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PC Sound Cards and Sound Production: The Hardware and Software Used to Produce Sound in Personal Computers - Page 1

Last updated on 26 April 2008

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Introduction

The sound in a high-end desktop PC is usually produced by a sound card, an example of which is shown in the image above, which is attached to other peripheral devices such as a CD or DVD drive in order to produce sound via the operating system, which uses the card's software driver and a sound player, such as the Windows Media Player (WMP), or a third-party sound player such as a Winamp, Real Player, or Apple's QuickTime.

It is also possible for the sound chip to be incorporated into the desktop or laptop/notebook PC's motherboard. If that is the case, it is called integrated sound. Most of the devices in a laptop/notebook PC are usually integrated on the motherboard. However, laptop PCs are evolving into upgradable computers that have separate, removable graphics cards and processors. The hard disk drives have always been upgradable.

Visit the Desktop PCs section of this site for information on how to buy, build, repair, fix, and protect the various types of desktop PCs.

Visit the Laptop/Notebook PCs section of this site for information on buying and protecting them, and fixing problems with them.

In a desktop PC, the internal or external connections for sound devices are also on the motherboard. For example, on the motherboard's external ports panel, the Line Out or Speaker Output port is used for the speakers and headphones, and the Line In port is used for an external CD player. In order to provide sound, an internal CD/DVD drive would be connected by an internal cable connected to an internal header on the motherboard.

If you see an advert for a PC in which the specification for the sound is described as integrated, you'll know that the sound chip is built into the motherboard instead of being provided by a dedicated sound card.

Budget desktop PCs can also have integrated video/graphics in which the graphics chip is incorporated into the PC's motherboard. Note, however, that it is possible to have integrated sound in relatively expensive non-budget PC's, because the quality of sound it provides is regarded as good enough. If you want to use a superior sound system, you would disable the integrated sound (according to the instructions in the PC's or motherboard's user manual) and install a high-end sound card.

If you want to use a video/graphics card with a HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) output that combines sound and video, you have to cable the digital S/PDIF surround-sound output from the sound card or motherboard into the graphics card to provide HDMI with both sound and picture so as to take advantage of its full capabilities.

However, note that if you are only using a 2.1 stereo speakers for the sound output, you will only get two-channel simulated surround sound from them. A 5.1 or 7.1 surround-sound speaker system is required for actual surround sound.

It is also possible to buy external USB and FireWire sound cards, and laptop/notebook PCs can use external sound cards in the form of PCMCIA (32-bit Cardbus) adapter cards. There are two main types of PC card - CardBus and ExpressCard, which are incompatible with each other's slots. You cannot use an ExpressCard card in a CardBus card's slot, and vice versa.

Click here! to go to information on laptop PC cards on this site.

If you plug an external USB or FireWire sound card into a USB or FireWire port provided by a desktop or laptop PC, you should remove any internal PCI sound card (installed in a PCI slot of a desktop PC's motherboard). Windows will then stop installing its device driver at startup.

If the sound card is integrated into the motherboard, which can be the case with desktop PCs, and is almost always the case with laptop/notebook PCs, you should disable the integrated sound setting in the PC's BIOS setup program and uninstall the sound card's device driver under Add or Remove Programs.

Click here! to go to information on the BIOS on this website.

Note that in Windows Vista, there is no option in the Control Panel called Add or Remove Programs that appears in all of the previous versions of Windows from Windows 95 to Windows XP. In Windows Vista, the Add or Remove Programs information is found under the Programs category in the Control Panel.

To be able to identify the correct device driver requires knowing the make/model of the integrated sound chip. For example, in Windows XP/Vista, you might find a device-driver entry called Realtek High Definition Audio Driver under Add or Remove Programs/Programs. If so, you would find a matching device called Realtek High Definition Audio in the Device Manager (under Sound, video and game controllers), which can be opened by entering devmgmt.msc in the Start => Run box in Windows XP, and in the Start => Start Search box in Windows Vista. Realtek also make device drivers for network adapters, etc., so, if there is more than one driver made by Realtek appears in the list of programs, you must only remove the audio driver.

The sound itself is delivered by the speakers that are plugged into the sound card, a set of which can vary from being a small pair of desktop speakers costing £5 to being a 7.1 configuration that delivers surround sound from a multiple-speaker system costing up to £300 or more. Note that some LCD monitors have a basic set of inbuilt stereo speakers that are plugged into the computer's sound card, or, if it is integrated sound, into the sound output port on the PC's motheboard.

Click here! to go to the information on speakers on this page. Use your browser's Back button to return to this point on the page.

