View source for Sound card

{{Short description|Expansion card that provides input and output of audio signals}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}

{{Infobox computer hardware
| name       = Audio interface
| image      = KL Creative Labs Soundblaster Live Value CT4670 (cropped and transparent).png
| caption    = A [[Sound Blaster]] Live! Value card, a typical ({{circa|2000}}) [[Peripheral Component Interconnect|PCI]] sound card
| conn1      = Motherboard
| via1_1     = [[Peripheral Component Interconnect|PCI]]
| via1_2     = [[Industry Standard Architecture|ISA]]
| via1_4     = [[USB]]
| via1_5     = [[FireWire]]
| via1_6     = [[IEEE 1284|IBM PC Parallel Port]]
| via1_8     = [[Micro Channel architecture|MCA]] (rare)
| via1_7     = [[PCI-E]]
| via1_9     = [[PCMCIA]] interfaces ([[PC Card]], [[Expresscard]])
| conn2      = Line in or out
| via2_1     = Analogue – [[Phone connector (audio)|phone]], [[RCA connector|RCA]] or [[DIN connector]]
| via2_2     = Digital – RCA, [[TOSLINK]], [[S/PDIF]] or [[AES/EBU]]
| conn3      = Microphone
| via3_1     = Phone connector
| via3_2     = PIN connector
| class-name = 
| class1     = 
| manuf1     = [[Creative Labs]] (and subsidiary [[E-mu Systems]])
| manuf2     = [[Realtek]]
| manuf3     = [[C-Media]]
| manuf4     = [[VIA Technologies]]
| manuf5     = [[ASUS]]
| manuf6     = [[M-Audio]]
| manuf7     = [[Turtle Beach Systems|Turtle Beach]]
}}

A '''sound card''' (also known as an '''audio card''') is an internal [[expansion card]] that provides [[input and output]] of [[audio signal]]s to and from a [[computer]] under the control of [[computer program]]s. The term ''sound card'' is also applied to external [[audio interface]]s used for [[professional audio]] applications.

Sound functionality can also be integrated into the [[motherboard]], using components similar to those found on plug-in cards. The integrated sound system is often still referred to as a ''sound card''. Sound processing hardware is also present on modern [[video card]]s with [[HDMI]] to output sound along with the video using that connector; previously, they used a [[S/PDIF]] connection to the motherboard or sound card.

Typical sound card functionality includes providing the audio component for multimedia applications such as music composition, [[Digital editing|editing]] video or audio, presentation, education and entertainment (games) and video projection. Sound cards are also used for computer-based communication such as [[voice over IP]] and [[teleconferencing]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is sound card? {{!}} Definition from TechTarget |url=https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/sound-card |access-date=2025-12-03 |website=WhatIs |language=en}}</ref>

==General characteristics==
[[File:Computer sound card01.JPEG|thumb|left|Close-up of a sound card [[Printed circuit board|PCB]], showing [[electrolytic capacitor]]s, [[Surface-mount technology|SMT]] [[capacitor]]s and [[resistor]]s, and a YAC512 two-channel 16-bit [[digital-to-analog converter|DAC]].<ref>{{citation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013045254/http://www.datasheetarchive.com/dlmain/Datasheets-6/DSA-104253.pdf |url=http://www.datasheetarchive.com/dlmain/Datasheets-6/DSA-104253.pdf |archive-date=2013-10-13 |url-status=dead |title=YAC512 |publisher=Yamaha}}</ref> The [[integrated circuit]] on the left is a 3403 single power supply quad [[operational amplifier]].]]

Sound cards use a [[digital-to-analog converter]] (DAC), which converts recorded or generated [[Digital signal (signal processing)|digital signal]] data into an [[Analog signal|analog]] format. The output signal is connected to an amplifier, headphones, or external device using standard interconnects, such as a [[TRS phone connector]].{{efn|If the number and size of connectors is too large for the space on the backplate, the connectors will be off-board, typically using a breakout box, an auxiliary backplate, or a panel mounted at the front.}}

A common external connector is the [[microphone]] connector. Input through a microphone connector can be used, for example, by [[speech recognition]] or [[voice over IP]] applications. Most sound cards have a [[line in]] connector for an analog input from a sound source that has higher voltage levels than a microphone. In either case, the sound card uses an [[analog-to-digital converter]] (ADC) to digitize this signal.

Some cards include a [[sound chip]] to support the production of [[synthesizer|synthesized]] sounds, usually for real-time generation of music and sound effects using minimal data and CPU time.

The card may use [[direct memory access]] to transfer the samples to and from [[main memory]], from where a recording and playback software may read and write it to the [[hard disk]] for storage, editing, or further processing.

===Sound channels and polyphony===
[[File:CirrusLogicCS4282-AB.jpg|thumb|right|250px|8-channel DAC [[Cirrus Logic]] '''CS4382''' placed on [[Sound Blaster X-Fi]] Fatal1ty]]

An important sound card characteristic is [[polyphony]], which refers to its ability to process and output multiple independent voices or sounds simultaneously. These distinct channels are seen as the number of audio outputs, which may correspond to a speaker configuration such as 2.0 (stereo), 2.1 (stereo and sub woofer), 5.1 (surround), or other configurations. Sometimes, the terms ''voice'' and ''channel'' are used interchangeably to indicate the degree of polyphony, not the output speaker configuration. For example, much older [[sound chip]]s could accommodate three voices, but only one output [[audio channel]] (i.e., a single mono output), requiring all voices to be mixed together. Later cards, such as the [[AdLib]] sound card, had a 9-voice polyphony combined in 1 mono output channel.

