Synthesizers

Soundcards

  There's some variety in what card to use for the PC, or device for the Mac. A card may have no synth at all, and may only be the interface between an external synth or module and the PC, likely for use with the sequencer program used on the PC. A card may be an inexpensive audio card with a generic FM sound chip, typically the card-the-computer-came-with. It may be a 'wavetable' clip-on, or daughtercard, which attaches to a header on the inexpensive audio card. It may be a wavetable card which also serves as the audio card.

  A problem some report with on-board, in the computer, synthesizers is hiss; some interference from the other electronic equipment in the computer. But it may also be possible to shield for this, making it less of a problem, and using better components to eliminate any generated hiss. Another problem is that compared with the latest synths and modules, or with certain aspects of older synths, the soundcards might seem limited, particularly for more demanding or professional work. On the other hand, they seem quick to respond to SysEx messages, where perhaps (?) external equipment isn't always as fast, don't take up any extra space, and as far as daughterboards, can be simply swapped by opening the computer case and replacing the clip-on card.

  The FM chip on the generic audio card is still all too typical, and really not suitable save for those MIDI set up just for that FM; and maybe counting on some other software, like Windows Sound System, for help. There are a whole number of these on the store shelves, for $20-30 US and under. The sound seems pretty much the same for the few I've used, but it's noticeably improved, again, if Windows Sound System is employed, and it is not always by default. Here's some other comments on this sort of thing.

  The audio card with 'wavetable' samples, rather than FM, is showing up more on store shelves. These are like the various external synths, and unlike FM, can generate instrument sounds that differ markedly from one another. An oboe on one may sound rather different than an oboe on another, and so on. Voyetra/Turtle Beach had its Santa Cruz. Yamaha has its SW1000 'super card' (1200+ patches, 46 drum kits, &c). And the AWE 32/64 from Creative Labs is under $100 ('street price') and has it's own version of samples instruments.

  Sound sample based daughtercards are like the full audio wavetable cards, but just clip onto a WaveBlaster standard header (old Creative Labs standard) which is found on many, but not all, audio cards. When the sound card that it clips onto was installed, it will have already set everything up; all the drivers for the wavetable. So you just need to select MPU-401 for MIDI out, instead of the FM synth out, in order to hear the wavetable. For the highest quality in wavetable daughtercards, look at Roland (Edirol) and Yamaha. The Roland has its SCD-15 (SCB-55), with patches from the older MT-32 and CM-32P synths. And Yamaha had its DB50 XG card (maybe still on some store shelves, no longer sold in favor of both the soft synth and the SW1000 card). The Yamaha was considerably cheaper, provided many more instruments, more control over each channel, but the quality of the samples in some cases, took away from the rest. The SCD-15 also has some weak patches, but tends to excel in the electric guitars, basses, pianos, and some other things, so that while it doesn't provide nearly the power and channel control of the XG, nor as many instruments on the daughtercard at least, even so, for some songs, such as the original rock pieces at this site, it is to be preferred to the XG even so. For other songs, that might not be the case.

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