Why do you need a sound card? Why do you need a sound card, processor, RAM in a computer? Is a sound card required for a computer?

Every person needs a tool to work. It just so happened that a reasonable person began to be called precisely from the moment the tool was used for any type of activity (the wording is lame, but in general it is). Actually, any musician, being a reasonable person, should be able to at least to some extent own a musical instrument. However, within the framework of this article, we will not talk about a musical instrument in the usual sense (guitar, piano, triangle ...), but about an instrument that is later needed to process an audio signal. It's about the sound interface.

Theoretical basis

Let's make a reservation right away, sound interface, audio interface, sound card - within the framework of the presentation, they are contextual synonyms. In general, a sound card is a kind of subset of the sound interface. From a systems analysis point of view, an interface is something designed to interact with two or more systems. In our case, the systems can be something like this:

1. sound recording device (microphone) – processing system (computer);
2. processing system (computer) - sound reproducing device (speakers, headphones);
3. hybrids 1 and 2.

Formally, all that an ordinary person needs from an audio interface is to take data from the recording device and give it to the computer, or vice versa, take the data from the computer, sending it to the playback device. During the passage of the signal through the audio interface, a special signal conversion is performed so that the receiving party can further process this signal. The playback device (final) somehow reproduces an analog or sine signal, which is expressed as a sound or elastic wave. A modern computer works with digital information, that is, information that is encoded as a sequence of zeros and ones (in a more precise language, in the form of signals of discrete bands of analog levels). Thus, an obligation is imposed on the audio interface to convert an analog signal to digital and / or vice versa, which is actually the core of the audio interface: a digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital converter (DAC and ADC or DAC and ADC, respectively), as well as piping in in the form of a hardware codec, various filters, etc.
Modern PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc., as a rule, already have a built-in sound card, which allows you to record and play sounds, if there are recording and playback devices.

This is where one of the most frequently asked questions comes in:

Can the built-in sound card be used for sound recording and/or sound processing?

The answer to this question is very ambiguous.

How a sound card works

Let's figure out what happens to the signal that passes through the sound card. First, let's try to understand how a digital signal is converted to analog. As mentioned earlier, a DAC is used for this kind of conversion. We will not go into the wilds of the hardware stuffing, considering various technologies and element base, we will simply indicate “on the fingers” what happens in the “iron”.

So, we have a certain digital sequence, which is a sound signal for output to the device.

111111000011001 001100101010100 1111110011001010 00000110100001 011101100110110001

0000000100011 00010101111100101 00010010110011101 1111111101110011 11001110010010

Here, the encoded little bits of sound are marked with colors. One second of sound can be encoded by a different number of such pieces, the number of these pieces is determined by the sampling frequency, that is, if the sampling frequency is 44.1 kHz, then one second of sound will be divided into 44100 such pieces. The number of zeros and ones in one piece is determined by the sampling depth or quantization, or, simply, the bit depth.

Now, to imagine how the DAC works, let's remember the school geometry course. Imagine that time is the X axis, the level is Y. On the X axis, we mark the number of segments that will correspond to the sampling frequency, on the Y axis - 2 n segments, which will indicate the number of sampling levels, after which, we gradually mark the points that will be match specific sound levels.

It should be noted that in reality, encoding according to the above principle will look like a broken line (orange graph), however, during the conversion, the so-called. approximation to a sinusoid, or simply approximation of the signal to the form of a sinusoid, which will lead to smoothing levels (blue graph).

Something like this will look like an analog signal, which is obtained as a result of decoding a digital signal. It is worth noting that the analog-to-digital conversion is done exactly the opposite: every 1/sampling_seconds, the signal level is taken and encoded based on their sampling depth.

So, we figured out how the DAC and ADC work (more or less), now it's worth considering what parameters affect the final signal.

Basic parameters of the sound card

In the course of reviewing the operation of the converters, we got acquainted with two main parameters, these are the frequency and sampling depth, we will consider them in more detail.
Sampling frequency- this is, roughly, the number of time segments into which 1 second of sound is divided. Why is it so important for sound people to have a sound card that can operate at a frequency higher than 40 kHz. This is due to the so-called. Kotelnikov’s theorem (yes, mathematics again). If it’s trivial, then, according to this theorem, under ideal conditions, an analog signal can be restored from a discrete (digital) arbitrarily accurately if the sampling frequency is greater than 2 frequency ranges of this same analog signal . That is, if we work with the sound that a person hears (~ 20 Hz - 20 kHz), then the sampling frequency will be (20,000 - 20) x2 ~ 40,000 Hz, hence the de facto standard 44.1 kHz, this is the sampling frequency to most accurately encode the signal plus a little more (this, of course, is exaggerated, since this standard is set by Sony and the reasons are much more prosaic). However, as said before, this is under ideal conditions. Ideal conditions mean the following: the signal should be infinitely long in time and not have singularities in the form of zero spectral power or high-amplitude peak bursts. It goes without saying that a typical audio analog signal does not fit ideal conditions, due to the fact that this signal is finite in time and has bursts and drifts to "zero" (roughly, has time gaps).

Sampling depth or bit depth- this is the number of powers of the number 2, which determines how many intervals the signal amplitude will be divided into. A person, due to the imperfection of his sound apparatus, as a rule, feels comfortable in perception with a signal capacity of at least 10 bits, that is, 1024 levels, a person is unlikely to feel a further increase in capacity, which cannot be said about technology.

As can be seen from the above, when converting a signal, the sound card makes certain “concessions”.

All this leads to the fact that the resulting signal will not exactly repeat the original.

