Tips: A sound board for your PC

Tips: A sound board for your PC

By Zatni Arbi

JAKARTA (JP): A PC should not be a dead box sitting on your
desk or standing on the floor. It can be a treat to an
audiophile's ears as well, on the condition that you put the
right hardware into it.

Originally, the only sound that your PC can produce is the
terrible screeching noise that comes out of its tiny speaker. You
usually hear it when you hit the wrong key or when the system
encounters some sort of problem. You can change the squealing
noise to a much more pleasing bell sound with the help of a sound
card.

This sound card is an expansion board that you can insert into
one of the free expansion slots in your PC. Here are the minimal
specs that you should look for in a sound card, in case you want
to add sound capabilities to your existing PC:
1. Compatibility with Creative Lab's Sound Blaster and Microsoft
Windows Sound System 2.0.
2. Ability to record and play 16 bit stereo sound.
3. Ability to cover a 44.1 KHz range of sampling rate.
4. At least two ports at the back of the card, one for a pair of
stereo speakers and another for a stereo microphone. A joystick
port that can function as MIDI port is also necessary if you
intend to play MIDI instrument or computer games.
4. An SCSI connection for a CD-ROM drive.
5. A wave or FM with a wave option synthesizer.

The latest generation of sound boards also features a digital
signal processor, or DSP. So, find one with a DSP on it.

Finally, if you want to go all the way, you can connect your
sound card to a fully configured home stereo system. Add the BBE
Sonic Maximizer, too, if you like, and you'll be able to immerse
yourself in an ocean of digital music.