Re: Dedicated sound cards for a PC
By: Nightfox to All on Mon Jan 05 2026 09:11:01

What do you all think of using a dedicated sound card for a PC these days? Is there any benefit anymore?

if you want to use good active studio quality speakers or if you want to record external audio from a studio microphone with xlr connector or from an instrument every entry level external usb audio interface from focusrite, beringer etc pp is good.

for more inputs/outputs and more pro features, sky is the limit. there are interfaces for every need and every wallet/price point.

on a sidenote: room treatment can also increase your sound quality significantly, depending on your room situation. Empty walls, for example, can produce unpleasant flutter echoes.

Generelly speaking, i think build in audio is already quite good nowadays. Sure you have the minijack connectors only but depending on the mainboard, the audio quality and mixing features can be quite decent already.

Mindsurfer

i currently have a Behringer UMC1820 (159,-EUR) + Focal solo6 be Speakers.
The smallest Focusrite usb interface: Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen (89,-EUR)

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Re: Dedicated sound cards for a PC
By: Nightfox to All on Mon Jan 05 2026 09:11:01

For my current PC (which I built in 2019), I decided to just use the onboard audio on the motherboard rather than buying a dedicated audio card, and I think it has been just fine. I typically use a pair of stereo speakers, and I also have a headset with a mic that I sometimes use, plugged into the front audio ports. My PC's motherboard uses a Realtek ALC1220P for audio - I've looked up specs and reviews, and it seems to be decent in that regard.

The only concern with internal audio interfaces is that poorly shielded other internal devices could interfere with the audio signal. This may occur, but it is not guaranteed.

Mindsurfer

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Re: Dedicated sound cards for a PC
By: Nightfox to Mortar on Tue Jan 06 2026 10:44:18

These days, it seems software-based MIDI synthesizers are typically used
(and Windows has one built-in).

Really? I'm using 10 and 11 and I've never come accross a synth.

If you open up a MIDI file and play it (i.e., with a program like VLC), chances are it will be using a software synthesizer built into Windows.

Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth,
but it might be a bit far fedched to call it a synth. I think it is more like a sample player / rompler following the GM/GS Midi Standard.

It is mainly based on the Roland SC-55 soundset and licensed from Roland.
It supports General MIDI and includes 226 normal instrument presets (128 General MIDI and 98 Roland GS-specific) and 9 drumkits, with a maximum polyphony of 32 notes.
https://www.oocities.org/tikaimoy/tutorial/gmgs.html

Despite its name, it is only partially compliant with the Roland GS standard, lacking key features such as reverb, chorus, and delay effects, and it does not include a low-pass filter, which distinguishes it from hardware devices like the Roland Sound Canvas series.

Mindsurfer

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Re: Dedicated sound cards for
By: Mindsurfer to Nightfox on Tue Jan 06 2026 09:35 pm

If you open up a MIDI file and play it (i.e., with a program like VLC),
chances are it will be using a software synthesizer built into Windows.

Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth,
but it might be a bit far fedched to call it a synth. I think it is more like a sample player / rompler following the GM/GS Midi Standard.

I think synth/synthesizer is the standard term for it though.. I was just using the terminology I've heard for it. :)

Nightfox

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Re: Dedicated sound cards for
By: Nightfox to Mindsurfer on Tue Jan 06 2026 14:52:59

If you open up a MIDI file and play it (i.e., with a program like VLC),
chances are it will be using a software synthesizer built into Windows.

Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth,
but it might be a bit far fedched to call it a synth. I think it is more
like a sample player / rompler following the GM/GS Midi Standard.

I think synth/synthesizer is the standard term for it though.. I was just using the terminology I've heard for it. :)

it's its official name "Wavetable Synth". You did nothing wrong with calling it synth. Thats not what i meant. I just mean a synth in my mind has oscilators, waveforms, filters and alot of sound bending parameters.

Maybe it was also a marketing decision of microsoft to call it synth, cause synths are cool! ;)

Mindsurfer

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