Problems when choosing a sound card

So, a sound engineer or musician (choose your own) bought a computer with a brand new OS, a cool processor, a large amount of RAM with a sound card built into the motherboard, which is promoted by the manufacturer, has outputs to provide a 5.1 sound system, DAC-ADC has a sampling rate of 48 kHz (this is no longer 44.1 kHz!), 24-bit bit depth, and so on and so forth ... To celebrate, the engineer installs sound recording software and discovers that this sound card cannot simultaneously "remove" sound, apply effects and instantly play back. Even if the sound turns out to be of very high quality, however, between the moment when the instrument plays a note, the computer processes the signal and plays it, a certain time will pass or, in simple terms, there is a lag. It's strange, because the consultant from Eldorado praised this computer so much, spoke about the sound card and in general ... and then ... eh. With grief, the engineer goes back to the store, gives back the purchased computer, pays another fabulous amount in order to buy a computer with an even more powerful processor, more RAM, a 96 (!!!) kHz and 24 bit sound card and ... in the end it's the same.

In fact, typical computers with typical built-in sound cards and stock drivers for them are not originally designed to process and play sound in near real-time mode, that is, they are not designed for VST-RTAS processing. The point here is not at all in the "basic" filling in the form of a processor- RAM-hard disk, each of these components is capable of such a mode of operation, the problem is that this sound card, at times, simply does not "know how" to work in real time.
During the operation of any computer device, due to the difference in operating speeds, so-called. delays. This is expressed in the expectation by the processor of a set of data that is necessary for processing. In addition, when developing operating system, and drivers, as well as application software, programmers resort to the so-called. the creation of the so-called. software abstractions, this is when each higher layer of the program code “hides” all the complexity of the lower level, providing only the simplest interfaces at its level. Sometimes there are tens of thousands of such abstraction levels. This approach simplifies the development process, but increases the time it takes for data to travel from source to destination and vice versa.

In fact, lags can occur not only with built-in sound cards, but also those that are connected via USB, WireFire (rest in peace), PCI, etc.

To avoid this kind of lag, developers use workarounds that get rid of unnecessary abstractions and programming transformations. One of these solutions is everyone's favorite ASIO for Widows, JACK (not to be confused with a connector) for Linux, CoreAudio and AudioUnit for OSX. It is worth noting that everything is fine with OSX and Linux and without “crutches” like Windows. However, not every device is capable of operating at the required speed and required accuracy.
Let's say that our engineer/musician belongs to the Kulibins category and was able to set up JACK/CoreAudio or get his sound card to work with the ASIO driver from the "folk craft" company.

At best, in this way our master reduced the lag from half a second to an almost acceptable 100 ms. The problem of the last milliseconds lies, among other things, in the internal signal transmission. When a signal passes from the source through the USB or PCI interface to the central processor, the signal is in charge of the south bridge, which actually works with most of the peripherals and is directly subordinate to the central processor. Nevertheless, CPU– the character is important and busy, so he doesn’t always have time to process the sound right now, so our master will either have to put up with the fact that these 100 ms can “jump” by ± 50 ms if not more. The solution to this problem can be to buy a sound card with its own data processing chip or DSP (Digital Signal Processor).

As a rule, most of all "external" sound cards (the so-called gaming sound cards) have this kind of coprocessor, but it is very inflexible for operation and is essentially designed to "improve" the reproduced sound. Sound cards that are originally designed for sound processing have a more adequate coprocessor, or, in the limiting version, such a coprocessor is sold separately. The advantage of using a coprocessor is the fact that, if it is used, special software will process the signal, practically without using the central processor. The disadvantage of this approach can be the price, as well as the “sharpening” of equipment for working with special software.

Separately, I would like to note the interface for pairing a sound card and a computer. The requirements here are quite acceptable: for a sufficiently high processing speed, such interfaces as USB 2.0, PCI will be enough. An audio signal is not really any large amount of data, like a video signal, for example, so the requirements are minimal. However, I will add a fly in the ointment: the USB protocol does not guarantee 100% delivery of information from the sender to the recipient.
We decided on the first problem - large delays when using standard drivers or a high price for using a sound card with an adequate delay.
Earlier, we decided that achieving the ideal transmission of an analog signal is not such an easy task. In addition to this, it is worth mentioning the noise and errors that arise in the process of removing / converting / transmitting a signal as data, because, if you remember physics, any measuring device has its own error, and any algorithm has its own accuracy.

This joke is very significant in view of the fact that the operation of the sound card is also affected by the radiation of the equipment located nearby, up to the ultrasound emitted by the central processor during operation. In addition, it is worth adding distortions to the characteristics of the recorded / reproduced signal, which depend on the final device (microphone, pickup, speakers, headphones, etc.). Often, for marketing, manufacturers of various sound devices deliberately increase the possible frequency of the recorded / reproduced signal, from which a person who taught biology and physics at school raises a completely conscious question “why, if a person does not hear outside the range of 20-20 kHz?”. As they say, in every truth there is a grain of truth. Indeed, many manufacturers only on paper indicate better characteristics of their equipment. Nevertheless, if, nevertheless, the manufacturer really made a device that is capable of capturing / reproducing a signal in a slightly larger frequency range, it is worth thinking about buying this equipment at least for a while, but thinking about it.
The point is this. Everyone remembers perfectly well what the frequency response is, beautiful graphs with irregularities and other things. When picking up sound (we will consider only this option), the microphone distorts it accordingly, which is characterized by unevenness of its AF characteristic within the range that it “hears”.

Thus, having a microphone that is capable of picking up a signal within the standard range (20-20k), we will get distortion only in this range. As a rule, distortions follow a normal distribution (recall probability theory), with small inclusions of random errors. What will happen if, other things being equal, we expand the range of the recorded signal? If you follow the logic, then the “cap” (probability density graph) will stretch in the direction of increasing the range, thereby shifting the distortion beyond the audible range of interest to us.

In practice, it all depends on the hardware designer and should be checked very carefully. However, the fact remains.

