Wednesday, December 29, 2021 • Güncelleme Tarihi :
What is a computer sound card and why is it used?
By the way, it is also called sound board or audio card . Basically a sound card is an expansion card or IC which helps in producing sound in any device (computer) and which can be easily heard with the help of Speaker or Headphones.
Although a computer can function properly even without a sound card , but if you install a sound card then the sound quality of your device becomes very good. Whereas earlier it had to be installed separately, whereas now it comes already by being embedded in the motherboard or in the Expansion Slot. So now we don't have any need to install it separately.
By the way, if you want to know more about the types of sound cards and how they work, then you should read this article properly about what is a sound card because here I have explained the complete information of this device in very easy language. Have tried. Hope you will definitely like this and together all the doubts of your mind will also be removed. So without delay let's move forward.
show sequence
What is Sound Card ?
A sound card is a component that is located inside the computer. It provides audio input and output capabilities to the computer. Most sound cards have at least one analog line input and one stereo line output connection. These connectors are typically 3.5 mm minijacks, which are the size of most headphones that we use.Some sound cards also support digital audio input and output, via a standard TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) connection or via an optical audio port, such as the Toslink connector.
Although there are many types of sound cards, it is very important to have a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) in any type that produces an analog output .
They convert the outgoing signal from digital to analog, which can be played with most speaker systems. Sounds cards that support analog input also require an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). It digitizes the incoming analog signal, so that the computer can process them.
Where in some computers, the sound card is a part of the motherboard, while in other machines it is actually an actual card which is located in the PCI slot.
If you want more audio capabilities in your computer such as additional input and output channels then you will have to install a new sound card for this. Professional sound cards mostly support higher sampling rates (eg 192 kHz instead of 44.1 kHz) and have more inputs and outputs.
sound card history
Early computers did not have sound cards — as they were not considered important for the basic tasks for which computers were originally designed. Rather, earlier devices used to have basic internal speakers that produced square wave audio.As computers became more complex and started coming into the consumer market (in the 1980s). Then the manufacturers came to know that they should think about producing sound in computers, that too for advanced applications and general entertainment.
IBM and other manufacturers started turning to sound device manufacturers such as Adlib and Creative Labs , who were working on new sound card technology at that time and which enabled us to listen to music, voices etc. in computers.
By the late 1980s, computers with built-in sound cards were starting to hit the market. In the early days, these sound cards were mostly focused on a few specific applications. Which were specially made for music composition, speech synthesis.
At the same time, over time, sound cards gradually became more versatile, and they were used with many softwares.
Which was the first sound card, who made it and where was it used?
The Gooch Synthetic Woodwind is considered to be the first sound card. It was used by PLATO terminals . Wherein it was invented by Sherwin Gooch in 1972 . It was a synthesizer capable of synthesizing 4-voice music.The Apple II computer was also capable of using plug-in sound cards. The Apple Music Synthesizer was the first plug-in sound card used in the Apple II, produced by ALF Products Inc. Developed in the year 1978.
AdLib was the first company that manufactured sound cards for IBM PCs . AdLib developed the Music Synthesizer Card in 1987.
How does a computer sound card work?
Audio files in a computer are such that everything is stored in the form of code. This digital information can very easily store many sound waveforms, but it cannot create sound — these "analog" waves have to be spread in the air and only then can they impact something in our ears.This sound card translates audio from digital code into sound waves as you need it.
To do this, the card uses a DAC , or digital to analog converter. The job of this converter is to translate audio file code into electrical impulses, which travel through the sound card's connections to your speakers.
Then the drivers of these speakers convert those electrical impulses into physical sound waves, and then they reach your ears in the form of sound. All speakers, internal and external, must be properly connected to the sound card , otherwise they will not work properly.
At the same time, sound cards also have a very important function. They have to do the same thing in reverse. If your computer has a mic, it is also connected to your sound card. Here the cards use an ADC , or analog to digital converter, which translates the sound waves that have been created by your voice into code and becomes an audio file.
Sound cards also have additional functions, such as serving as a MIDI interface for those who want to create a little electronic. Today's sound cards are usually streamlined, also highly integrated, to cut down on costs (whereas additional features are managed from software drivers), but some versions still have such built-in capabilities.