Visit the Desktop PCs section of this site for information on how to buy, build, repair, fix, and protect the various types of desktop PCs.

Visit the Laptop/Notebook PCs section of this site for information on buying and protecting them, and fixing problems with them.

Note that the beeping sounds that the computer can make at start-up during the Power-On Self Test (POST), or to produce BIOS beep codes that signal a start-up failure, are produced by the very basic speaker that is built into the computer's case. This simple speaker is powered from an attachment to the computer's motherboard.

The top cable labelled SPEAKER in the image above with the two wires (red and black) is attached to the speaker in the case and is plugged into one of the plug-in points on the motherboard where all of the other cables that are provided by the computer's case are plugged in. The image below shows the cables connected to a motherboard. Go to the Build2 page on this site for more information on this topic.

It is used to produce these sounds because a sound card cannot produce sounds until Windows (or some other equivalent operating system such as Linux) has installed itself, because the sound card's device drivers have to be loaded, and the operating system (that controls the way in which everything in a computer works) has to be working before it can produce any sound.

Sound cards are available in two main motherboard standards - ISA and PCI. The ISA standard has become obsolete, but you can still purchase ISA sound cards that fit into the ISA slots on old motherboards, which provide an ISA slot for the use of what is known as legacy (obsolete) hardware. All new sound cards fit into a PCI slot on the motherboard. See the next annotated image on this page below showing the arrangement of ISA, PCI, and AGP slots on a motherboard. You should soon be able to buy PCI Express sound cards.

Click here! to go directly to information on the latest standard - PCI Express, which is replacing the PCI and the AGP standards.

Visit this page on the Creative Sound Blaster site for information on the latest internal and external sound cards:

http://www.creative.com/products/welcome.asp?category=1

Sound in Windows Vista

Read this Q&A on this page: PC games and DirectX sound support in Windows Vista.

If you only make use of a sound card to be able to hear the Windows sounds (when saving files, for warning sounds, etc.), or to be able to hear the sound from certain websites, and play audio CDs, you don't need a fancy expensive device.

Indeed, if the motherboard in your computer has a spare ISA slot, an inexpensive 16-bit ISA sound card costing from £10 to £20 will do all of the above just as well as a 32-bit PCI card costing about same amount. However, most new motherboards do not have an ISA slot. In this case, you have to choose a PCI card.

To input (via a microphone) and output sound (via speakers), you must have a sound card that supports what is called the full-duplex modes of operation.

Full-duplex is a data communication term that refers to the ability to send and receive data at the same time. It is also applied in modern switched Ethernet networks in which communications can flow in both directions to a single node (work station) on the network without the data having to go to any of the other nodes.

There is no point in installing a sound card that can only output sound if you want to, say, make use of a microphone for telephoning over the Internet, because the ability to send and receive communications is required.

You must fit an expansion card in its correct slot. Installing an expansion card in the wrong slot could make the expansion card or even the computer itself unusable unless the card or motherboard is replaced.

The image below shows the slot arrangement on a typical motherboard.

Remember that all new motherboards do not have any ISA slots. Also note that motherboards are coming out now that use their own colour schemes for the slots instead of the standard black (ISA), white (PCI), and brown (AGP and PCI Express) colours. The slots can be any colour.

There are different standards of stereo and surround sound that a sound card is capable of producing - and then only if set up with the proper number of speakers properly placed around the computer. The sound standards have been given numbers that currently range from 1.0 to 7.1 sound, and you have to have a sound card and speaker system that supports a specific standard if you want to create that level of sound production.

Most music sources are still in stereo that is supported by sound cards that support 2.0 sound - even though the availability of DVD audio - Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 - is increasing and can be played on a PC with the right sound card. But only Creative has produced one so far. So, if stereo playback is all you want, what you need is a system that will play a stereo source properly.

Note that upmix is a term that means artificially creating or simulating a particular higher standard of sound production on a sound system that doesn't fully support it. For instance, stereo sound could be upmixed to make it play on a multichannel system. And a downmix would be the reverse of that: the simulation of a lower standard of sound on a higher system, such as stereo. Upmix/downmix technology refers to the software and/or hardware that can create upmixed or downmixed sound.

For stereo, the basic formula that is closest to the original recording is the playback supported by standard 2.1. But now, with Dolby Prologic II, the more recent Dolby Prologic IIx (7.1 upmix) or the Creative CMSS system, you can upmix stereo to multichannel output. It's true that the exactness of the original recording is lost, but the result is usually pleasing if the parameters are carefully chosen.

