Install a new sound card
Here's our sound advice. If you spend much time listening to your PC ù running multimedia presentations, playing games, experimenting with digital music, or humming along with audio CDs while you work ù you owe yourself some up-to-date sound hardware. Older sound cards, especially the bare-bones models bundled with many PCs, often suffer from distortion, limited frequency range, and low signal-to-noise ratios (which means you hear hissing, humming or clicking). These limitations can make PC audio less pleasurable, or even downright fatiguing. Installing a new sound card is a quick and relatively cheap fix, providing top-quality sound and features ù such as "3D" Surround Sound ù to support the latest programs. Choosing a new sound card can be confusing. Your local computer store or favourite mail-order firm will offer an extensive selection, usually starting around $70 and going all the way to $400 or more. (Most of these cards use the ISA bus; PCI sound cards are just entering the consumer market.) Stay away from the low end, and figure on paying $200 or $250 for a card like the Sound Blaster AWE64 "Value" from Creative Labs (www.cppl.com.au) or Diamond's Monster 3D (www.diamondmm.com). Most sound cards include Musical Instrument Digital Interface capabilities you'll need for games and other sound-intensive applications. Make sure you invest in a card with wavetable MIDI synthesis, which generates the best-quality audio. The "16", "32", or "64" that is often part of a sound card's model number refers not to bits, but to the number of "voices" (notes) the card can play simultaneously. The more voices, the better the sound quality. Although all MIDI-equipped cards connect to MIDI-capable peripherals such as piano keyboards, the higher-end cards usually include composition software for budding songwriters. Before you buy a sound card, peek inside your PC to see if the CD-ROM drive's data cable connects to your old card. If it does, you'll need to buy a sound card that has an on-board CD-ROM interface. If your CD-ROM drive is old and slow, consider purchasing a combination sound card/CD-ROM drive upgrade kit like the Sound Blaster Discovery AWE64/24X. Some new sound cards use a different internal CD-ROM audio connector than the old card. If your new card doesn't have the right cable, you'll need to buy one. Most speakers bundled with off-the-shelf PCs are inexpensive ù and sound that way. To hear what your new sound card can deliver, you should upgrade your speakers as well. For best results, figure on paying at least $300 for true high-fidelity multimedia speakers. Two well-regarded speaker makers are Altec Lansing (www.altecmm.com) and Cambridge Soundworks (www.hifi.com). Sound cards can be tricky to install, although PCI models may make things easier. Here's how to install a new one. 1. Remove the old sound card software. To ensure a clean installation, first remove the software for your current sound card. In Windows 95, select StartûSettingsûControl Panel, double-click the System icon, and click the Device Manager tab. Click the plus sign next to the Sound, video and game controllers heading, select your sound card model, and click Remove. You'll see a confirmation dialogue box. Remove any other related sound card entries, such as a game port located on the sound card. If your sound card had its own applications (such as mixers, sound file editors, or MIDI players), remove them by clicking the Uninstall icon in the respective program group or by selecting StartûSettingsûControl Panel and double-clicking the Add/Remove Programs icon. Are your PC's audio features built directly into your motherboard instead of in an add-in sound card? (Check your system manual, take a peek inside the PC, or just look at how your existing speaker cables are plugged in.) If so, you'll need to enter your PC's setup program and disable the motherboard's sound capabilities. 2. Remove the old sound card. Turn off your PC, leaving it plugged in to provide a ground path for eliminating static that can damage the machine. Remove the cover. Unplug all cables connected to the back of your current sound card (those for speakers, microphone, line-in audio, and so on). Inside the case, a thin audio cable runs from the CD-ROM drive to the sound card (or to your motherboard). Remove the connector on the sound card. If the wide, grey data cable from your CD-ROM drive is connected to the card, remove it. Next, remove the screw holding in the sound card and carefully lift out the card. 3. Install the new sound card. Before you add the new card, connect it to the audio cable from your CD-ROM drive. (You may need to buy a cable for this if your new sound card requires but does not provide one.) If your new card comes with a connector for your CD-ROM drive, connect the wide data cable. Make sure that the red wire on the cable is attached to pin 1 of the sound card's connector. Note that a few sound cards (especially those with a CD-ROM interface) still have jumpers. If your new card does, check the manual to see whether you need to change the jumper settings. (The default settings are usually fine.) Ground yourself by touching the chassis of your PC, then carefully install the new sound card. Firmly tighten the screw that holds it in. Reconnect the external cables. Note that some new cards, such as the Sound Blaster AWE64 Gold, connect to speakers with RCA jacks. In that case, an adapter for your old speaker cable is usually included. Don't put the cover back on your PC until you're sure that everything is working properly. 4. Install the sound card drivers and applications. Restart your PC. You should see a message saying that Windows has detected new hardware and is installing the correct software for it. At some point, you'll be asked to insert the installation floppy or CD-ROM that came with your new sound card. Follow the setup directions on screen. You'll need to restart your PC again to complete the process and install the applications that came with your new sound card ù usually a mixer, a sound file editor, and MIDI utilities. Follow the directions in the card's manual. 5. Listen up. To check out your new card, select StartûProgramsûAccessoriesûMultimediaûMedia Player. If Media Player isn't there, install it by selecting StartûSettingsûControl Panel, double-clicking the Add/Remove Programs icon, and clicking the Windows Setup tab. Click the check box next to Multimedia, click OK, and follow the directions. Your may need your original Windows 95 disc or floppies. With Media Player on screen, select FileûOpen and choose one of the sound files in the Media directory. Then click the play button ù the upright triangle towards the left. If you don't hear anything, check all connections and make sure that your speakers are turned on. If that doesn't work either, select StartûSettingsûControl Panel, double-click the System icon and click the Device Manager tab. If there's a yellow exclamation mark next to Sound, video and game controllers, you've got a hardware installation problem. Select StartûHelp and search for the Hardware Conflict Troubleshooter. Follow the directions on screen. û Stan Miastkowski
Category: hardware
Issue: May 1998