Early PC sound cards had multiple FM synthesis voices (typically 9 or 16), which were used for MIDI music. The full capabilities of advanced cards are often not fully used; only one (mono) or two ([[stereo]]) voice(s) and channel(s) are usually dedicated to playback of digital sound samples, and playing back more than one digital sound sample usually requires a software [[downmix]] at a fixed sampling rate. Modern low-cost integrated sound cards (i.e., those built into motherboards), such as [[audio codec]]s like those meeting the [[AC'97]] standard and even some lower-cost expansion sound cards still work this way. These devices may provide more than two sound output channels (typically 5.1 or 7.1 [[surround sound]]), but they usually have no actual hardware polyphony for either sound effects or MIDI reproduction{{snd}} these tasks are performed entirely in software. This is similar to the way inexpensive [[softmodem]]s perform modem tasks in software rather than in hardware.

In the early days of [[wavetable synthesis]], some sound card manufacturers advertised polyphony solely on the MIDI capabilities alone. In this case, typically, the card is only capable of two channels of digital sound and the polyphony specification solely applies to the number of MIDI instruments the sound card is capable of producing at once.

Modern sound cards may provide more flexible ''audio accelerator'' capabilities which can be used in support of higher levels of polyphony or other purposes such as hardware acceleration of 3D sound, [[positional audio]] and real-time DSP effects.

==List of sound card standards==
{{See also|List of sound chips}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Sound card standards
! Name !! Year !![[Audio bit depth]]!![[Sampling frequency]]
!Type !! Channels
|-
|[[PC speaker]]|| 1981 || ≈6&nbsp;bit (CPU speed dependent) || ≈18.9&nbsp;kHz (CPU speed dependent)
|[[Pulse-width modulation|PWM]]|| 1 pulse-width modulation
|-
|[[Texas Instruments SN76489|PCjr]]{{efn-ua|name=1000 PCjr|The Tandy 1000 and the PCjr used the same sound chip, but the Tandy 1000 used the Audio IN pin, whereas the PCjr did not. This allowed the Tandy to produce the speaker sound at the same time as the SN74689}} || 1984 || 16 volume settings|| 122&nbsp;Hz to 125&nbsp;kHz
|[[Programmable sound generator|PSG]]|| 3 [[Square wave (waveform)|square wave]] tone; 1 [[white noise]]
|-
|[[Texas Instruments SN76489|Tandy 1000]]{{efn-ua|name=1000 PCjr}} || 1984 || 16 volume settings  /  6&nbsp;bit || 122&nbsp;Hz to 125&nbsp;kHz
|PSG|| 3 square wave tone; 1 white noise; 1 pulse-width modulation
|-
|[[MPU-401]]|| 1984 ||  || 
|[[MIDI]] || 1 MIDI in; 2 MIDI out; [[DIN sync]] out; tape sync IO; metronome out
|-
|[[Covox]] [[Speech Thing]]|| 1987 || 8&nbsp;bit || 7&nbsp;kHz (Disney Sound Source), up to 44&nbsp;kHz (CPU speed dependent)
|[[PCM]] || 1 [[Digital-to-analog converter|DAC]]
|-
|[[AdLib]]|| 1987 || 64 volume settings / 8&nbsp;bit || 16&nbsp;kHz
|[[FM synthesizer]]|| 6-voice FM synthesizer, 5 percussion instruments
|-
|[[Roland MT-32]]|| 1987 || 16&nbsp;bit || 32&nbsp;kHz
| MIDI synthesizer || 8 melodic channels; 1 rhythm channel
|-
|[[Sound Blaster]]|| 1989 || 8&nbsp;bit || 22.05&nbsp;kHz
|FM synthesizer&nbsp;+ [[digital signal processor|DSP]]|| 1 DAC; 11-voice FM synthesizer
|-
|[[Innovation Computer|Innovation]] [[SSI-2001]]|| 1989 || 8&nbsp;bit || 3906.19 Hz max.
|[[Programmable sound generator|PSG]] || 3 voices
|-
|[[Sound Blaster Pro]]|| 1991 || 8&nbsp;bit || 44.1&nbsp;kHz mono, 22.05 kHz stereo
| || 
|-
|[[Roland Sound Canvas]]|| 1991 || 16&nbsp;bit || 32&nbsp;kHz
| MIDI synthesizer || 24 voices
|-
|[[Gravis UltraSound]]|| 1992 || 16&nbsp;bit ||[[44.1 kHz|44.1&nbsp;kHz]]
| [[Wavetable synthesis]] || 16 stereo channels
|-
|[[AC'97]]|| 1997 || 24&nbsp;bit || 96&nbsp;kHz
|[[PCM]]&nbsp;+ DSP|| 6 independent output channels
|-
|[[Environmental Audio Extensions]]|| 2001 ||  || 
| [[Digital signal processing]] || 8 simultaneous 3D voices
|-
|[[Intel High Definition Audio]]|| 2004 || 32&nbsp;bit || 192&nbsp;kHz
|PCM&nbsp;+ [[Direct Stream Digital|DSD]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=drewbatgit |title=Representing Formats for IEC 61937 Transmissions - Win32 apps |url=https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/coreaudio/representing-formats-for-iec-61937-transmissions |access-date=2026-02-11 |website=learn.microsoft.com |language=en-us}}</ref>&nbsp;+ DSP|| up to 15 independent output channels
|}