To use a multichannel system, it has to be properly hooked up to a sound card. You should have no problem with a 5.1 system, which has the standard inputs of three 3.5mm stereo jacks. But if you only have a 5.1 sound card and buy a 6.1 or 7.1 system, you'll be offered an "upmix" to use all of the channels with a 5.1, or even with a 4-channel sound card.

The problems begin with 6.1 and 7.1 sound cards, because some of them, like cards from Terratec, use stereo jack sockets, while others, such as cards from Creative, use four-pin jack sockets. Therefore, before you buy a sound card and set of speakers, remember that getting everything properly plugged in can be problematic. It's regrettable that, as yet, the sound card and speaker manufacturers haven't agreed on a universal standard for a complete sound system.

To make sure that you can create the mix that you want, you're advised to download and read the user manuals and reviews for sound cards and speaker systems before you make a purchase. There are also plenty of tutorials and guides on the web on how to set up the various kinds of sound systems that you can find by using the Google search box at the top of this page.

Here is a good guide I came across:

A sound-card and speakers tweaking guide

For more information on setting up a sound system, try using a search phrase such as: computer + "sound system" + setup + guide (as is) in the Google search box provided at the top of this page (with its Web radion button enabled).

The safest way to upgrade RAM: Use the UK and US Crucial Memory Advisors

Paul Mullen, the highly-respected computer guru of the Helpfile at ComputerShopper.co.uk - "I have recently been buying my memory only from Crucial Technology. I would rather pay the extra cost than waste time trying to track down the obscure program faults that bad memory can cause."

The memory requirements of the versions of Windows Vista

Most of the versions of Windows Vista require more RAM memory to run optimally on a computer that doesn't use memory-hungry applications than Windows XP. A video-editing application is an example of memory-intensive software. Only Windows Vista Home Basic has a recommended minimum amount of memory of 512MB, which is the same amount recommended for Windows XP. Windows Vista Home Premium, the most popular version, and Windows Vista Ultimate require a recommended minimum of 1GB (1024MB) of memory, which is twice the amount of minimum memory recommended to run Windows XP. For more information on computer memory, read the RAM pages of this site.

For example, if your computer has an Asus motherboard, open the menu, scroll down to ASUS, and click GO. If, say, you have a Dell computer, scroll down to DELL, and do likewise. You will be taken to the relevant information on Crucial's website.

If you don't know the make and model of the motherboard installed in your computer, here is a good free utility - Belarc Advisor - that creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer. Look under FREE DOWNLOAD - http://www.belarc.com/. Another utility that also provides detailed information on the memory itself is CPU-Z.

Recording to CD/DVDs

Click here! to go to the section of this site that deals with CD/DVD drives and CD/DVD media formats (discs).

How to identify a sound card

If you need to identify the sound card installed in your computer in order to download driver updates from its manufacturer's site, open the Device Manager (if you don't know what the Device Manager is, look it up in the Windows Help files). Look under the heading Sound, video and game controllers (in both Windows XP and Windows 9x systems). The make and model of the sound card should be provided there. If you can't identify the make and model of the card from the information provided, click here! to go directly to the links of some free ID utilities on the second of the four Links pages on this site.

This might be necessary, because the information provided in the Device Manager might be inadequate, the sound chip might be built into the motherboard, or, if it is in the form of an AGP or PCI adapter card, it can be difficult to identify the make and model by removing and examining it.

The Windows System Information utility in Windows XP and Windows Vista

Another useful source of system information is provided by the System Information utility.

In Windows XP systems, this can be accessed via System Tools under All Programs => Accessories (Programs => Accessories in Windows 9x systems), or quickly by entering msinfo32 in the Start => Run box in Windows XP and Windows 9x systems.

In Windows Vista, to use the System Information tool, follow these steps: Click Start, type msinfo32 in the Start => Start Search box, and then click System Information in the Programs list.

The user installation manual: How to install a sound card

The Build a PC page contains all of the information you need on how to build a computer from its components.

Click here! to go directly to information on the first Build a PC page on this site about taking the precautions you must take against static electricity before you install a computer component.

Click here! to go directly to the Disclaimer on the same page. It contains other important information that you should be aware of before working on a computer. Use your browser's Back button to return to this page.

If you purchase a retail boxed sound card it will come with an installation manual that shows how all of the features of the card are used. If you purchased an OEM sound card that is supported by the vendor instead of the manufacturer, you will probably have to download the manual from the manufacturer's website. If the sound card is built into the motherboard, the motherboard manual will provide the necessary installation information. If you don't have a copy, identify the motherboard's manufacturer and locate its website by making use of the Google search box provided at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled).