WHAT ARE VOICES AND CHANNELS?
In sound cards you will find both voices and channels, and there may be some confusion in understanding these two. So let's understand them properly in easy language.Voices
Voices refers to how many independent sounds that come from different sources in one sound card are managed at the same time.When your computer is playing a melody, but when a new mail arrives, a ding sound is heard, this is the case of two voices.
Manufacturers always provide sound cards with many voices for use from both hardware and software sources, as a very primary reason for using sound cards is to produce electronic music.
Earlier sound cards typically had only 9 to 18 voices . Whereas these numbers increased very quickly in an average sound card which is about 64 voices , where 32 are available from software and 32 are available from hardware.
Modern sound cards pay very little attention to hardware sources and more focus is on their software which can produce as many voices as they want, so in today's it is very common to rate a sound card with voices. .
Channels
Sometimes people use this word " channels " which describes the meaning of "voices". Technically, channels should be used in the traditional sense, due to which the sound card can handle many audio outputs.Now we are in a familiar position. Stereo sound has two channels, 2.1 stereo allows one for subwoofer, 5.1 channels include surround sound, and 7.1 channels provides best surround sound.
Importantly, you need a sound card that supports at least so many channels so that the audio system can pair it.
Sound card connections
Here I am going to tell you about some sound card connections. Where a sound card is the audio ports or audio jacks that are on the back of your computer, the colors associated with them, and connector symbols.Digital Out (white or yellow; words such as: “Digital” or “Digital Out”) – These are used to surround sound or with loudspeakers.
Sound in or line in (blue; Arrows point to waves) – These are used for connection to external audio sources (eg, tape recorder, record player, or CD player.)
Microphone or Mic (pink) – This connection is a microphone or headphones.
Sound out or line out (green; Arrow points out of waves) – This is a primary sound connection to your speakers and headphones. This sound card has a second (black) and third (orange) sound out connector.
FireWire – These are used in some high-quality sound cards in digital video cameras and in other devices.
MIDI or joystick (15 pin yellow connector) – These were used in earlier sound cards with MIDI keyboard or joystick.
Sound Card Description
A sound card is a rectangular piece of hardware in appearance, with many contacts at the bottom of the card and multiple ports on its side to connect audio devices, such as speakers.This sound card is installed in a PCI or PCIe slot in a motherboard.
Since the motherboard , case, and peripheral cards are designed keeping compatibility in mind, the side part of the sound card fits snugly into the back of the case when it is installed, so that its ports are available. are to be used.
There are also USB sound cards that allow you to plug headphones, microphones, and even other audio devices into your computer via a small adapter that plugs directly into a USB port .
sound card type
Although there are many types of Sound Cards, but three types of them are the most important and have their own benefits.Motherboard Sound Chips
When sound cards were first introduced, these were very expensive add-on cards that cost a lot. But as computer sound technology started, then their price also started decreasing.Miniaturization technology has enabled computer hardware manufacturers to produce all these technologies that are used to produce sound in just a single chip.
From today onwards, you may not find such a computer in which there is no motherboard sound chip. Motherboard sound chips helped make sound cards more affordable for all computer owners. If your computer has audio jacks along with other expansion ports in the motherboard backplane such as USB ports, then your computer has a motherboard sound chip.
Standard Sound Cards
A standard sound card is an expansion card that connects with one of the slots inside the computer.
A great advantage of sound cards as compared to motherboard sound chip is that these sound cards have their own processor chips, whereas a motherboard sound chip has to depend on the computer processor to perform any function. .
A standard sound card produces very little load on the main processor, due to which you get improved performance while playing the game.
Whereas some standard sound cards have features that you will never find in motherboard sound chips, such as 24-bit recording or multiple channel surround sound .
External Sound Adapters
An external sound adapter is a small box that holds all the features of a standard sound card, but is connected to the computer via a USB or FireWire port, not an internal expansion slot.External sound adapters also have features that standard sound cards do not have, such as extra inputs and outputs and physical volume control knobs .
An external sound adapter can be moved from one computer to another much more easily than a standard sound card.
How to Buy Better Sound Cards?