{{notelist-ua}}

==Color codes==
Connectors on the sound cards are color-coded as per the [[PC System Design Guide]].<ref name="pcguide">[http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/archive/pcguides.mspx PC 99 System Design Guide], {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227081352/https://www.microsoft.com/whdc/archive/pcguides.mspx |date=2008-12-27 }}, Intel Corporation and Microsoft Corporation, 14 July 1999. Chapter 3: PC 99 basic requirements ([http://download.microsoft.com/download/win2000pro/PCG/1.0/NT5/EN-US/pc99v1a.exe PC 99 System Design Guide (Self-extracting .exe archive)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070216004214/http://download.microsoft.com/download/win2000pro/PCG/1.0/NT5/EN-US/pc99v1a.exe |date=2007-02-16 }}. Requirement 3.18.3: Systems use a color-coding scheme for connectors and ports. Accessed 2012-11-26</ref> They may also have symbols of arrows, holes and soundwaves that are associated with each jack position.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! colspan="2" | Color !! [[Pantone]]<ref name="pcguide"/> !! Function !! Type !! Connector !! Symbol
|-
! style="background:#E68699;"| &nbsp;
! [[Pink]]
| 701&nbsp;C
| Analog [[microphone]] audio input
| Input
| 3.5&nbsp;mm [[minijack]]
|[[File:PC Microphone.svg|frameless|80x80px|alt=A microphone]]
|-
! style="background:#6CACE4;"| &nbsp;
! Light [[blue]]
| 284&nbsp;C
| Analog [[line level]] audio input
| Input
| 3.5&nbsp;mm minijack
|[[File:PC Audio in.svg|frameless|80x80px|alt=Arrow going into a circle]]
|-
! style="background:#A9C47F;"| &nbsp;
! [[Lime (color)|Lime]]
| 577&nbsp;C
| Analog line level audio output for the main stereo signal (front speakers or headphones)
| Output
| 3.5&nbsp;mm minijack
|[[File:PC Audio out.svg|frameless|80x80px|alt=Arrow going out one side of a circle into a wave]]
|-
! style="background:#ECA154;"| &nbsp;
! [[Orange (color)|Orange]]
| 157&nbsp;C
| Analog line level audio output for center channel speaker and [[subwoofer]]
| Output
| 3.5&nbsp;mm minijack
|
|-
! style="background:black;"| &nbsp;
! [[Black]]
|
| Analog line-level audio output for surround speakers, typically rear stereo
| Output
| 3.5&nbsp;mm minijack
|
|-
! style="background:#9EA2A2;"| &nbsp;
! [[Silver (color)|Silver]]/Grey
| 422&nbsp;C
| Analog line level audio output for surround optional side channels
| Output
| 3.5&nbsp;mm minijack
|
|-
! style="background:#AD7C59;"| &nbsp;
! [[Brown]]/Dark
| 4645&nbsp;C
| Analog line level audio output for a special panning, 'Right-to-left speaker'
| Output
| 3.5&nbsp;mm minijack
| 
|-
! style="background:gold;"| &nbsp;
! [[Gold (colour)|Gold]]/Grey
|
| [[Game port]] / [[MIDI]]
| Input
| [[D-subminiature#DA-15 connectors 2|DA-15]]
|[[File:PC_Joystick.svg|left|thumb|57x57px|Game port]][[File:HP_MIDI.svg|thumb|80x80px|MIDI]]
|}

==History of sound cards for the IBM PC architecture==
[[File:AdLib.png|thumb|right|The [[AdLib]] Music Synthesizer Card was one of the first sound cards {{circa|1990}}. Note the manual volume adjustment knob. [[Industry Standard Architecture|ISA-8]] bus.]]
[[File:Mozart 16 (Oak OTI601).png|thumb|right|Sound card Mozart 16 for [[Industry Standard Architecture|ISA-16]] bus]]
[[File:Turtle Beach Sound Card (Catalina).png|thumb|A [[Turtle Beach Systems|Turtle Beach]] sound card for [[Conventional PCI|PCI]] bus]]
[[File:Echo Digital Audio Corporation's Indigo IO.png|thumb|Echo Digital Audio's Indigo IO{{snd}} [[PCMCIA card]] [[24-bit]] 96&nbsp;kHz stereo in/out sound card]]
[[File:A VIA Envy Sound Card 5.1 6 Channels (VIA VT1617A).jpg|thumb|A [[VIA Technologies]] Envy sound card for PC, 5.1 channel for [[Peripheral Component Interconnect|PCI]] slot]]

