Analog to Digital- Sound Cards
What is Audio Conversion -The Basics of Bits to Boom, and Back
Recording and Reproduction of Digital Audio
Almost all music we listen to has been converted from analog to digital and back again.
Gone are the days of pure analog audio where you recorded to reels tape and played back music using only Vinyl.
If you want high-quality playback and recording in a digital domain, a soundcard is for you.
Do You Need a Soundcard?
USB Audio Capture devices and Pre Amplifiers
DJs and Musicians will require an external soundcard if they are recording and playing back music from a computer into a P.A Public Address System.
Many modern DJ Equipment has soundcard built-in, to allow high-quality audio in and out of a computer.
Reproduction of Sound - Digital To Analog
When you are reproducing sounds from a computer to a loudspeaker, you convert from Digital to Analog.
The audio signal is also converted in the opposite direction from Analog to Digital when recording sound. Transducing the energy into bits and bytes that the computer can decipher.
Using a cheap, built-in computer sound card will often be insufficient in quality, especially if you are sending music to a Public Address (PA) System.
A dedicated soundcard is essential if you are DJing from your laptop.
The audio signal from the computer will send to multiple outputs for your headphones and speakers.
Suppose you are having problems and issues. Take into consideration both the quality of audio conversion and the connection and lengths of the cables.
Recorded Noise
Dedicated sound cards will give you options for inputs, outputs and cable types.
A damaged cable can make a million-dollar Audio Mixing Console sound terrible, even through a high-fidelity speaker system.
The weakest link in the Audio Chain will severely impact the signal flow.
When recording, we use a microphone to change the sound waves into electrical current.
The Sound Card then performs a delicate process, converting the analog audio signal into digital samples/bits.
Our computers often have D/A's that are super cheap and basic. Dedicated sound cards will have better circuitry components, designed for music production.
Quality Sound-Cards and Cable will reduce sound artifacts and noise into the audio signal recording (Signal to Noise Ratio)
Audio Conversion
The sound card circuitry converts an electronic audio signal to a digital format that can be processed by a computer.
The digital bits and bytes are converted to electrical signals to drive loudspeakers.
If you are taking the act of recording and playback (reproducing sound) seriously, it is worth investing in a sound card.
An audio DA and AD converter will always be a superior technology to using the standard cards/processors in your laptop or desktop computer. - Learn More