If you don't know the make and model of the motherboard installed in your computer, here is a good free utility - Belarc Advisor - that creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer. Look under FREE DOWNLOAD - http://www.belarc.com/. Another utility that also provides detailed information on the memory itself is CPU-Z.

Installing a PCI sound card (or AGP video/graphics card) is merely a matter of removing the screw or clip that screws or clips the slot's metal cover (blanking plate) over its outlet at the back of the case, and inserting the card in the kind of slot it is designed for, so that its face plate replaces the metal cover and shows at the back of the case. Some PC cases can have the blanking plate fixed to the case by a screw and a clip. You should then secure the sound card into the case in the same way as the blanking plate was.

Note that there are occasions when screwing the card in too tightly raises its end out of the slot and causes an error that can render the computer unbootable, because the edge connector on the card has to make complete contact with the slot's matching connection points.

Unless its installation manual says otherwise, you should install a PCI sound card before installing its software. Usually, you install the PCI sound card, close the case, boot into Windows, and cancel the Found new hardware wizard if it starts to run. You can then insert the CD/DVD that came with the sound card into the PC's CD/DVD drive, and follow the instructions to install its device drivers and other software.

Installing an external USB or FireWire sound card is just a matter of plugging its cable into the device itself and into a USB or FireWire port on the desktop or laptop PC, both of which are usually provided by the motherboard at the back of a desktop PC's case.

The sound card should have come with an installation manual or guide. Usually, a USB or FireWire sound card's software has to be installed before connecting it to a USB/FireWire port. After the device is plugged in, Windows will then install its drivers automatically. If you want to remove the device while the PC is switched on, click on the icon that looks like a tree on a gray rock in the System Tray/Notification Area.

If you plug an external USB or FireWire sound card into a USB or FireWire port provided by a desktop or laptop PC, you should remove any internal PCI sound card (installed in a PCI slot of a desktop PC's motherboard). Windows will then stop installing its device driver at startup.

If the sound card is integrated into the motherboard, which can be the case with desktop PCs, and is almost always the case with laptop/notebook PCs, you should disable the integrated sound setting in the PC's BIOS setup program and uninstall the sound card's device driver under Add or Remove Programs.

Click here! to go to information on the BIOS on this website.

Note that in Windows Vista, there is no option in the Control Panel called Add or Remove Programs that appears in all of the previous versions of Windows from Windows 95 to Windows XP. In Windows Vista, the Add or Remove Programs information is found under the Programs category in the Control Panel.

To be able to identify the correct device driver requires knowing the make/model of the integrated sound chip. For example, in Windows XP/Vista, you might find a device-driver entry called Realtek High Definition Audio Driver under Add or Remove Programs/Programs. If so, you would find a matching device called Realtek High Definition Audio in the Device Manager (under Sound, video and game controllers), which can be opened by entering devmgmt.msc in the Start => Run box in Windows XP, and in the Start => Start Search box in Windows Vista. Realtek also make device drivers for network adapters, etc., so, if more than one driver made by Realtek appears in the list of programs, you must only remove the audio driver.

How connect a sound card to other devices and configure Windows

The analog audio ports are the series of round green, pink, blue, orange, and black ports on a sound card. If you have integrated sound on a PC's motherboard or in a laptop PC, you'll probably only have the analog audio ports coloured green, pink, and blue.

General-purpose sound cards have 3.5mm analog sockets for mic/line inputs and headphone/speaker outputs. Sound cards that support surround-sound systems have up to four output sockets, and often also an optical mini-S/PDIF port for digital output.

If you have stereo 2.1 speakers, connect them to the green audio port, labelled line-out, on the sound card. That port is also used for the front left and right speakers in a 5.1 surround-sound setup. You usually connect the rear speakers to the black port labelled Line-out 2, and the centre/subwoofer speaker is usually connected to the orange port labelled Line-out 3.

Note that the manufacturers of sound cards use different ports to connect the remaining speakers in 6.1- and 7.1-channel sound systems. You should refer to your sound card's installation manual for specific instructions.

Here is an example of an illustrated user manual for a 5.1 sound card that tells you which ports are used for the speakers and the subwoofer:

SC-5.1-1 sound card user manual -

http://www.gmb.nl/certificates/SC-5.1-1%20manual%20Gembird.pdf

You should be able to find other user manuals by using a search term such as: sound + card + user + manual (as is) in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled).

In Windows XP, you configure Windows and your PC's sound software from Sounds and Audio Devices in the Control Panel. Open it and click on the Advanced button of Speaker settings under the Volume tab. You should check that the correct speaker configuration is selected from the drop-down menu there.

