Reference Guide

1239
Audio Hardware (Sound Cards) and Drivers
Beginner’s Guide to Cakewalk Software
For more information, see:
Audio Hardware (Sound Cards) and Drivers
Audio
MIDI
Audio Hardware (Sound Cards) and Drivers
There are many different brands of sound cards on the market today. This section aims to help you
get the best out of yours.
See:
Consumer and Professional
Consumer and Professional
There are many sound cards to choose from. Nearly every PC comes with one. Some are nationally
known brands and others are proprietary sound cards that are made specifically for a single
manufacturer. These sound cards are called “consumer” cards. They are designed to handle the
general multimedia tasks most PC users have, like playing CDs or MP3s, using your PC as a
telephone, or playing computer games. Most consumer sound cards fit the bill nicely for the average
PC user. They can play and record both audio and MIDI, but there are certain limitations which are
relevant for Cakewalk users. The following list covers the characteristics of most consumer sound
cards. This list is very general and does not necessarily reflect every sound card that comes bundled
with a PC.
Consumer grade sound card characteristics:
• Number of inputs and outputs. Consumer cards nearly always have two inputs, mic and line
in, and one output. Usually, these inputs and outputs are stereo, meaning there is a left and right
channel.
• Type of inputs and outputs. Consumer cards almost always have eighth inch jacks, requiring
an adaptor to use with standard quarter inch cables (guitar cables, patch cables, etc.).
• Simultaneous recording and playback. Some older consumer sound cards aren’t capable of
simultaneous recording and playback. These cards are called half-duplex. Cards that are capable
of simultaneous recording a playback are called full-duplex.
• 16-bit, 44100 resolution. Consumer cards are only capable of 16-bit audio and a sampling rate
of 44.1 KHz. While these settings are at CD quality, Cakewalk software is capable of 24-bit audio
at a sampling rate of up to 96 KHz.
• Internal. Consumer sound cards are installed in PCI slots (or ISA for older sound cards) on your
PC’s motherboard. While professional sound cards are also frequently installed in PCI slots,
some provide a “breakout box” which houses the analog to digital (A to D) and digital to analog (D
to A) converters, keeping them away from the internal noise a PC generates (fans, hard drives,