Sound cards for [[IBM PC–compatible]] computers were very uncommon until 1988. For the majority IBM PC users, the internal [[PC speaker]] was the only way for early PC software to produce sound and music.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://www.joeylatimer.com/pdf/Compute!%20April%201990%20PC%20Sound%20Gets%20Serious%20by%20Joey%20Latimer.pdf|title=PC Sound Gets Serious!|author=Latimer, Joey|work=Compute!|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140906061745/http://www.joeylatimer.com/pdf/Compute!%20April%201990%20PC%20Sound%20Gets%20Serious%20by%20Joey%20Latimer.pdf|archive-date=September 6, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> The speaker hardware was typically limited to [[Square wave (waveform)|square wave]]s. The resulting sound was generally described as "beeps and boops" which resulted in the common nickname ''beeper''. Several companies, most notably [[Access Software]], developed techniques for digital sound reproduction over the PC speaker, like [[RealSound]]. The resulting audio, while functional, suffered from the heavily distorted output and low volume, and usually required all other processing to be stopped while sounds were played. Other home computers of the 1980s, like the [[Commodore 64]], included hardware support for digital sound playback or music synthesis, leaving the IBM PC at a disadvantage when it came to multimedia applications. Early sound cards for the IBM PC platform were not designed for gaming or multimedia applications, but rather on specific audio applications, such as music composition with the [[AdLib|AdLib Personal Music System]], [[IBM Music Feature Card]], and [[Creative Music System]], or on speech synthesis like Digispeech ''DS201'', [[Covox Speech Thing]], and Street Electronics ''Echo''.

In 1988, a panel of computer-game CEOs stated at the [[Consumer Electronics Show]] that the PC's limited sound capability prevented it from becoming the leading home computer, that it needed a $49–79 sound card with better capability than current products, and that once such hardware was widely installed, their companies would support it. [[Sierra On-Line]], which had pioneered supporting [[Enhanced Graphics Adapter|EGA]] and [[VGA]] video, and 3-1/2" disks, promised that year to support the AdLib, IBM Music Feature, and [[Roland MT-32]] sound cards in its games.<ref name="cgw198807">{{cite magazine|title=Winds of Progress Unleashed in "Windy City"|magazine=Computer Gaming World|date=July 1988|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1988&pub=2&id=49|access-date=November 3, 2013|pages=8}}</ref> A 1989 ''Computer Gaming World'' survey found that 18 of 25 game companies planned to support AdLib, six Roland and Covox, and seven Creative Music System/Game Blaster.<ref name="cgw198909">{{cite magazine|title=The Gamer's Guide to Sound Boards|magazine=Computer Gaming World|date=September 1989|access-date=November 4, 2013|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1989&pub=2&id=63|pages=18}}</ref>

===Hardware manufacturers===
One of the first manufacturers of sound cards for the IBM PC was AdLib,<ref name=autogenerated1 /> which produced a card based on the [[Yamaha YM3812]] sound chip, also known as the OPL2. The AdLib had two modes: A 9-voice mode where each voice could be fully programmed, and a less frequently used ''percussion'' mode with 3 regular voices producing 5 independent percussion-only voices for a total of 11.{{efn|The percussion mode was considered inflexible by most developers; it was used mostly by AdLib's own composition software.}}

[[Creative Labs]] also marketed a sound card called the Creative Music System (C/MS) at about the same time. Although the C/MS had twelve voices to AdLib's nine and was a stereo card while the AdLib was mono, the basic technology behind it was based on the [[Philips SAA1099]] chip, which was essentially a square-wave generator. It sounded much like twelve simultaneous PC speakers would have except for each channel having amplitude control, and failed to sell well, even after Creative renamed it the [[Game Blaster]] a year later, and marketed it through [[RadioShack]] in the US. The Game Blaster retailed for under $100 and was compatible with many popular games, such as [[Silpheed]].

A large change in the IBM PC-compatible sound card market happened when Creative Labs introduced the [[Sound Blaster]] card.<ref name=autogenerated1/> Recommended by Microsoft to developers creating software based on the [[Multimedia PC]] standard,<ref name="english199206">{{cite news|url=http://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/issue141/82_Sound_Blaster_turns_.php|title=Sound Blaster turns Pro|work=Compute!|date=June 1992|access-date=November 11, 2013|author=English, David|pages=82}}</ref> the Sound Blaster cloned the AdLib and added a sound coprocessor{{efn|This was likely an [[Intel]] microcontroller relabeled by Creative.}} for recording and playback of digital audio. The card also included a [[game port]] for adding a [[joystick]], and the capability to interface to MIDI equipment using the game port and a special cable. With AdLib compatibility and more features at nearly the same price, most buyers chose the Sound Blaster. It eventually outsold the AdLib and dominated the market.

Roland also made sound cards in the late 1980s such as the MT-32<ref name=autogenerated1 /> and [[Roland LAPC-I|LAPC-I]]. Roland cards sold for hundreds of dollars. Many games, such as Silpheed and Police Quest II, had music written for their cards. The cards were often poor at sound effects, such as laughs, but for music were by far the best sound cards available until the mid-nineties. Some Roland cards, such as the SCC, and later versions of the MT-32, were made to be less expensive.

