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From: ong@d.cs.okstate.edu (ONG ENG TENG)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.ps2.hardware
Subject: Re: Here's some info on MCA SoundBlaster
Message-ID: <1991Apr10.064142.2900@d.cs.okstate.edu>
Date: 10 Apr 91 06:41:42 GMT
References: <1991Apr9.125612.464@husc3.harvard.edu>
Organization: Oklahoma State University
Lines: 14

From article <1991Apr9.125612.464@husc3.harvard.edu>, by weir@husc9.harvard.edu (Robert C. Weir):
> Exactly what does a SoundBlaster do?  Does it allow you to write polyphonic
> music?  Does it come with software?  Or is it more of a digital taperecorder
> with signal processing capabilities?  Or does it allow games to use enhanced
> sound effects?  Or, perhaps, does it do all of these things?

It's got 11-voice FM music, and an optional 12-voice stereo CMS music ($20
extra).  It also has a 8-bit DAC and a 8-bit ADC for input and output
respectively, both using DMA (slow CPU by only 5%), input rate up to
something like 12KHz and output 27KHz.  It has a microphone jack that you
can plug in an ordinary microphone from RadioShack (mine cost $10).  It 
also has optional MIDI and a joystick port.  The ISA version (that is
standard PC/XT/AT) has 2x4watts amplifier onboard, making an external
amplifier unnecessary if you are using headphone  or mini-speakers.