If we return to our hardware, then, unfortunately, not everything is so rosy. Similar to the statements made by microphone and speaker manufacturers, the sound card manufacturer also often lies about the modes of operation of their devices. Sometimes for a particular sound card you can see that it works in 96k/24bit mode, although in reality it is still the same 48k/16bit. Here the matter may be that within the driver, the sound can indeed be encoded with the specified parameters, although in reality the sound card (DAC-ADC) cannot give the necessary characteristics and simply discards the higher bits at the sampling depth and skips part of the frequencies at the sampling frequency. At one time, the simplest built-in sound cards very often sinned with this. And although, as we found out, such parameters as 40k / 10bit are quite enough for human hearing, this will not be enough for sound processing due to the introduced distortions in the sound processing process. That is, if an engineer or musician removed the sound using an average microphone or sound card, then in the future using even the best programs and iron will be very problematic to clean up all the noise and errors that were introduced during the recording stage. Fortunately, manufacturers of semi-professional or professional audio equipment do not sin like this.

The last problem is that the built-in sound cards simply do not have enough of the necessary connectors to connect the necessary devices. In fact, even a gentleman's set in the form of headphones and a pair of monitors will simply have nowhere to connect, and you will have to forget about such frills as outputs with phantom power and separate controls for each of the channels.

Total: the first thing to determine for further selection of the type of sound card is what the master will do. It is likely that for rough processing, when there is no need to record in high quality or to simulate the "ears" of the end listener, a built-in or external, but relatively cheap sound card can be enough. It can also be useful for novice musicians, if they are not too lazy to deal with reducing delays in real-time processing. For masters who are engaged exclusively in offline processing, you should not bother with reducing delays and focus on devices that will actually give out the hertz and bits they are supposed to. To do this, it is not necessary to buy an overly expensive sound card; in the cheapest version, a more or less adequate "gaming" sound card may be suitable. BUT, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that drivers for such sound cards try to improve the sound in a certain way, which is unacceptable, because for processing it is necessary to get the sound as clear and balanced as possible with a minimal inclusion of driver “improvement”.

However, if you, as a master, need a device that will meet the requirements for the quality of the recorded-playback signal, as well as the speed of processing this signal, then you will either have to pay extra, having received a device of good quality, or choose 2 things you can sacrifice: high quality, low price, high speed.

Note. Ed.: If you are a musician and do not want to understand all the complexities of modern processing, order mixing and mastering in our studio, and we will do everything necessary for you to get high-quality material! ->

Almost any novice musician faced the problem of choosing a sound card. Long gone are the years when everyone had the same sound card - Sound Blaster! To date, the range of equipment is simply huge, but choosing the right version of a sound card from this variety is not an easy task.

A bit of history.

Previously, most computers did not have a separate sound card, and many did not even think about outputting sound from a PC. Others could buy the only model on the market in those early years - the same SB from Creative. And the map looked really like a map.

Years have passed, and now sound cards look like boxes of various sizes with a bunch of different "twist-swivels" that look almost the same to an inexperienced user.

Today we will learn how to understand this variety, select equipment in relation to your tasks, and buy what you really need.

Types of sound cards

Let's divide sound cards into conditional categories (so it will be easier for us to understand them), we will analyze for whom each group is intended and what main functionality it has. This will help us determine what equipment is needed to perform exactly the tasks that you set yourself.

1. Let's start with the simplest category of sound cards. These are devices designed to replace the ZK built into the motherboard in laptops and personal computers. They usually have a fairly small case, often with a non-removable USB cable. The main task of these devices is to output sound from the computer. Optionally, there is the ability to connect a microphone / guitar, headphones. The quality of these devices is far from professional, but they are superior to the notorious AC97.

Such devices will help if a sound card suddenly fails in a laptop, or if you need to output sound to an external device with quality and delays superior to the same RealTek.

Examples of such sound cards are Behringer's UCA series, ESI's U24XL and UGM96 series.

External sound card for computer BEHRINGER UCA222

2. The next category is larger in size and wider in functionality. These sound cards already have a microphone preamplifier (often with phantom power), a high-impedance guitar input, and a headphone jack. They can provide Direct Monitoring, etc. However, these are still portable devices that you can take with you, for example, to the park to play music outdoors. They do not need external power, and the functionality is more than enough for most electronic musicians, aspiring rappers and independent composers. Also, this group of devices will be of interest to Youtube bloggers, because most of them hardly need to connect more than one microphone. The quality of the converters of these devices is a step higher, and the presence of a microphone preamplifier with phantom power will allow you to achieve a more transparent sound of vocals, more intelligible speech recording.

In the photo - a Steinberg UR12 sound card for connecting one microphone

3. The third broad category consists of two-channel devices, which have 2 inputs and 2 outputs as standard. This group includes both budget and much more expensive sound cards. In fact, they differ slightly from the previous group. The presence of two full-fledged inputs (often on combined connectors) allows you to record simultaneously 2 microphones, or 2 guitars, or a synthesizer / piano in stereo. Some devices of this group have not 2, but 4 outputs, which allows you to connect 2 pairs of monitors in a small studio or send sound to an external effect processor. Also of interest are devices that have additional digital S / P-DIF connectors that can be used to connect external devices, excluding conversion to analog.

M-audio M-Track, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2/2i4, Behringer UMC202/UMC204, Steinberg UR22/UR242, ROLAND RUBIX22/RUBIX24 are popular and loved by many devices that are perfect for a small home studio or musicians who need to record 2 channels on input at the same time.

Pictured is a small home recording studio.

4. We have come to the most functional, most powerful ZK category. These are multi-channel interfaces, most often made in a rack or semi-rack case, with a bunch of different buttons, lights, knobs and from a distance similar to an airplane control panel.

This category includes both budget devices, for example, M-audio M-Track Quad, Tascam US 4*4/US 16*08/US 20*20, Focusrite Scarlett 18i8, PRESONUS STUDIO 18|10, as well as professional audio interfaces from companies RME, Universal Audio, Avid, Prism sound, allowing you to record about 12-30 channels at the same time. The cost of such equipment can reach hundreds of thousands of rubles, so these devices are mainly chosen by professional studios. Devices in this class are equipped with high-quality microphone preamps that provide a transparent and neutral sound. Such devices are characterized by low latency when working with audio. If you are professionally engaged in music, if you need to write a live drum kit, choir, ensemble - these devices are just for you.