In Windows Vista, click on the Start button in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen, and enter the word sound in the Search box. Then double-click the Sound applet that appears under Programs, select the device you want to configure and click on the configure button. The Sound applet can also be used to test seaker positions and connections.

You may also need to adjust the audio setup within your DVD playback software and PC games.

Codecs

When you play video or sound files on your PC, Windows, or an alternative operating system, such as Linux, uses a media player, such as the Windows Media Player, the Quick Time Player, the Real Player, etc.

Raw movies and video would take up enormous amounts of hard disk space, so they are compressed to make the files smaller. This is essential if they are downloaded or streamed in real time to a computer. Mathematical algorithms called codecs, a word made up of the first two letters of the word compressor and the first three letters of the word decompressor, compress the files and decompress them when they are played.

Introduction To Finding A Codec For Windows Media Player 10 -

"This article should give most readers a basic understanding of what a codec is and exactly which codecs are available for Windows Media Player 10." -

http://www.updatexp.com/codec-for-windows-media-player-10.html

You can find links to other articles on codecs by using a suitable search term in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled). I found the link above by using this search term, as is: codecs + windows + media + player.

PC speakers and headphones

PC speaker systems usually consist of the speakers and an amplifier that powers them. A set of speakers can cost between £5/$10 and £300/$600. An ordinary multimedia PC system always comes with a set of stereo speakers that may be separate from the PC or built into the monitor. If you are building your own PC, you would purchase the kind of sound card and set of speakers that are required to deliver the quality of sound that you want of your PC.

If you want to edit or transfer sounds from your PC to other equipment, such as a MiniDisc or MP3 player, you'll need a fairly expensive sound system that provides the connection to do that.

Note that the specifications of speaker systems don't usually provide much in the way of useful information about them, and the price of a set of speakers doesn't have to bear any relation to the performance that they deliver.

That said, the first feature you should look for is a subwoofer, which handles the bass frequencies. The speakers themselves output the mid- and high-frequency sounds.

For acceptable audio quality when playing PC games or DVDs, you should have a surround-sound system, delivered by a standard 5.1 setup, which consists of five speakers and one subwoofer.

However, for the best sound quality, you should use a set of the latest 6.1 or 7.1 speakers, plus a compatible sound card that supports the extended Dolby Digital EX format.

The power of a set of speakers can provide you with an idea of the maximum volume it can deliver. You should ignore the PMPO or Peak Power ratings, which can be up to 40 times higher than the RMS rating, which you can use. A 50W RMS sound system should provide more than enough volume for a desktop PC. However, if the sound system is for use with a home cinema, look for 100W RMS, or more.

2.1 stereo speakers use a single analog stereo input connection to the sound card, but a 5.1 system requires three connections to the sound card. Surround-sound systems that incorporate Dolby Digital decoders have to be fed through an S/PDIF digital audio connection, which comes in coaxial and optical versions, which are incompatible with each other.

However, note that Dolby Digital decoding can be done by software instead of the hardware (the sound card), so you can use surround- sound speakers with analog inputs, which is cheaper than using a digital solution.

The speakers are usually connected via the audio ports of a sound card, or via audio ports built into the motherboard that connect to its sound chip. The sound features provided from a motherboard sound system are usually basic. However, a sound card can provide a PC with everything its user may require with regard to connecting the PC to external sound equipment, but the more that is required of a sound card, the more expensive it has to be.

The image above shows a basic set of stereo speakers, and the image below shows three 5.1 surround-sound systems, which have five speakers. Some of them can be controlled by a remote control that is provided in the package.

Very few music CDs offer multi-channel sound, but some sound cards can convert a stereo signal into a 5.1 surround-sound signal. Virtual Dolby Surround is an example of audio technology that is supposed to enable two speakers to sound like five, but in practice it doesn't deliver anything like the same quality of sound as the real thing. While music DVDs offer multi-channel sound, they're still difficult to find. However, most DVD films and many games use 5.1 surround sound, and for those 5.1 system is necessary to achieve the full sound experience. Indeed, the surround-sound experience requires speakers to be located in front, behind, and on the side of the listener, which necessitates at least 5.1 speakers. Remember that the higher, more expensive 6.1 and 7.1 sound systems are available.

Click here! to visit the section on this page that provides examples of sound cards and speaker systems and links to their manufacturer's home pages. Use your browser's Back button to return to this point.

For a basic sound card that is connected to two speakers, they are usually plugged into the sound card's Line Out or Speaker Output sockets via a single connector, as shown in the sound card's manual for a boxed retail ISA or PCI card, or as shown in the motherboard's manual if the sound chip is built into the motherboard.

