Sound Card Facts

Sound Card Facts

Amplified vs. Non-Amplified Inputs and Outputs

• Amplified inputs and outputs use an external power cable that plugs into the AC wall outlet.
• Connect amplified devices to the Line In or Line Out ports on the sound card.
• Non-amplified inputs and outputs do not use an external power cable that plugs into an AC wall outlet.
• Connect non-amplified devices to the Mic In or Speaker Out ports on the sound card.
• 8-bit sound cards use a sampling size of 256.
• 16-bit sound cards use a sampling size of 65,536 (16-bit sound cards give more accurate samples and better-quality sound).
• The bit portion of a sound card's sampling size does not correspond with the bus size.
• The sound card's sampling rate (the number of analog signal samples taken over a period of time) is determined by the recording software.
• A high sampling rate gives a more accurate representation of the sound.

Sound Card Ports and Connectors

Device	Port/Connector	Location
Joystick or MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) Device	Male DB-15 (two rows)	Cable
	Female DB-15 (two rows)	Sound Card
Speakers and Microphones	Male TRS	Cable
	Female TRS	Sound Card