Professional sound card TASCAM US 16 x 08

Additional functions.

After we have dealt with device groups, let's look at what additional functions they may have, the presence or absence of which will help you decide on the choice of interface:

Not all devices are equipped with phantom powered mic preamps, so if you intend to use a condenser mic, one is a must;

Not all devices are equipped with an instrument input, if you only write vocals, if you are a vlogger or a rap music performer, this may not matter to you. For guitarists, this input is vital;

Some devices may have not one, but two headphone outputs, which will be very useful when recording vocals.

For some musicians, devices with a built-in DSP can be very useful. This processor will allow you to apply some effects without connecting an external processor. The list of possible effects is usually limited to a couple of reverbs, a compressor and an equalizer, but this is enough.

Separately, I would like to note the Universal Audio Apollo devices, which have up to four DSP processors on board, with the ability to use various plug-ins. In the UA store you can buy high-quality reverbs, equalizers, compressors, tape emulators and other effects processors. They work on these cards with almost no delay, allowing you to enrich the sound of your work.

Apollo 8 Thunderbolt 2 Audio Interface

Finally.

Summarizing the above, when choosing an interface, it is necessary to determine the following parameters:

Number of inputs/outputs. Do you need to write yourself a loved one or a chorus?
- Their configuration. Writing a condenser microphone, a guitar, or both?
- The presence of separate controls for the main mix and headphones.
- Multiple headphone outputs.
- Availability of digital inputs/outputs, MIDI-interface, S/PDIF, ADAT.
- Ability to work without a power supply.
- The presence of a DSP-processor.
- Convenient drivers, additional software.

By answering these questions, you can easily choose a sound card that best suits your requirements, has all the necessary functionality at the moment and maybe even has some reserve for the future.

Evolution sometimes changes objects beyond recognition. Take a look at the same monkeys... Specifically, in the IT industry, this is happening so fast that often the old names of objects can no longer correspond to the essence. Is it possible to turn the tongue to call a kilogram colossus in an iron box with a bunch of handles a “card”? But there is no other way...

History reference

PC Speaker was the first. And, surprisingly, it still exists in all modern PCs. When you turn on the computer, you hear its non-melodious trills ...

The PC Speaker was really used to play music in old DOS toys and the simplest programs for writing music, mostly educational - the “tweeter” was and is able to reproduce elementary sounds of a given frequency. In the 80s, the PC Speaker was also used to play more complex music, but for a very short time.

In 1982, the Tandy sound card appeared. Rather, it is difficult to call this miracle a board: the contraption had a built-in speaker and reproduced sounds of a given frequency and volume through it.

Then there was Covox. This is a rather awkward device that connected to a computer via a printer (!) LPT port and reproduced sound using the first digital-to-analog converter in PC history. There are still quite a few guides on how to create a homemade Covox on the Web.

The first mass-produced computer sound card was Adlib. The secret of its success was that it used a chip from Yamaha designed for use in arcade machines. Remember PacMan? Heartbreaking squeaking sounds were carried over into the first DOS games, which made early PC gamers incredibly happy. All decent games since 1987 have started using the capabilities of the Adlib synthesizer. The board was capable of playing nine types of musical instruments and six drums, which at that time was the pinnacle of PC engineering.

Well, in 1989 Sound Blaster appeared. The new board was a frank clone of Adlib, but added support for digital recordings to the music synthesizer - Sound Blasters allowed you to play and record any sounds in 8-bit, 22kHz format. SB instantly became the de facto standard; all games and music programs supported Sound Blaster.

Next came SB modifications: SB 2.0, SB Pro with stereo support, and the crown of creation - Sound Blaster 16. The last board was cloned by various Asian manufacturers, due to which the claim of SoundBlaster compatibility became synonymous with high-end for the first half of the 90s sound board.

The 16-bit, 44kHz mode has become the multimedia standard - the so-called "CD-quality", being, however, only formally such. In fact, the sound quality of the boards of those years was so disgusting that there was no question of any CD quality.

One of the most significant revolutions in the world of sound cards was the Sound Blaster Live!. It marked the transition from the obsolete ISA bus to PCI, which provided a sea of ​​new possibilities: huge bandwidth, use of computer memory for storing samples, and much more. Sound Quality Live! was significantly higher than all its predecessors and remains acceptable to this day.

This is where the story ends and "our era" begins.

What are they needed for

Today, sound cards are a whole class of devices, many of which serve much higher purposes than simply outputting MP3 files to five dollar speakers. They are becoming centers of home cinemas, hi-fi systems, home and professional studios…

By the way, the boards were actually called boards because they were a printed circuit board inserted into an ISA or PCI slot. Today, sound cards are also connected via USB, FireWire, PCMCIA ... In short, it's time to figure it out.

Classification of sound cards

Integrated sound cards

Where are they embedded? in motherboards. Inputs / outputs and codecs are soldered directly to the “mother”, and the central processor takes over all the computational processing. Similar sound solution almost free, and therefore more than acceptable for unpretentious users - despite the disgusting sound quality. Do not try to use these devices to play MP3 files with a quality higher than 96kbps! You won't feel the difference. To avoid shock, under no circumstances stick a microphone into these boards - you will not recognize your voice.

In recent motherboards Ah, the built-in cards provide 5.1 output - that is, theoretically, even with the help of such a thing, you can build a "home theater" by connecting a set of 5.1 acoustics. But this option is for the most ardent haters of sound in modern cinema.

Price range: $0-4 (as a surcharge for motherboard with audio).

