A sound card is an internal expansion card that provides audio input and output to and from a computer under the control of software; the term also covers external audio interfaces used for professional audio work, and sound functionality can also be built directly into a motherboard using components similar to those on a plug-in card, still commonly called a sound card, while modern video cards with HDMI outputs carry sound alongside video where older cards relied on a separate S/PDIF connection. Sound cards are used for music composition, editing video or audio, presentations, education, entertainment such as video games, video projection, and computer-based communication such as voice over IP and teleconferencing, connecting to a computer over buses including PCI, ISA, USB and FireWire and outputting audio through analog connectors such as phone, RCA or DIN jacks or digital connectors such as S/PDIF or AES/EBU; well known manufacturers include Creative Labs, Realtek, C-Media, VIA Technologies, ASUS, M-Audio and Turtle Beach Systems.
Facts
Partially Attested
YearSource describes this device as a precursor to sound cards rather than a sound card itself; the first mass market IBM PC compatible sound card, AdLib, is dated 1987 in the same article's standards table. SignificanceCreative Labs' Sound Blaster, cloning and extending AdLib's card with digital audio recording and playback, came to dominate the IBM PC compatible sound card market. 1 Sources
1. Sound card, Wikipedia
Sound cards on other platforms section
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.
Hardware manufacturers section
A large change in the IBM PC-compatible sound card market happened when Creative Labs introduced the Sound Blaster card.
- In Group: Personal Computer Internal Hardware Components, A sound card (also known as an audio card) is an internal expansion card that provides input and output of audio signals to and from a computer under the control of computer programs.
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