Whenever you go to buy a sound card, then you should pay more attention to the four primary specifications in total so that you can compare one sound card with the other properly. So let's go about these specs:-Audio channels The
audio channels correspond to the number of speakers and the number of multi- and omni-directional headphones. The more audio channels there are, the more directions the sound can come from and as a result, the more accurate it will be.That's why the two audio channels are very suffcient for a normal user, whereas more than this only professionals are needed who have advanced speaker systems/high-end headphones.
Bit depth
Bit depth ranges from 8 to 16 to 24. All of you must have seen this specification but you may not have understood it.Basically, bit depth manages the range that you hear, 24-bit depth in audio is most perfectly accurate. It benefits you by having high bit-depth when there is low-quality audio too, in this it lowers the noise floor and ceiling.
Basically, the lower your bi depth, the more difficult it will be to separate it from loud. 16 is the lowest, and 24 is the highest end.
SNR
The full form of SNR is Sound-to-noise ratio . Have you ever plugged in your speakers and turned them on then you might hear a buzzing sound. This buzzing sound is the noise in SNR. The higher the SNR, then the quieter the background noise.Sample Rate
Sample rate is measured in KHz and ranges from 44.1 to 192. Some audiophiles believe that higher numbers are better, but if you do not have world-class hearing equipment, then you will not realize the difference between them in most cases.44/48 KHz is a standard number, but if you are using a high-end audio hardware then you can also increase the sample rate.
What are the Common Problems of Sound Cards? How to solve them?
" Sound is not coming in my computer "This condition must have happened to all of us at one time or another. It may be that the sound card or speakers/headphones have been disconnected from their ports/power and they are no longer communicating with each other, or it may be related to the software that allows the sound to be played. stopping from.
In this, first of all you have to see whether the sound of video, sound, movie has not been mute , or if the sound of your system is not mute. Because it is so natural for this to happen.
Along with this, it may also happen that the sound card itself has also been disabled in the device manager. So these things have to be given some attention.
Another reason for not getting sound is that your device driver itself has become corrupt. In such a situation, you should download and install all sound card drivers from the internet.
If even after checking the above-mentioned things, your sound is not coming, then you probably do not have the proper software installed to do media playback.
In all these things, you will definitely get the solution of your problem.
Can SOUND cards be UPGRADE?
A sound card that is bigger can easily be replaced with a better quality sound card. So if you want to upgrade your sound card, then you can definitely do so.Whereas sound hardware that is integrated into a motherboard cannot be replaced, but they can be disabled, so that you can switch to a better PCI sound card .
With advanced sound cards, you can improve audio, while adding more clarity to digital sound, or use their processing power to reduce CPU load.
There are also outboard sound cards that are connected via a USB port, for more active sound management. If you want, you can buy both internal sound cards and peripheral versions, as long as they are compatible with your computer.
If we talk about the price of boom these sound cards then they are very expensive, while their basic models are very sufficient for most of the people. The rest you can buy them according to your budget.
What are the benefits of Sound Card?
Apart from boosting the quality of sound, sound cards also have many different benefits. Let's move on about them.1. Support more audio channels. 5.1 and 7.1 channel audio offer more ports, better surround sound speaker systems and directional audio in headphones.
2. They provide more audio ports in the system . Which were not there in the earlier system.
3. In some older systems/CPUs, sound cards also carried some load of the CPU on themselves, in which they would not put a load on the CPU to handle the sound processing and would have done it themselves. Whereas in today's modern hardware it is difficult to really notice this difference.
4. These shields from any electric interference.
Many high end sound cards actually provide a shield to prevent electrical interference from other components.
5. Provides more accurate bass, sounds and directional audio.
If you are using a low-end onboard sound chip, and then you switch to a sound card, then you will see the difference between these two very well. Because in the sound card you will get to hear more clear audio, bass and sound.
computer sound card
I hope that you must have liked my article What is Sound Card . It has always been my endeavor to provide complete information to the readers about why a sound card is used, so that they do not have to search other sites or internet in the context of that article. This will also save their time and they will also get all the information in one place.If you have any doubts about this article or you want that there should be some improvement in it, then you can write low comments for this.
Yorumlar