Multimedia sound cards

This is the most ancient category of boards: they were the first to appear and made the computer a means of playing and recording music. These cards, unlike the built-in ones, have their own sound processor, which processes sound, calculates three-dimensional sound effects used in games, mixes sound streams, etc., which allows you to offload the computer's central processor to process more important tasks.

As a rule, the sound quality in separate multimedia cards is really higher than that of the built-in ones. You can feel free to connect not the worst computer speakers and acoustic sets to them - although it is still very far from the Hi-Fi level. A home theater will sound more or less decent in combination with 5.1 acoustic sets made specifically for computer use.

Moreover, it is already somehow possible to record sound with the help of multimedia cards: it will be quite enough for the karaoke level. Yes, and simple programs for working with sound will function normally.

A few years ago, the market for multimedia boards was quite saturated, there were battles between manufacturers and their products... The brightest competitors were Aureal and Creative. The cards of these companies used different algorithms for working with 3D sound - each had its own fans.

With the advent of motherboards with built-in audio, conflicts resolved themselves: all manufacturers of cheap sound cards died. Only Creative remained afloat with its Sound Blaster Audigy/Audigy2 line, which is considered the top level in multimedia.

Price range: $15-80.

Semi-professional sound cards

Actually, these boards can be called differently - either semi-professional, or top-end multimedia ... But rather, these are still semi-professional boards. As a rule, they are produced by manufacturers of professional equipment, focusing not on musicians, but on amateurs. good sound. In other words - cards for audiophiles.

They differ from multimedia in the first place professional circuit solutions and high quality sound reproduction. At the same time, they, as a rule, do not use serious sound processors, and again, the central processor takes on the entire burden of processing 3D sound.

But for listening to music, these cards are ideal. With good acoustics, devoid of the shameful definition of “computer”, or decent headphones, you can get a sound close to an inexpensive Hi-Fi system. You will finally be able to distinguish between MP3 files and normal recordings ... And you will start to be afraid of low-quality "amps" like fire.

As a basis for cinema sound, such cards are also quite suitable. The sound will be clear, not distorted - in general, very decent.
As a rule, cards from manufacturers of professional equipment are equipped with drivers for professional programs for working with music and sound. So this board will be a great start for a novice musician. However, many of these cards are unsuitable for professional sound recording and in this regard are no better than their multimedia counterparts.

Price range: $80-200.

Professional sound cards

These cards are designed for professional musicians, arrangers, music producers... Anyone involved in the production and recording of music. In accordance with the tasks - and features: the highest quality of sound reproduction and recording, minimum distortion, maximum opportunities for working with professional software and connecting professional equipment.

Professional cards typically lack multimedia drivers and DirectX support, making many of them useless in games. They do not even support standard system volume controls - each channel is regulated in a special control panel that shows the signal level in decibels.

Inputs/outputs instead of the standard "minijack" are made either on RCA "tulips", or on "large jacks", or in the form of XLR connectors, brought out using special interface cables. Many cards have external blocks where all the connectors are output for easy connection. There is simply nowhere to plug in computer speakers... These cards are designed to connect professional studio acoustic monitors, mixing consoles, preamplifiers and other "serious" devices.

However, inexpensive professional cards can be the best choice for a true connoisseur of high-quality sound. Cards with RCA connectors are very convenient for connecting Hi-Fi equipment and will be a good sound source for a decent audio system. Cards with stereo jack outputs will allow you to connect expensive headphones without adapters and related distortions. However, only a few of the professional boards are suitable as the basis for a home theater, the number of outputs of which will allow you to connect all six speakers. After all, the main thing here is not the number of channels, but the sound quality of each of them.

Price range: $200-$...

External sound cards

This is a relatively recent trend in the world of sound cards, which has been developed only in the last year. External sound cards are connected to the computer using USB, USB 2.0 or FireWire interfaces.

What are these devices for?

First, moving the card out of the PC case makes it easy to solve some problems associated with interference and noise coming from other computer components and affecting the sound quality. Expensive board manufacturers solve these problems with quality components, special insulation, etc., which increases the cost of the device.

Secondly, barebone systems are gaining more and more popularity - small system units with a large number of interface connectors and, as a rule, no more than one PCI slot, which may have to be occupied by something more necessary for the user than a sound card.

Thirdly, a portable professional sound card that can be connected "on the fly" to any computer is a ready-made portable studio!

But there are also problems. The first devices released for USB did not gain due popularity due to the low bandwidth of this interface. Restrictions were introduced on the quantity and quality of transmitted signals. However, there are still enough multimedia USB cards on the market that provide decent sound and a small number of input / output channels.

Today there is a real boom in professional cards connected via the FireWire bus: due to the high bandwidth of the interface, there are practically no problems with the number of channels and signal quality.

Price range: $60-$1000-...

What are they made of

Before moving on to an overview of specific devices, you should figure out what the sound cards themselves are actually made of. What affects sound quality? What are the fundamental differences between $10, $100 and $1000 cards?

You will find a detailed description of the sound card device in a separate publication in this issue of the magazine - we will focus on the most basic elements.

If the device is designed correctly and without obvious flaws, the most important element responsible for the sound quality will be the DAC - a digital-to-analog converter. This is a chip that performs a single task: to convert the input digital sound stream into an analog signal, which, after amplification, is fed to all sound-reproducing devices - headphones, speakers. The DAC is an essential element of any digital audio device: CD players, DVD players, flash players, MD players...

Cheap DACs treat the signal badly: the output stream is rich in distortion, has a low dynamic range, makes noise; however, other unsuccessful circuit solutions on the board are often to blame for the noise. That is why the sound is not detailed, fuzzy, unnatural.
More serious converters use various systems of filtering, correction, signal smoothing, interpolation and other things, which as a result favorably affects the sound quality.

Thus, only by seeing the converter installed on the board, you can make a preliminary verdict on the sound level of the device. For example, penny converters from Sigmatel are very common in multimedia and embedded cards, which sound very disgusting. The worst Crystal and Philips transducers do not please with sound either.