Note that OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) cards that are supported by the vendor, deemed the OEM) instead of the manufacturer, will probably only be packaged with a driver CD (no manual). In this case, you should be able to download a manual from the manufacturer's website.

The diagram below, from an MSI motherboard manual, shows the port face of a motherboard that has an integrated sound card with only three ports - Line Out, Line In, and Mic. (for a microphone). A ISA or PCI basic sound card usually has these three ports plus a Speaker Output port. On the motherboard with this ports panel, the Line Out port is used for the speakers and headphones, the Line In port is used for an external CD player. A more advanced sound card would have ports for front and back surround-sound speakers.

You can download the manuals for the latest MSI motherboards free of charge from http://www.msi.com.tw/.

A Videologic Sonic Fury sound card is capable of being connected to many speakers to produce a surround-sound effect, you will have to read its manual to find out how to connect the different speakers to obtain the best sound effects.

Some high-end, relatively expensive sound cards can not only decode surround sound, they also have optical digital input and output ports that make use of fibre-optical cables for digital data transfers. Fibre-optical cables carry signals in the form of light waves much in the same way that a laser beam of light transfers data to and from CD and CD recordable disks.

Digital data transfer means that the digital peripherals (sound card and speakers) are able to take output or input data directly in binary form from or to the computer instead of having to convert the input/output into analogue (non-digital) forms. Digital binary input/output consists of software coding that is made up of only ones and zeros. The data transfers within a computer are all in digital form, but before the advent of digital peripheral devices , most of a computer's devices had to convert the computers digital signal into analogue signals and convert their analogue output into digital form before sending it to a computer. For instance, digital monitors (CRT and LCD) communicate directly with the computer's video card, but an analogue cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor has to have an electronic analogue-to-digital converter (DAC) in order to receive or send signals to a computer, but a digital liquid crystal display (LCD) screen communicates directly with the computer.

Sound cards that are more expensive than the basic ones with three or four ports - Speaker Output, Line Out, Line In, and Mic In - have extra audio input ports for TV tuner cards, internal modems, CD drives, and other external sound devices. Even a FireWire (IEEE 1394) port has started appearing on some sound cards for attaching a digital camcorder or external disk drive.

A 5.1 sound system uses three inputs just to be able to produce that level of sound. 7.1 surround sound systems, which have Dolby Digital decoders, are fed via an S/PDIF digital input, the cables for which are available in coaxial and optical versions.

The following article provides information on the various ways in which a stereo system can be connected to a PC, including using a S/PDIF connection on a sound card or motherboard:

Connecting Your PC to Your Stereo -

http://www.teamcombooks.com/mp3handbook/10.htm

S/PDIF coaxial input/output (i/o) is provided by most high-end sound cards. The popular SoundBlaster Audigy 4 card can be connected to a Digital I/O Module to add optical and coaxial digital i/o to it.

Some motherboards provide a special bracket containing coaxial and/or optical S/PDIF ports that fits into an opening at the back of a computer's case. The bracket allows its own internal cables to be attached to the motherboard and external cables to be attached to the speakers.

You can also buy a USB adapter that provides S/PDIF digital stereo output. S/PDIF optical digital audio output connects a PC or laptop computer to the latest home entertainment equipment to provide a digital, distortion-free signal. Enter s/pdif + usb + adapter (UK: use adaptor) to locate information and vendors.

Some graphics cards now provide S/PDIF input so that the card can be connected to the optical S/PDIF output port on a sound card in order to deliver sound from a graphics card over an HDMI high-definition connector, which already has the capacity to deliver audio output along with graphic output.

Asus readies HDMI-enabled graphics cards -

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/06/asus_hdmi_enabled_graphics_cards/

Note that because it is possible for Dolby Digital decoding to be done by software, surround-sound speakers that use analog inputs provide a much cheaper alternative to S/PDIF digital input.

Most sound cards install their software device drivers in a control panel that is within the Windows Control Panel.

The Multimedia icon in the Control Panel has a tab called Audio. There is an option on this tab that says Show volume control on taskbar. If you enable that option, Windows places a volume-control icon in the System Tray on the bottom left-hand side of the screen. Most sound cards' drivers also install an icon for easy access to their control panels in the System Tray (Notification Area).

In a Windows XP system with, say, a SonicFury sound card installed, you would click on Start => Control Panel and open the Santa Cruz/SonicFury applet.

You don't have to use all of the speaker ports. If you have purchased a set of two speakers, you can plug them in using the Front Speakers or Back Speakers port. But if you only want to use two speakers, you should purchase a basic sound card that has only a Line Out port for them - or purchase a motherboard with an integrated sound card. There are many such motherboards available, because the technology has been borrowed from servers that have motherboards with integrated sound cards.

