Your PC makes noise by using a sound system composed of many parts, both hardware and software. In a way, the sound system is similar to the video system: The speakers, like the monitor, are only the external parts. Much more goes on inside the console, as you'll discover here.
Listening to sound hardware
A PC includes sound-generation hardware on its chipset, which comes soldered to the motherboard. The sound hardware includes the ability to process and play digitally recorded sounds and CD music, as well as an on-board synthesizer for generating music. For most folks, it's about all you really need to use the computer, play games, listen to music, and have some fun.
More advanced sound hardware can be added to any PC via an expansion card. This sound upgrade is necessary only for die-hard audiophiles, people who are composing their own music or are using their PCs as the heart of their audio studios. Otherwise, the sound hardware that comes on the chipset is just hunky and dory for everyone.
Understanding your speakers
Most PCs come with a tiny, awful internal speaker. It's a backup. It exists just in case you don't connect external speakers to the system. That way, in an act of typical computer desperation, the thing can meekly bleep at you.
On the other hand, your PC most likely came with external stereo speakers. If not, or if the quality was just too crude for your refined tastes, you can upgrade the speakers to include a subwoofer or maybe even surround sound.
Figure 1 illustrates a typical PC speaker setup. Note that the left and right speakers are positioned on the left and right sides of the monitor as you're facing the monitor.
Figure 1: PC speaker setup.
In Figure 1, the sound output from the console goes first to the subwoofer and then to the left and right speakers. Sometimes the sound goes into one of the speakers first and then into the subwoofer. And sometimes, the left speaker is wired directly to the right speaker (or vice versa). In other words, there is no standard for connecting speakers.
One step beyond the left-right-subwoofer speaker configuration is Dolby surround sound, similar to the sound setup for a home theater. In that configuration, left, right, and center speakers are by the computer. Behind it, you have left and right surround speakers. A subwoofer completes the system.
Here's a summary of PC speaker details:
- Any cheap-o set of stereo speakers works on a PC. If you enjoy listening to music on the computer, you should pay more and get a nicer set of speakers and a subwoofer.
- Run your speakers electrically rather than through batteries. If your speakers didn't come with an AC power adapter, you can usually buy one.
- Get speakers that have a volume control, either on the left or right speaker. Another bonus: a mute button on the speaker. Note that some high-end speaker systems have a remote control that has the volume and mute buttons on it.
- Speakers built into the PC's monitor are typically terrible.
- Subwoofer? It's a speaker box, typically sitting on the floor beneath your PC. It amplifies sounds at the low end of the spectrum. Subwoofers give oomph to the bass in music, and for games, they truly add emphasis to the horde of football players sacking your quarterback.
- If you have a DVD expansion card on your PC, be sure to plug the speakers into that card.
Knowing your microphone options
Any cheesy microphone works on a PC. If sound quality is important to you and you're using your PC as a digital audio studio, you have to spend money on microphones and mixers and all that. But if that's not you, any old microphone does the trick. Check out these mic details:
- Two popular types of microphones are used on a PC: condenser and dynamic. Condenser mics can be plugged right into the PC's mic jack. Dynamic microphones require amplification and may work when plugged into the Line In jack, but may require a pre-amplifier for them to work best.
- If you plan to use voice over the Internet or dictation, get a microphone-headset combination. That way, you can chatter without having to mess with holding the microphone or setting up a mic stand near your PC.