On more expensive boards, you can find AKM, Wolfson, Burr-Brown converters - their presence indicates a good potential of the product. Of course, each manufacturer has its own top-end and cheap chips - but these two brands have not yet been noticed in the production of outright consumer goods.

The line of Crystal converters is very wide: in addition to the mentioned poor ones, the company makes DACs for professional and super-expensive devices installed on cards priced over $1000.

Thus, our slogan is: "Tell me what DAC you have - and I will tell you who you are!". That is why, for example, all statements about the super-sound of the Creative Audigy card compared to its predecessor SB Live! refuted by studying the markings on the DA chip. The marking spoke of a Sigmatel converter that was by no means a top-end series. Again, they were greedy to install something better... But the Audigy2 has a rather serious chip from Crystal - hence the much better sound of the latest Creative card.

As for sound recording, everything is exactly the same here, only an ADC works instead of a DAC - an analog-to-digital converter.

It would be wrong to say that the DAC is the only link responsible for the sound quality. Conditions can be spoiled by cheap circuitry on the board, which introduces interference, noise and distortion into the analog signal, as well as drivers and the DSP processor of the board. For example, in most multimedia boards there is a flaw associated with the AC'97 standard, which sets the main audio sampling frequency to 48 kHz. At the same time, most of the sound material was recorded at a frequency of 44 kHz, since the most popular audio carrier of sound is still the CD. Therefore, when listening, any sound is converted by drivers or a DSP chip into a 48 kHz format, which introduces quite serious distortions into the sound.

I think that the theory is already enough - it's time to move on to specific instances.

Get down to business

So, on the cutting table there are four sound cards - four bright representatives of different classes, each with unique capabilities and features. Our task is to finally figure out what is happening in the modern computer audio market.

M-Audio Revolution 7.1

Outputs: 4 analog stereo outputs (minijack), 1 S/PDIF digital output (RCA, cinch)
Inputs: 1 stereo line, 1 mono microphone (minijack)


Support for 3D audio technologies: DirectSound 3D, EAX 1.0/2.0, Sensaura, 7.1 surround
Price: $115

M-Audio is a well-known name in professional audio and Revolution 7.1 is the manufacturer's first multimedia sound card. What is its difference from more serious products?

Basically, it's the little things. Firstly, all analog connectors are made on "mini-jacks", which makes it easy to connect computer speakers, inexpensive headsets and headphones. Secondly, the board is equipped with a microphone input, which happens either on cheap or very expensive devices. Thirdly, the card's drivers and capabilities are tailored to work with 3D sound in games: Sensaura and EAX technologies are supported. As for the 7.1 specification, it is rather a luxury so far, and there are almost no recordings (films) using the 7.1 surround sound scheme. However, when calculating effects in games, all 8 channels are used.

It is much more interesting to know what the little Revolution inherited from its three times expensive professional brothers.

Firstly, the card is based on the VIA Envy24HT sound chip, the latest modification of the Envy24 processor installed on a huge number of professional motherboards from different manufacturers. The processor allows you to work with digital audio in formats up to 24bit / 192kHz and the number of output channels up to 8, which is what the board uses. Another consequence of using such a serious chip is full time job boards in professional audio applications - ASIO 2.0 drivers are included (they are used by software built on VST technology - Cubase, Samplitude, etc.). Due to this, high latency, which all multimedia cards are famous for, does not threaten Revolution.

And lastly, the availability of high-quality AKM converters. The card is based on two DACs: an inexpensive 6-channel AK4355 and an advanced stereo DAC AK4381. The first is used to output sound to surround channels, the second is in charge of the main stereo output. Thus, the sound quality of the main channel is higher than the rest; this means that the Revolution is unsuitable as a multi-channel output board.

ADC converter - AKM AK5380, also not top-end, but decent enough. You can record with Revolution - for example, digitize analog recordings, connect external players, etc.

Summary: Revolution is an excellent card for high-quality music listening and DVD viewing, with high sound quality and uncompromising capabilities for working with professional audio software.

Audiotrak Maya44 MKII

Outputs: 2 analog stereo outputs (1/4 Jack), 2 digital outputs S/PDIF: RCA, optical
Inputs: 2 stereo line (1/4 Jack), mic preamp
Playback: up to 24bit/96kHz
Playback: up to 24bit/96kHz

Price: $139

Audiotrak is a division of ESI, a well-known company in professional circles, which produces expensive audio interfaces, professional monitors, etc. Audiotrak is engaged in the production of budget professional and multimedia sound cards. Maya44 MKII is the top product of the company's professional line. The difference in price with M-Audio Revolution is minimal, but the capabilities and purpose of the boards are completely different.

So, Maya44 MKII is designed primarily for musicians. Accordingly, the board solves the following tasks: to reproduce and record audio with high quality, to work in professional sound recording software.

On the card, instead of minijacks, stereo TRS connectors are soldered - popularly called "big jacks". Usually, on professional devices, these connectors are monophonic - that is, one “hole” for each channel. Here, each connector is stereo. On the one hand, it is convenient - you can directly connect professional headphones without adapters to a minijack, on the other hand, you will have to connect, for example, an amplifier or active speakers with the help of an adapter.

The board is built on the same processor as the Revolution - Envy24HT, or rather, a special "stripped down" version with fewer output channels. All the advantages are in place: full-fledged work with professional software using ASIO 2.0, low latency. Sign of a professional card - in the Maya44 system, the MKII is seen as several devices, each of which is one of the inputs / outputs of the card. Those. you can send sound streams from different programs directly to different outputs. Another interesting feature is the DirectWire function, which allows you to connect any virtual inputs and outputs to each other at the software level - without any loss in signal quality.

For example, to record audio from WinAmp to a Cubase sequencer, you must connect the outputs of the WDM (standard Windows audio drivers) to an ASIO input. In this way, for example, you can burn WMA files that are forbidden for editing and copying without losing a bit of the quality of the original file.

