Sound Blaster Live! is a PCI add-on sound card from Creative Technology Limited for PCs. Moving from ISA to PCI allowed the card to dispense with onboard memory, storing digital samples in the computer's main memory and then accessing them in real time over the bus. This allowed for a much wider selection of, and longer playing, samples. It also included higher quality sound output at all levels, quadrophonic output, and a new MIDI synthesizer with 64 sampled voices. The Live! was introduced on August 11, 1998 and variations on the design remained Creative's primary sound card line into the early 2000's.
EMU10K1 Digital Signal Processor
Sound Blaster Live!
Sound Blaster Live! Value / Compaq / Intel / IBM / NEC
Sound Blaster Live! Value.
A sound card is an internal expansion card that provides input and output of audio signals to and from a computer under the control of computer programs. The term sound card is also applied to external audio interfaces used for professional audio applications.
Close-up of a sound card PCB, showing electrolytic capacitors, SMT capacitors and resistors, and a YAC512 two-channel 16-bit DAC. The integrated circuit on the left is a 3403 single power supply quad operational amplifier.
8-channel DAC Cirrus Logic CS4382 placed on Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty
A VIA Technologies Envy sound card for PC, 5.1 channel for PCI slot
Three early ISA (16-bit) PC sound cards showing the progression toward integrated chipsets