Most speakers will have their own power supply unit, but they should produce sound at a low volume if they are left to draw power via the sound card attachment. Most speaker systems require their own power supply unit to be plugged into a wall socket for optimal performance, and most of them have to be turned on by pushing a switch somewhere on one of the speakers.

The volume of speakers

A speaker manufacturer's specifications for a particular set of speakers can be confusing. When comparing power ratings, the Route Mean Square (RMS) figure provides a good indication of the volume that can be delivered, because it provides a measure of the sustained power that a set of speakers or an amplifier can generate. You should not compare speaker systems by the Peak Music Power Output (PMPO) figure, which can be very much higher. Remember that a set of speakers rated at 100W won't be able to deliver twice the volume of a 50W set, because the power output doesn't match the volume, but a set of speakers with double the RMS figure of another set of speakers should be able to deliver around twice the volume.

Sound-card and speakers' tweaking guides

For more information on setting up a sound system, try using a search phrase such as: computer + "sound system" + setup + guide (as is) in the Google search box provided at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled).

Headphones and microphones

You connect headphone and microphones to the appropriate input/output port (Line in or Mic respectively) of the sound card.

10 Earphones Under £50 / €80 - Affordable Good Listening -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/10-earphones-under-100-dollars-uk,review-2113.html

More reviews for headphones are provided in the next item.

Sound cards, speaker systems, and headphones rated by Computer Shopper (UK)

Note that a product with a low star rating could meet your needs perfectly well and save you a small fortune into the bargain.

To find vendors, enter the make and model enclosed within double quotation marks in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled).

Visit http://www.computershopper.co.uk/ to read the full reviews under PRODUCT REVIEWS, or enter the make and model in the Search box.

Click the make/model to visit the manufacturer's website.

About using a sound card or special phone or adapter to make free Internet telephone calls, and the VoIP protocol

A two-way audio link can be created by using two computers, each of which is equipped with sounds cards that have a bi-directional full duplex capability. If one of the sound cards doesn't have full duplex capability the two communicators have to take it in turns to speak, because bi-directional sound won't be supported. If a sound card has a Mic port for a microphone then it has full duplex capability.

The other equipment required is a set of speakers or headphones, a broadband (cable or ADSL) Internet connection, and the VoIP software, such as Skype, that both computers must be running to make the connection possible. It's possible to use different VoIP software packages at each end, but, to avoid compatibility issues, it's best that both ends employ the same software.

The software uses the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Using headphones that have a microphone is the best option because the use of speakers creates an annoying echo because the microphones pick up the received sound.

It's possible to use the free software that comes with Windows 98 and Windows XP called NetMeeting, but if any of the communicators is using a router, it might not be possible to use it. If Skype or NetMeeting doesn't work, you can use a search engine to locate plenty of other free VoIP software. If you want to find out how much free software is available now, enter this search phrase in the Google search box at the top of this page: free + "internet telephony software".

Note that it's possible to make calls to standard telephone numbers if the VoIP software being used supports it. The calls are charged at the local call rate.

Fixed IP addresses at both ends of the connection or the employment of instant messenger addresses is also a requirement for ease of use. The dynamic IP addressing system used by many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and website domain-name hosts that use IP addresses drawn from a pool of available addresses cannot easily be used because the connection has to be set up between two known IP addresses in the same way as a normal telephone call requires two telephone numbers.

But if each of the communicators were connected to the Internet and entered winipcfg in the Start => Run box for Windows 95/98/Me, or in Windows XP clicked on the Start => Programs => Accessories => Command Prompt and entered ipconfig, they could discover what their IP addresses were and could then configure the VoIP software with their own IP addresses before making the VoIP connection.

A dial-up connection can be used, but the quality is likely to be poor because it isn't fast enough - even with compression and buffering of the voice data.

Enter "ip addresses" (including the quotation marks) in the Google search box at the top of this page if you want to know more about fixed and dynamic IP addresses.

At present, this way of making free telephone calls can suffer from jitter, latency, and echoes. The quality is not as high as that obtained over a conventional telephone line, but it's good enough to have an uninterrupted conversation.

One of the newest developments in this field of communications is VoIP over a wireless connection.

If you have a broadband router, you can plug a special phone or VoIP adapter into it and then sign up with a service that connects your calls via a telephone network. This service is taking off in a big way in the US, where the leading provider is Vonage - expected to start operating in the UK by the end of 2004. But you don't have to wait for Vonage to start offering the service in the UK, because there are already service providers available.

