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.