Editing Sound card (section)

==Sound devices other than expansion cards==

===Integrated sound hardware on PC motherboards===
In 1984, the first [[IBM PCjr]] had a rudimentary 3-voice sound synthesis chip (the [[SN76489]]) which was capable of generating three square-wave tones with variable [[amplitude]], and a pseudo-[[white noise]] channel that could generate primitive percussion sounds. The Tandy 1000, initially a clone of the PCjr, duplicated this functionality, with the Tandy 1000 TL/SL/RL models adding digital sound recording and playback capabilities. Many games during the 1980s that supported the PCjr's video standard (described as ''[[Tandy-compatible]]'', ''Tandy graphics'', or ''TGA'') also supported PCjr/Tandy 1000 audio.

In the late 1990s, many computer manufacturers began to replace plug-in sound cards with an [[audio codec]] chip (a combined audio [[analog-to-digital converter|AD]]/[[digital-to-analog converter|DA]]-converter) integrated into the [[motherboard]]. Many of these used [[Intel]]'s [[AC'97]] specification. Others used inexpensive [[Advanced Communications Riser|ACR]] slot accessory cards.

From around 2001, many motherboards incorporated full-featured sound cards, usually in the form of a custom chipset, providing something akin to full [[Sound Blaster]] compatibility and relatively high-quality sound. However, these features were dropped when AC'97 was superseded by Intel's [[Intel High Definition Audio|HD Audio]] standard, which was released in 2004, again specified the use of a codec chip, and slowly gained acceptance. As of 2011, most motherboards have returned to using a codec chip, albeit an HD Audio compatible one, and the requirement for Sound Blaster compatibility relegated to history.

===Integrated sound on other platforms===
Many [[home computer]]s have their own motherboard-integrated sound devices: [[Commodore 64]],  [[Amiga]], [[PC-88]], [[FM-7]], [[FM Towns]], [[Sharp X1]], [[X68000]], [[BBC Micro]], [[Acorn Electron|Electron]], [[Acorn Archimedes|Archimedes]], [[Atari 8-bit computers]], [[Atari ST]], [[Atari Falcon]], [[Amstrad CPC]], later revisions of  the [[ZX Spectrum]], [[MSX]],<ref name="hg101_retro">{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcomputers/Japanesecomputers.htm|title=Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier Retro Japanese Computers|author=John Szczepaniak|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|access-date=2011-03-29}} Reprinted from {{citation|title=[[Retro Gamer]]|issue=67|year=2009}}</ref> [[Mac (computer)|Mac]], and [[Apple IIGS]]. [[Workstation]]s from  [[Sun Microsystems|Sun]], [[Silicon Graphics]] and [[NeXT]] do as well.  In some cases, most notably in those of the Macintosh, IIGS, Amiga, C64, SGI Indigo, X68000, MSX, Falcon, Archimedes, FM-7 and FM Towns, they provide very advanced capabilities (as of the time of manufacture), in others they are only minimal capabilities. Some of these platforms have also had sound cards designed for their [[Bus (computing)|bus]] architectures that cannot be used in a standard PC.

Several Japanese computer platforms, including the MSX, X1, X68000, FM Towns and FM-7, have built-in [[FM synthesis]] sound from [[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha]] by the mid-1980s. By 1989, the FM Towns computer platform featured built-in [[PCM]] [[sample-based]] sound and supported the [[CD-ROM]] format.<ref name="hg101_retro"/>

The custom sound chip on [[Amiga]], named Paula, has four digital sound channels (2 for the left speaker and 2 for the right) with 8-bit resolution{{efn|With patches, 14/15-bit resolution could be accomplished at the cost of high CPU usage.}} for each channel and a 6-bit volume control per channel. Sound playback on Amiga was done by reading directly from the chip RAM without using the main CPU.

Most [[arcade video game]]s have integrated sound chips. In the 1980s it was common to have a separate microprocessor for handling communication with the sound chip.

===Sound cards on other platforms===
{{Gallery|align=right
|File:Melodik.jpg|Melodik sound card with the AY-3-8912 chip for the [[Didaktik]]
|File:ZXSpectrumFullerSoundBox.jpg|ZX Spectrum with Fuller soundbox
|File:Turbo sound revision a.jpg|Turbo Sound board manufactured by NedoPC, revision A
}}
The earliest known sound card used by computers was the [[Gooch Synthetic Woodwind]], a music device for [[PLATO terminals]], and is widely hailed as the precursor to sound cards and MIDI. It was invented in 1972.