By 1992, one sound card vendor advertised that its product was "Sound Blaster, AdLib, Disney Sound Source and Covox Speech Thing Compatible!"<ref name="cgw199207">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1992&pub=2&id=96|title=Computing Will Never Sound the Same|magazine=Computer Gaming World|date=July 1992|access-date=July 3, 2014|type=advertisement|pages=90}}</ref> Responding to readers complaining about an article on sound cards that unfavorably mentioned the [[Gravis Ultrasound]], ''Computer Gaming World'' stated in January 1994 that, "The de facto standard in the gaming world is Sound Blaster compatibility ... It would have been unfair to have recommended anything else."<ref name="cgw199401">{{Cite magazine |date=January 1994 |title=Sound Philosophy |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=114 |department=Letters from Paradise |magazine=Computer Gaming World |pages=120, 122}}</ref> The magazine that year stated that ''[[Wing Commander II]]'' was "Probably the game responsible" for making it the standard card.<ref name="brooks199405">{{Cite magazine
 |last=Brooks
 |first=M. Evan
 |date=May 1994
 |title=Never Trust A Gazfluvian Flingschnogger!
 |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=118
 |magazine=Computer Gaming World
 |pages=42–58}}</ref> The Sound Blaster line of cards, together with the first inexpensive [[CD-ROM]] drives and evolving video technology, ushered in a new era of [[multimedia]] computer applications that could play back CD audio, add recorded dialogue to [[video game]]s, or even reproduce [[full motion video]] (albeit at much lower resolutions and quality in early days). The widespread decision to support the Sound Blaster design in multimedia and entertainment titles meant that future sound cards such as [[Media Vision]]'s [[Pro Audio Spectrum]] and the Gravis Ultrasound had to be Sound Blaster [[computer compatibility|compatible]] if they were to sell well. Until the early 2000s, when the AC'97 audio standard became more widespread and eventually usurped the SoundBlaster as a standard due to its low cost and integration into many motherboards, Sound Blaster compatibility was a standard that many other sound cards supported to maintain compatibility with many games and applications released.

===Industry adoption===
[[File:Three-isa-audio-cards.jpg|thumb|Three early ISA (16-bit) PC sound cards showing the progression toward integrated chipsets]]

When game company [[Sierra On-Line]] opted to support add-on music hardware in addition to built-in hardware such as the [[PC speaker]] and built-in sound capabilities of the [[IBM PCjr]] and [[Tandy 1000]], what could be done with sound and music on the IBM PC changed dramatically. Two of the companies Sierra partnered with were Roland and AdLib, opting to produce in-game music for [[King's Quest|King's Quest 4]] that supported the MT-32 and AdLib Music Synthesizer. The MT-32 had superior output quality, due in part to its method of sound synthesis as well as built-in reverb. Since it was the most sophisticated synthesizer they supported, Sierra chose to use most of the MT-32's custom features and unconventional instrument patches, producing background sound effects (e.g., chirping birds, clopping horse hooves, etc.) before the Sound Blaster brought digital audio playback to the PC. Many game companies also supported the MT-32, but supported the Adlib card as an alternative because of the latter's higher market base. The adoption of the MT-32 led the way for the creation of the [[MPU-401]], [[Roland Sound Canvas]] and [[General MIDI]] standards as the most common means of playing in-game music until the mid-1990s.

===Feature evolution===
{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2024}}
Early [[ISA bus]] sound cards were [[half-duplex]], meaning they could not record and play digitized sound simultaneously. Later, ISA cards like the SoundBlaster AWE series and Plug-and-play Soundblaster clones supported simultaneous recording and playback, but at the expense of using up two IRQ and DMA channels instead of one. [[Conventional PCI]] bus cards generally do not have these limitations and are mostly full-duplex.

Sound cards have evolved in terms of digital audio sampling rate (starting from 8-bit {{nowrap|11025 Hz}}, to 32-bit, {{nowrap|192 kHz}} that the latest solutions support). Along the way, some cards started offering [[wavetable synthesis]], which provides superior [[MIDI]] synthesis quality relative to the earlier [[Yamaha OPL]] based solutions, which use [[FM synthesis]]. Some higher-end cards (such as [[Sound Blaster AWE32]], [[Sound Blaster AWE64]] and [[Sound Blaster Live!]]) introduced their own RAM and processor for user-definable sound samples and MIDI instruments as well as to offload [[Audio signal processing|audio processing]] from the CPU. Later, the integrated audio ([[AC'97]] and later [[Intel HD Audio|HD Audio]]) prefers the use of a software MIDI synthesizer, for example, [[Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth]] in [[Microsoft Windows]].

With some exceptions,{{efn|The [[E-MU]] card family, the Gravis GF-1 and AMD Interwave support up to 32 channels.}} for years, sound cards, most notably the [[Sound Blaster]] series and their compatibles, had only one or two channels of digital sound. Early games and [[MOD (file format)|MOD]]-players needing more channels than a card could support had to resort to mixing multiple channels in software. Even today, the tendency is still to mix multiple sound streams in software, except in products specifically intended for gamers or professional musicians.

====Crippling of features====
{{Main|Crippleware}}
As of 2024, sound cards are not commonly programmed with the audio loopback systems commonly called ''stereo mix'', ''wave out mix'', ''mono mix'' or ''what u hear'', which previously allowed users to digitally record output otherwise only accessible to speakers.