The Maya44 MKII is equipped with not the most expensive Wolfson converters, which, nevertheless, give a very clear sound without distortion, which is inaccessible to multimedia sound cards. The card is more than suitable for entry-level professional audio recording and playback.
Summary: Considering the price, the Audiotrak Maya44 MKII is best solution for the beginning musician.

M-Audio Firewire 410

Outputs: 8 analogue mono outputs (1/4 Jack), two headphone outputs (1/4 Jack), 2 digital outputs S/PDIF: RCA, optical
Inputs: 2 mono line (1/4 Jack), 2 mono mic, 2 digital S/PDIF: RCA, optical, MIDI 1x1
Playback: up to 24bit/192kHz
Playback: up to 24bit/96kHz
3D sound technology support: 7.1 surround
Price: $475

Another product from M-Audio - this time from a completely different sector and price category. Firewire 410 is, as the name implies, an external audio interface that connects to a computer using Firewire. We have already talked about the advantages of such a connection: the absence of interference from the filling system block PC, ease of switching (no need to climb to the back of the computer every time), as well as mobility, i.e. the ability to use the device as a portable studio with any computer nearby: PC, laptop, Mac.

The interface is designed with professional needs in mind, as it is aimed primarily at the pros. Here everything is already grown-up: analog connectors are monophonic, in the form of a “big jack” and microphone XLR. There are digital inputs and outputs of various types - coaxial, optical, as well as a MIDI interface for connecting external synthesizers, MIDI keyboards and other similar beasts. The most important thing is the presence of two microphone/instrument preamps that allow you to connect any professional microphones, unlike the vast majority of boards that lack this capability. Very convenient and the presence of two headphone outputs: each - with its own level control. Some "ears" are taken by the sound engineer, the second - by the performer himself, and during the recording they simultaneously hear what they are doing. By the way, the presence of 8 analog outputs allows you to use Firewire 410 to build a 7.1 system.

As for the software part, only a professional will deal with Firewire 410 firewood on the go. The control panel provides wide opportunities for routing (redirecting) signals from any inputs to any outputs of the card, creating buses into which audio streams from various software are collected, etc. The interface has a special knob to which you can assign a variety of parameters: from adjusting the overall volume to controlling the sound level of an individual program.

And now - attention. The Firewire410 interface is built on the same DAC/ADC as its almost four times cheaper friend Revolution 7.1: the main stereo output is AKM AK4381, the other outputs are 6-channel AK4355, the input is ADC AKM AK5380. What does this mean - about the "general need" of Firewire 410 or about the seriousness of Revolution 7.1? More like the second one. However, the sound of the boards cannot be called the same: with the same converters, the measured parameters of Firewire 410 are slightly better than those of the Revolution: probably due to better circuitry, no PC interference, professionally sharpened drivers, etc. The difference will be felt, however, only by the owner of high-class acoustics costing well over $500.

Summary: The Firewire410 is an ideal, if expensive, solution for a portable and serious home studio, with all the tools for a full-fledged professional recording.

Echo Indigo

Outputs: 1 analog stereo output (minijack), 1 headphone output (minijack)
Inputs: no
Playback: up to 24bit/96kHz
Playback: no
Support for 3D sound technologies: no
Price: $135

And finally - the most non-trivial product: a PCMCIA sound card, i.e. audio interface exclusively for laptops. The card is made for those who don't want to be content with the usually disgusting built-in audio of a regular laptop. In general, Echo Indigo is the first link in a whole line of PCMCIA boards, including Indigo DJ (has two independent outputs) and Indigo IO (one input, one output). Accordingly, “just” Indigo only allows you to output one channel of audio, the DJ version is designed for DJs using a laptop instead of turntables / CD players (two outputs will allow you to connect a laptop to a normal DJ console), Indigo IO is for those who need a high quality recording.

The Indigo series was created by Echo, another well-known company in professional circles, based on its most popular PCI-card Echo Mia ($250), which served as a standard in sound quality for its price range. The Indigo has the same converters and the same 24-bit Motorola DSP. At the same time, Indigo is significantly, almost twice, cheaper than its progenitor.

One of the features of the Echo cards is the presence of 8 virtual inputs - the system sees the Echo as 8 devices, each of which can be signaled independently. The signals are mixed in hardware using the board's DSP processor, due to which you can get high quality sound - hardware mixing is often better than software mixing.

Summary: Indigo is the most convenient and inexpensive solution to turn your laptop into a Hi-Fi player.

conclusions

For the most attentive readers, everything is already clear. The price range of motherboards with high-quality sound is very wide; acceptable solutions start at $100. Studio cards costing around $500 often use the same elements as several times cheaper budget solutions from the same manufacturers, giving buyers of inexpensive devices a serious sound. According to the same pattern, the top products of consumer goods manufacturers are not much different from their low-end products.

In any case, to catch the difference, you need high-quality speakers or headphones - we recommend that you turn to inexpensive Hi-Fi or budget professional monitor speakers, or just a good pair of headphones.

Sound card(or board) - a device responsible for playing sound. This is an indispensable component of any modern computer, because even such simple actions as listening to music, watching a movie or video, playing the sound of any computer game are impossible without it.

When choosing a sound card for a computer, you should know that they are available in three forms:

• internal integrated;
• internal discrete;
• external.

Integrated sound cards are the cheapest option. This is a separate chip soldered into the motherboard. Usually, better sound chips are soldered onto more solid motherboards, and simpler motherboards contain an inexpensive chip (for example, "Realtek").

However, saving on the purchase of a sound card is justified only if the quality of the reproduced sound does not have any high requirements. It should be noted that sound chips themselves can produce a sufficiently high-quality sound, however, after soldering, external factors begin to affect the result of their work. First of all, these are electrical noises that inevitably occur on system board and affect the characteristics of the analog part of the audio signal.

