don't laugh

Great, a walters protégé. Just what we needed.

A sound card is a device that converts analog audio signals to digital and vice versa. It is often referred to as an audio interface.
 
I'm not sure if there is some type of official DAW glossary out there on the net! It would be helpful because the terms soundcard and interface are often used interchangeably. It could be that "interface"or "audio interface" is the larger catergory that includes soundcards and external boxes that serve the same function. But, in my pin-shaped head, I typically equate interfaces with external boxes containing several features including a computer connection (firewire, USB,etc), AD/DA converters, preamps, instrument inputs, a system for monitoring with headphones, a set of outputs for speakers, and sometimes digital inputs/outputs. I think of soundcards as literally a card with input and output wires attached. The function is basically the same: getting audio into the computer. If your shopping for either one, your choice depends on your computer. If you don't have an available slot on your current machine, you need to look at external interfaces. Confused?You're not the first and you won't be the last!
 
everybody starts somewhere.........

myk said:
-what is a sound card?
-how does it work?
-is it an interface?
Click to expand...

soundcards are called that because the original PC had no way to make sounds other than a speaker on the front that went beep, and gave some boot error codes.

somebody came up with the idea to make a circuit board that could handle audio and fit in one of the expansion slots on the pc main circuit board. there were several competing standards but the sound blaster won out, now most everything (and all games) are soundblaster compatible.

however, most newer systems do not have a sound card separate from the main circuit board (motherboard). They have a sound CHIP right on the motherboard. If you put a more capable aftermarket card in you may have to disable the chip on the motherboard (not with a hammer, its in the documentation that comes with it(hopefully).

on this board a lot of people refer to a soundcard but primarily mean this to refer to its ability to turn analog signals( like from a microphone) into the same type of numeric code that music cd's use. this is called analog to digital conversion (a/d converters)

a high end (expensive) system might bypass the soundcard completely and come into the computer already in digital form via the firewire conector or the usb conector.

for basic question I suggest:

www.tomshardware.com
www.cnet.com

both of them have lots of info, and people better informed about computers then a lot of the people here (oh, shit, don't flame me, I did not say EVERYBODY)
 
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