Sound Card Basics

Motherboards typically have basic integrated audio built into them. For surround sound, connecting music equipment to your computer and a myriad of other audio features, you need to install a sound card. This sound card is comprised of several different parts. The Digital Signal Processor (DSP) is similar to a video card’s GPU. It will process multiple channels simultaneously, lessening the load on the computer’s processor. Sound cards will also typically have their own memory, much like a video card. This also lessens the load for your processor. A basic sound card will have inputs and outputs for microphones and speakers. Higher end ones will also sport features such as surround sound speaker connections, Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), and USB and Firewire connections. Most will have sound card drivers needed for full functionality, so you will probably need to install software after the hardware installation is complete to use the card. The common software applications include DirectSound and MacroFX. These applications allow the sound card to communicate with the operating system.