Certain early arcade machines made use of sound cards to achieve playback of complex audio waveforms and digital music, despite being already equipped with onboard audio. An example of a sound card used in arcade machines is the [[Digital Compression System]] card, used in games from [[Midway Games|Midway]]. For example, ''[[Mortal Kombat II]]'' on the Midway T-Unit hardware. The T-Unit hardware already has an onboard [[YM2151]] OPL chip coupled with an OKI 6295 DAC, but said game uses an added-on DCS card instead.<ref name="mk2">{{cite web| url = http://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=611&gid=1128#1128| title = System 16 – Midway T Unit Hardware}}</ref> The card is also used in the arcade version of Midway and [[Aerosmith]]'s [[Revolution X]] for complex looping music and speech playback.{{efn|Revolution X used fully sampled songs from the band's album that transparently looped{{snd}}an impressive feature at the time the game was released.}}

[[MSX]] computers, while equipped with built-in sound capabilities, also relied on sound cards to produce better-quality audio. The card, known as [[Moonsound]], uses a [[Yamaha YMF278|Yamaha OPL4]] sound chip. Prior to the Moonsound, there were also sound cards called ''MSX Music'' and ''MSX Audio'' for the system, which uses [[OPL2]] and [[OPL3]] chipsets.

The [[Apple II]] computers, which did not have sound capabilities beyond rapidly clicking a speaker until the [[IIGS]], could use [[Apple II sound cards|plug-in sound cards from a variety of manufacturers]]. The first, in 1978, was [[ALF Products#Apple Music Synthesizer / Music Card MC16|ALF's Apple Music Synthesizer]], with 3 voices; two or three cards could be used to create 6 or 9 voices in stereo. Later ALF created the [[ALF Products#Apple Music II / Music Card MC1|Apple Music II]], a 9-voice model. The most widely supported card, however, was the [[Mockingboard]]. Sweet Micro Systems sold the Mockingboard in various models. Early Mockingboard models ranged from 3 voices in mono, while some later designs had 6 voices in stereo. Some software supported use of two Mockingboard cards, which allowed 12-voice music and sound. A 12-voice, single-card clone of the Mockingboard called the [[Phasor (sound synthesizer)|Phasor]] was made by Applied Engineering.

The [[ZX Spectrum]] that initially only had a beeper had some sound cards made for it. Examples include TurboSound<ref>{{cite web| url = http://velesoft.speccy.cz/turbosound-cz.htm| title = VeleSoft}}</ref> Other examples are the Fuller Box,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekid.cgi?id=1000159| title = WoS: Fuller Box}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.zxspectrumreviews.co.uk/review.aspx?gid=2744&rid=4769 |title=Crash Issue 01, February 1984 |access-date=2017-04-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404221012/http://www.zxspectrumreviews.co.uk/review.aspx?gid=2744&rid=4769 |archive-date=2017-04-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Zon X-81.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.zx81stuff.org.uk/zx81/hardware/ZONX81| title = ZON X-81 Programmable Sound Generator}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.zx81stuff.org.uk/zx81/hardware/ZONX81/mag/SinclairUser/Issue008/Pages/SinclairUser00800021.jpg| title = Sinclair User, issue 8, page 21}}</ref>

The Commodore 64, while having an integrated [[MOS Technology 6581|SID (Sound Interface Device)]] chip, also had sound cards made for it. For example, the Sound Expander, which added on an OPL FM synthesizer.

The [[PC-98]] series of computers, like their IBM PC cousins, also do not have integrated sound contrary to popular belief, and their default configuration is a PC speaker driven by a timer. Sound cards were made for the [[PC-9800 series#Expansion bus|C-Bus]] expansion slots that these computers had, most of which used Yamaha's FM and PSG chips and made by NEC themselves, although aftermarket clones can also be purchased, and Creative did release a C-Bus version of the SoundBlaster line of sound cards for the platform.

===External sound devices===
Devices such as the [[Covox Speech Thing]] could be attached to the parallel port of an IBM PC and fed 6- or 8-bit PCM sample data to produce audio. Also, many types of professional sound cards take the form of an external FireWire or USB unit, usually for convenience and improved fidelity.

Sound cards using the [[PC Card]] interface were available before laptop and notebook computers routinely had onboard sound. Most of these units were designed for mobile [[DJ]]s, providing separate outputs to allow both playback and monitoring from one system, however, some also target mobile gamers.

====USB sound cards====
[[File:Soundblaster Live USB.png|thumb|right|USB sound card]]
USB sound ''cards'' are external devices that plug into the computer via [[USB]]. They are often used in studios and on stage by [[electronic musician]]s including [[live PA]] performers and [[DJ]]s. DJs who use [[DJ software]] typically use sound cards integrated into [[DJ controller]]s or specialized DJ sound cards. DJ sound cards sometimes have inputs with phono [[preamplifier]]s to allow [[turntable]]s to be connected to the computer to control the software's playback of music files with [[vinyl emulation]].

The USB specification defines a standard interface, the USB audio device class, allowing a single driver to work with the various USB sound devices and interfaces on the market. Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux support this standard. However, some USB sound cards do not conform to the standard and require proprietary drivers from the manufacturer.

Cards meeting the older [[USB 1.1]] specification are capable of high-quality sound with a limited number of channels, but [[USB 2.0]] or later is more capable with their higher bandwidths.