information due to conversion. | | | | decibels (db). A db of 90 is good and for the |
| An average CD contains 44.1 KHZ per 16 bits. That is | | | | professional it should be more than 100db. |
| every analog signal makes up one step and there are | | | | The number of channels a sound card supports can |
| 44100 steps every second. The steps are given a | | | | be important. They can come in configurations of 5.1, |
| number. This number ranges up to 16 bits (65536). A | | | | 6.1, and 7.1. The first number indicates the number of |
| DVD has about 96khz at 16 bits and a DVD audio | | | | satellite speakers you can place near the computer |
| has 192 khz at 24 bits. | | | | and the .1 is the subwoofer channel which is for low |
| The digital audio is changed into analog using the | | | | frequency sounds. |
| Digital Audio Converter or DAC | | | | For those who are looking at professional grade |
| The quality of the DAC is one of the determining | | | | sound cards, the input amount is important. A basic |
| factors when buying a sound card. | | | | sound card has one for each stereo pair but a |
| Types of Audio Cards | | | | professional sound card will allow for ten. |
| The motherboard has a sound processor called the | | | | Price |
| AC 97. It can support a DVD at 96 kHz, 16 bits six | | | | Prices vary; you can get a poor quality basic card for |
| channels but the quality is lacking. The sound is noisy | | | | ten dollars. Most of the better cards are at least fifty |
| and cannot support more complex applications. | | | | dollars and if you are a professional the cards you |
| It is better to get an external sound card that can | | | | are looking for can be four hundred dollars or more. |