[[Lenovo]] and other manufacturers fail to implement the feature in hardware, while other manufacturers disable the [[device driver|driver]] from supporting it. In some cases, loopback can be reinstated with driver updates.<ref>Installing an LG driver on many Dells with Sigmatel 92xx chip, including the Inspiron 6400 and other models can add support for stereo mix. [http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3517/p/18549377/18672363.aspx#18672363] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520132558/http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3517/p/18549377/18672363.aspx#18672363|date=2013-05-20}} Reference dates from 2007 and covers Windows XP and Vista.</ref> Alternatively, software such as [[Virtual Audio Cable|virtual audio cable]] applications can be purchased to enable the functionality. According to Microsoft, the functionality was hidden by default in Windows Vista to reduce user confusion, but is still available, as long as the underlying sound card drivers and hardware support it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/larryosterman/2008/07/11/whatever-happened-to-wave-out-mix/|title=Whatever happened to Wave Out Mix? – Larry Osterman's WebLog – Site Home – MSDN Blogs|website=Blogs.msdn.com|access-date=September 7, 2017}}</ref> 

Ultimately, the user can use the [[analog loophole]] and connect the line out directly to the line in on the sound card. However, in laptops, manufacturers have gradually moved from providing 3 separate jacks with TRS connectors{{snd}}usually for line in, line out/headphone out and microphone{{snd}}into just a single combo jack with TRRS connector that combines inputs and outputs.

===Outputs===
The number of physical sound channels has also increased. The first sound card solutions were mono. Stereo sound was introduced in the early 1980s, and [[quadraphonic sound]] came in 1989. This was shortly followed by [[5.1]] channel audio. The latest sound cards support up to 8 audio channels for the [[7.1]] speaker setup.<ref>{{cite web|title=Realtek|url=http://www.realtek.com/products/productsView.aspx?Langid=1&PFid=28&Level=5&Conn=4&ProdID=173|access-date=September 7, 2017|archive-date=August 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818001831/http://www.realtek.com/products/productsView.aspx?Langid=1&PFid=28&Level=5&Conn=4&ProdID=173|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A few early sound cards had sufficient power to drive unpowered speakers directly{{snd}}for example, two watts per channel. With the popularity of amplified speakers, sound cards no longer have a power stage, though in many cases they can adequately drive headphones.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000124124/why-is-the-volume-low-when-i-plug-my-headphones-directly-into-the-sound-card-jack |title=Why is the volume low when I plug my headphones directly into the sound card jack? |publisher=Dell |access-date=2021-11-24}}</ref>

===Professional sound cards===
{{main|Audio interface}}
[[File:MOTU Audio Interfaces 7849.jpg|right|thumb|A pair of professional [[19-inch rack|rackmount]] audio interfaces]]
Professional sound cards are sound cards optimized for [[high-fidelity]], low-latency multichannel sound recording, sound playback and/or gaming. Their drivers usually follow the [[Audio Stream Input/Output]] protocol for use with professional sound engineering and music software.{{efn|[[Audio Stream Input/Output|ASIO]] drivers are also available for a range of consumer-grade sound cards.}}
[[File:MOTU Audio Interfaces 7851.jpg|thumb|right|Professional audio interfaces often have industry-standard inputs in addition to analogue audio, in this case [[ADAT Lightpipe|ADAT]], [[TDIF]], and [[S/PDIF]].]]
Professional sound cards are usually described as ''audio interfaces'', and sometimes have the form of external rack-mountable units using [[USB]], [[FireWire]], or an optical interface, to offer sufficient data rates. The emphasis in these products is, in general, on multiple input and output connectors, direct hardware support for multiple input and output sound channels, as well as higher sampling rates and fidelity as compared to the usual consumer sound card.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ausha.co/blog/best-audio-interface-for-podcast-recording/ |title=Elevate Your Sound: The Best Audio Interface for Podcast and Recording |access-date=2024-04-12}}</ref>

On the other hand, certain features of consumer sound cards, such as support for [[3D audio]], hardware acceleration in [[video game]]s, or real-time ambiance effects, are secondary, nonexistent or even undesirable in professional audio interfaces.{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}}

The typical consumer-grade sound card is intended for generic home, office, and entertainment purposes with an emphasis on playback and casual use, rather than catering to the needs of audio professionals. In general, consumer-grade sound cards impose several restrictions and inconveniences that would be unacceptable to an audio professional. Consumer sound cards are also limited in the ''effective'' sampling rates and bit depths they can actually manage and have lower numbers of less flexible input channels.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-10-05 |title=What is an Audio Interface? |url=https://productionden.com/what-is-an-audio-interface/ |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=Production Den |language=en-US}}</ref> Professional studio recording use typically requires more than the two channels that consumer sound cards provide, and more accessible connectors, unlike the variable mixture of internal—and sometimes virtual—and external connectors found in consumer-grade sound cards{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}}.

==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 enough-quality sound. However, the Sound Blaster compatibility 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 has been relegated to history.

Some lower-cost integrated sound cards may create some sound distortion, as their [[electromagnetic shielding]] circuits may be cost down.

