Editing Sound card (section)

====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.