In addition, the built-in sound adapter does not have its own processor. Accordingly, the load on the central processor increases, which in some cases can lead to a delay in the sound signal or “freeze” of the sound. Do not forget that integrated cards are not designed to connect powerful high-end external devices. They can only work with inexpensive headphones and microphones, as well as with multimedia acoustic systems.

Discrete sound cards

Discrete sound card is a stand-alone board that is installed in a free PCI slot. This is the most ancient type of boards - it was their use that at one time turned silent computers into multimedia computers. Discrete cards have a sound processor that performs the functions of sound processing, mixing audio streams, and so on. This makes it possible to reduce the load on the central processor, which, of course, increases the performance of the computer and improves the quality of the audio signal.

Such boards give a more decent sound in comparison with the integrated ones. As a rule, when using them, interference and sound delays are not observed. You can use more powerful external devices - high-quality speakers or headphones, it is possible to connect a home theater system. Usually, a disc with software is supplied with a discrete sound card, which, among other things, allows you to process sound in automatic mode. Manual tuning, as a rule, is performed through the audio player installed on the computer.

External sound cards

Installation required for high-quality professional sound external sound card. Of course, it must be a good expensive device. Cheap USB sticks don't sound good. External sound cards have appeared quite recently. They look like small plastic or metal boxes equipped with a certain number of inputs and outputs for connecting external devices. Some boards are additionally equipped with various tuning controls. Such sound cards are connected to the computer when USB help or WiFi interfaces.

External boards are much more functional than internal ones. They allow you to use the widest range of possibilities of high-quality audio equipment. In addition to the sound output function, they also implement the function of recording sound signals - there are inputs for connecting various types microphones.

Each external sound card comes with software. As a rule, this is a package of applications that allow you to configure output devices for the most comfortable sound. In addition, they provide automatic update drivers, which is quite convenient.

Results

Summing up, it should be noted that when choosing the type of sound card, first of all, you need to focus on the required sound quality and the level of acoustic equipment that you plan to use.

Any person who owns a computer or laptop has at least once used it to listen to music, watch a movie or talk with family via Skype or Viber. This feature has become an integral part of the life of any computer user, but he does not even know how it works. So, we'll talk about the sound card, which is responsible for these processes and capabilities, further. You will find out why a sound card is needed and what it does and how it reproduces sound.

An audio card is a chipset or expansion board for creating sound that can be played through headphones, speakers, or loudspeakers, and for recording it with a microphone.

Principle of operation

Typically, audio cards use a digital-to-analog converter to convert audio signals from digital to analog. They are output to any acoustic and sound-reproducing devices, be it speakers, headphones, etc. Modern advanced units include not one sound chip, but several, which is done to ensure the highest possible data speed and perform several functions at the same time.

Types of cards

There are two types of audio cards - integrated and discrete. External ones are connected via FileWire or USB. Internal ones when assembling a computer by attaching expansion slots inside the system unit.

The main disadvantage of embedded devices is a huge risk with poor-quality PC power, that is, power surges and failure of the power supply. External ones are more practical, which is explained by external volume controls. Moreover, this type of unit can work with both a portable computer and a laptop or netbook.

In the case of an integrated card, its functions are performed by a processor that processes signals and converts sound. A discrete card has a personal sound processor, and some models even have their own memory.

So why do you need an external sound card if there is a built-in one? It's simple, with its help you can achieve the highest quality and purest sound, as well as access a number of important settings.

Where is she?

Often, a sound device is included in an expansion slot, connected via an external port, or integrated into the motherboard. As for the latter option, this makes the assembly much cheaper and faster than an expansion board with an imperceptible loss in sound reproduction quality for the user. Some devices are needed only for audio professionals or for use in the event of a breakdown of the integrated one.

The unit is installed on a modern motherboard in PCI and PCIe slots. A standard PC card has an interface that can be accessed from the rear panel, where there are various input and output ports, as well as on the sides and top of the case, depending on the individual design of the PC.

For computers upgraded at the replacement level hard drive or increasing the RAM, you can use a discrete audio device that connects via a standard USB port.

Software

Usually, the audio card comes with proprietary software on a special disk, or it can be downloaded from the manufacturer's official website. However, you should not worry about this, since modern operating systems automatically detect and load drivers for any components, including sound cards.

Moreover, such software allows each user to make the maximum fine-tuning and use a number of tools for editing, recording, etc.

Sound Features

Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Surround are surround sound standards used in the DVD format. If the PC is equipped with an audio card that supports those same standards, then the sound is reproduced without any distortion and noise, creating the effect of presence.

To date, the standards for sound devices for the highest quality reproduction of music and sounds are incredibly diverse. One of them EAX and its improved version EAX ADVANCED HD guarantee excellent sound quality, which is achieved through the use of modern effects technologies.

Analog 3.5mm connectors

Almost all audio cards have a range of ports for connecting microphones, headphones, speakers, and other accessories. But there are devices that have more ports for output and input, designed for advanced users and their tasks.

Among the most common audio connectors are:

• Pink - microphone audio output.
• Blue is linear.
• Green - output for headphones or speakers.
• Orange - for subwoofer or center channel.
• Black is for surround sound.
• Gray is for the side speakers.

Also worth mentioning is the MIDI game port - this is a 15-pin connector designed to connect additional devices.

Summing up

We have carefully analyzed this topic and now you know exactly what a sound card is for and what advantages it gives us, and we, in turn, can say with confidence that the capabilities and functions of the speakers, the sound card, and the entire system as a whole, directly affect the sound quality.

Most motherboards are equipped with built-in audio boards, they have special chips, and ports are output to absolutely any place, it depends solely on the user's wishes, design and technical capabilities of the device. However, you can use third-party sound cards and external audio devices, buy and install them separately.

Just keep in mind that the potential of integrated devices is quite enough for users who are not fans of strong and powerful sound reproduction. Therefore, whether an external sound card is needed is up to you, based on your own needs and wishes.