===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 the 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 already being 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]] such as ''[[Mortal Kombat II]]'' on the Midway T-Unit hardware. The T-Unit hardware already has an onboard OPM [[YM2151]] FM chip coupled with an [[Oki Electric Industry|OKI]] MSM6295 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. There were sound cards called ''MSX-Music'' and ''MSX-Audio'' for the system, which used [[Yamaha YM2413|OPLL]] and [[OPL1]] chipsets, respectively. The [[Moonsound]], created by Sunrise Swiss, uses an [[Yamaha YMF278|OPL4]] sound chip.

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 an OPL FM synthesizer.

Contrary to popular belief, the [[PC-98]] series of computers do not have any integrated sound and their default configuration is a PC speaker driven by a timer, like their IBM PC cousins. 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 Sound Blaster 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 laptops 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 are more capable with their higher bandwidths.

==Uses==
The main function of a sound card is to play audio, usually music, with varying formats (monophonic, stereophonic, various multiple speaker setups) and degrees of control. The source may be a CD or DVD, a file, streamed audio, or any external source connected to a sound card input. Audio may be recorded. Sometimes, sound card hardware and drivers do not support recording a source that is being played.

=== Non-sound uses ===
Sound cards can be used to generate (output) arbitrary electrical waveforms, as any digital waveform ''played'' by the soundcard is converted to the desired output within the bounds of its capabilities. In other words, sound cards are consumer-grade [[arbitrary waveform generator]]s. A number of free and commercial software allow sound cards to act like [[function generator]]s by generating desired waveforms from functions;<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www3.telus.net/Harley_Davidson/oscilloscope/Downloads.html |title=Web page with free function generator and oscilloscope software for sound card |access-date=2012-04-03 |archive-date=2012-04-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427131203/http://www3.telus.net/Harley_Davidson/oscilloscope/Downloads.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> there are also online services that generate audio files for any desired waveforms, playable through a sound card.

Sound cards can also be used to record electrical waveforms, in the same way it records an analog audio input. The recording can be displayed by special or general-purpose audio-editing software (acting as an [[oscilloscope]]) or further transformed and analyzed. A protection circuit should be used to keep the input voltage within acceptable bounds.<ref name=Bogatin>{{cite web |url=https://www.nutsvolts.com/magazine/article/turn-your-computers-sound-card-into-a-scope |author=Eric Bogatin |title=Turn Your Computer’s Sound Card into a Scope|quote=For example, the Sabrent low cost ($8) USB sound card has an internal 16-bit ADC that can sample up to 196 kS/sec, but has a limited input frequency range from about 100 Hz to 20 kHz. The Waveforms software tool can drive this USB sound card.}}</ref><ref name="Pervaiz10">{{cite web |last1=Pervaiz |first1=Saad |title=Use of Sound Card as an Oscilloscope and Function Generator |url=https://physlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Sound_Card.pdf |date=Winter 2010}}</ref>

As general-purpose waveform generators and analyzers, sound cards are bound by several design and physical limitations.
* Sound cards have a limited sample rate, typically up to 192&nbsp;kHz. Under the assumptions of the [[Nyquist–Shannon sampling theorem]], this means a maximum signal frequency (bandwidth) of half that: 96&nbsp;kHz. Real sound cards tend to have a bandwidth smaller than implied by the Nyquist limit from internal filtering.<ref name=Bogatin/>
* As with all ADCs and DACs, sound cards produce distortion and noise. A typical integrated sound card, the [[Realtek]] ALC887, according to its data sheet, has distortion about 80&nbsp;dB below the fundamental; cards are available with distortion better than −100&nbsp;dB.
* Sound cards commonly suffer from some clock drift, requiring correction of measurement results.

Sound cards have been used to analyze and generate the following types of signals:

* '''Sound equipment testing'''. A very-low-distortion sinewave oscillator can be used as input to equipment under test; the output is sent to a sound card's line input and run through [[Fourier transform]] software to find the amplitude of each harmonic of the added distortion.<ref>[http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/solid-state/166378-sound-card-software-use-distortion-measurement-2.html Detailed discussion of distortion measurement with sound cards], including suitable cards and software</ref> Alternatively, a less pure signal source may be used, with circuitry to subtract the input from the output, attenuated and phase-corrected; the result is distortion and noise only, which can be analyzed.
* '''Gamma spectroscopy'''. A sound card can serve as a cheap [[multichannel analyzer]] for [[gamma spectroscopy]], which allows one to distinguish different radioactive isotopes.<ref>{{cite conference |last1=Ibrahim |first1=Maslina Mohd |last2=Yussup |first2=Nolida |last3=Lombigit |first3=Lojius |last4=Rahman |first4=Nur Aira Abdul |last5=Jaafar |first5=Zainudin |title=Development of multichannel analyzer using sound card ADC for nuclear spectroscopy system |date=2014 |pages=50–53 |doi=10.1063/1.4866103|conference=International Nuclear Science, Technology & Engineering Conference 2013 (iNuSTEC2013)}}</ref>
* '''Longwave radio'''. A 192&nbsp;KHz sound card can be used to receive radio signals up to 96&nbsp;kHz. This bandwidth is enough for longwave [[time signal]]s such as the [[DCF77]] (77.5&nbsp;KHz). A coil is attached to the input side as an antenna, while special software decodes the signal.<ref>[http://pwet.fr/man/linux/commandes/dcf77rx/ man dcf77rx (Commandes) - soundcard DCF77 (and HBG) beacon receiver]</ref><ref>[http://www.qsl.net/dl4yhf/speclab/timesigs.htm Time Signal Decoder]</ref> A sound card can also work in the opposite direction and generate low-power time signal transmissions ([[JJY]] at 40&nbsp;KHz, using harmonics).<ref>{{cite web |title=Fukushima: online JJY time signal emulator |url=https://jjy.luxferre.top |website=jjy.luxferre.top}}</ref>