BT itself plans to convert all UK landlines to VoIP at the telephone exchange level over the next few years.

The following three VoIP-related sites are UK-specific:

The first European Internet telephone company now offers free Internet accounts to the UK. You have three options - buy a special telephone that replaces your existing telephone, add an adapter to your existing telephone, or use software from a computer equipped with headphones, microphone, and a full-duplex sound card. -

http://www.sipgate.co.uk/user/index.php

Information on VoIP in the UK, including the service providers, and the hardware and software can be found here: http://www.voip.org.uk/.

General information on VoIP worldwide can be found here:

http://www.iptel.org/

Information on the communication protocols used in VoIP and other technologies can be found here:

http://www.protocols.com/pbook/voip.htm

The most popular free VoIP software is Skype: http://www.skype.com/.

VoIP Explained - http://johnscomputersupport.co.uk/index.cgi?action=article&id=5

You can also enter voip in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled) to find out which links are provided on the subject.

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Devices from Siemens use Skype software to make cheap Internet calls possible

December 15, 2004. - Siemens is soon to launch a USB adapter that connects to a range of its handsets so that voice calls can be relayed wirelessly. The Gigaset M34 USB adapter is compatible with the Siemens Gigaset range of DECT wireless handsets, and is supplied with Skype software that allows free voice calls to be made to other Skype users, and cut-price calls to be made to fixed and mobile landlines. The Gigaset M34 adapter allows SMS and Instant Message messages - including MSN Messenger and Yahoo! The USB adapter costs Euro 100 (around £70). UK pricing may vary. The handsets cost between Euro 50 to 200, but the kit is not yet available in the UK. The ability to make cheap phone calls out is a great selling feature, but a user won't be able to give up using standard PSTN lines yet, because Skype, the software that Siemens is using, has to make its SkypeIn service available. Without SkypeIn, numbers on fixed and mobile networks can be called by a user, but the owners of the numbers won't be able to call the user from their end. Skype says that it is working on SkypeIn, but is unable to indicate when it will be made available. However, Siemens says that it will have a handset available in the next fiscal year (2005) that will allow a user to make and receive calls via the Internet and PSTN lines.

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February 14, 2005. - Product Review: Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router with 2 Phone Ports (WRT54GP2):

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/review-wrt54gp2,review-1198.html

The WRT54GP2 router is four networking devices in one box. Firstly, it's a 802.11b / 802.11g wireless Access Point with 64 / 128 bit WEP, and both WPA Enterprise (RADIUS) and WPA-PSK security protection. Secondly, it's a three port 10/100 network switch, which means that three computers can be connected directly to it, or other hubs or switches can be connected to it instead if more than three ports are required. Thirdly, it's a NAT+SPI firewall / router that allows the sharing of a cable or DSL broadband connection on its network. And last but not least, the router contains a VoIP phone adapter with two phone ports that work with Vonage's phone service in the US. A different service provider is probably used if the product is purchased in the UK.

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VoIP Tests

VoIP side can be tested via http://www.testyourvoip.com/. This is a free service run by Brix Networks.

You can run two types of tests. The first uses a Java applet to make a VoIP call to Boston, Helsinki, London, Montreal, San Jose or Sydney. This test tests the fitness of your computer and Internet connection for handling VoIP traffic. The second test, which requires free registration, allows you make a voice call to a "Golden Phone", which measures the actual voice quality of a call made through a VoIP service.

How to edit sound files

How to remove the vocals from music files

Question

I have some music files that I'd like to remove the vocals from so I can have karaoke versions to sing along to with my friends. Can it be done?

Answer

It is possible but the results can be very variable, because the condition of the file has to be ideal, and even then, the process could be problematic.

Http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq?s=editing&i=remove-vocals - the FAQ on the Audacity site provides instructions on how to remove vocals with their software.

Audacity The Free, Cross-Platform Sound Editor -

"About Audacity Audacity is a free, easy-to-use audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. You can use Audacity to: Record live audio. Convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs. Edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, and WAV sound files. Cut, copy, splice, and mix sounds together. Change the speed or pitch of a recording. And more! See the complete list of features." -

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Alternatively, download the AnalogX Vocal Remover. It comes as a DirectX version for audio-editing applications, and a Winamp version for that popular music player.

Google searches

To locate more information about any of the hardware or software named or the technical terms used on this page, you can enter them in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled). If there is more than a single term, in order to locate specific links, enclose them within quotation marks.

PC Buyer Beware! Copyright © Eric Legge 2004-2008. All rights reserved.