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Re: [ARSCLIST] current role of soundcards
on 11/2/06 10:29 AM, Prentice, Will at Will.Prentice@xxxxx wrote:
> To my mind, soundcards have tended to fulfil 3 functions:
> 1) they convert analogue audio to digital
> 2) they provide physical interfaces
> 3) they can provide additional processing power
>
> With an ADC as described above, none of this is required now, surely?
> What am I missing?
'Sound card' is a generic term. Sound interface would be more appropriate.
At it's most basic, it enables a computer to input and output sound.
The sound interface can be internal - part of the motherboard, loaded into
a PCI slot, or external interfacing via firewire, USB, or PC slot. The sound
interface works hand in hand with it's driver which is a small software
program which allows the computer to communicate with the sound interface,
and sound editing software which communicates with the interface via the
driver.
This is not to be confused with the ADC and DAC which can be included on the
card or reside in an external unit. The reason for recommending that the ADC
Be an external device is twofold. 1. The computer power supply has to
provide voltage to numerous components and these can contaminate the power
circuit increasing noise, and 2. There is lots of EMF floating around inside
a computer which can contaminate the analog portion of the ADC.
Hope this helps
--
Konrad Strauss
Director of Recording Arts
Associate Professor of Music
Jacobs School of Music
Indiana University
http://php.indiana.edu/~kstrauss
http://www.music.indiana.edu/department/audio/