==Driver architecture==
To use a sound card, the [[operating system]] (OS) typically requires a specific [[device driver]], a low-level program that handles the data connections between the physical hardware and the operating system. Some operating systems include the drivers for many cards; for cards not so supported, drivers are supplied with the card or available for download.

* [[DOS]] programs for the IBM PC often had to use universal [[middleware]] driver libraries (such as the [[HMI Sound Operating System]], the [[Miles Audio Interface Libraries]] (AIL), the [[Miles Sound System]] etc.) which had drivers for most common sound cards, since DOS itself had no real concept of a sound card. Some card manufacturers provided [[Terminate-and-stay-resident program|terminate-and-stay-resident drivers]] for their products. Often, the driver is a Sound Blaster and AdLib emulator designed to allow their products to emulate a Sound Blaster and AdLib, and to allow games that could only use SoundBlaster or AdLib sound to work with the card. Finally, some programs simply had driver or middleware source code incorporated into the program itself for the sound cards that were supported.
* [[Microsoft Windows]] uses drivers generally written by the sound card manufacturers. Many device manufacturers supply the drivers on their own discs or to Microsoft for inclusion in Windows. USB audio device class support is present from Windows 98 onwards.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/bus/USB/USBFAQ_intro.mspx#E2DAC |title=Microsoft USB FAQ |website=[[Microsoft]] |access-date=2008-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080409202106/http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/bus/USB/USBFAQ_intro.mspx#E2DAC#E2DAC |archive-date=2008-04-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since Microsoft's [[Universal Audio Architecture]] (UAA) initiative which supports HD Audio, [[FireWire]] and [[USB audio class]] standards, a universal class driver by Microsoft can be used. The driver is included with [[Windows Vista]]. For [[Windows XP]], [[Windows 2000]] or [[Windows Server 2003]], the driver can be obtained by contacting Microsoft support.<ref>[https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/888111/universal-audio-architecture-uaa-high-definition-audio-class-driver-ve Universal Audio Architecture (UAA) High Definition Audio class driver version 1.0a available] Retrieved September 7, 2017.</ref> Almost all manufacturer-supplied drivers for such devices also include this universal class driver.
* A number of versions of [[UNIX]] make use of the portable [[Open Sound System]] (OSS). Drivers are seldom produced by the card manufacturer.
* Most present-day [[Linux distribution]]s make use of the [[Advanced Linux Sound Architecture]] (ALSA).{{efn|Up until [[Linux kernel]] 2.4, OSS was the standard sound architecture for Linux, although ALSA can be downloaded, compiled and installed separately for kernels 2.2 or higher. But from kernel 2.5 onwards, ALSA was integrated into the kernel and the OSS native drivers were deprecated. Backward compatibility with OSS-based software is maintained, however, by the use of the ALSA-OSS compatibility API and the OSS-emulation kernel modules.}}
* Mockingboard support on the Apple II is usually incorporated into the programs themselves, as many programs for the Apple II boot directly from disk. However, a TSR is shipped on a disk that adds instructions to Apple Basic so users can create programs that use the card, provided that the TSR is loaded first.

==List of notable sound card manufacturers==
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Asus]]
* [[Advanced Gravis Computer Technology]] (defunct)
* [[AdLib]] (defunct)
* [[Aureal Semiconductor]] (defunct)
* [[Auzentech]] (defunct)
* [[C-Media]]
* [[Creative Technology]]
* [[E-mu]] (bought out by Creative)
* [[ESS Technology]]
* [[Hercules Computer Technology]]
* [[HT Omega]]
* [[IBM]]
* [[Korg]]
* [[Media Vision]]
* [[M-Audio]]
* [[Onkyo]]
* [[Turtle Beach Systems]]
* [[VIA Technologies]]
{{Div col end}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Electronics}}
* [[Audio signal processing]]
* [[Cross-platform Audio Creation Tool]] (XACT)
* [[DirectMusic]]
* [[DirectSound]]
* [[Environmental audio extensions|EAX]]
* [[OpenAL]]
* [[PC System Design Guide]]
* [[Sound card mixer]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Sound cards}}
* {{web archive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130506224458/http://stason.org/TULARC/pc/sound-cards-multimedia/index.html |title=Jumper settings for many sound cards}}
* {{cite web |url=https://computer.howstuffworks.com/sound-card.htm |title=How sound cards work |work=How Stuff Works |access-date=2017-12-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222050908/https://computer.howstuffworks.com/sound-card.htm |archive-date=2017-12-22 |url-status=dead }}

{{PC sound standards}}
{{Basic computer components}}
{{Hardware acceleration}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sound Card}}
[[Category:Sound cards| ]]
[[Category:Hardware acceleration]]