#Sound cards
<cont from prev message>
FM Synthesis is a specific type of sound generating technology, made
popular in the DX line of Yamaha keyboards (DX7 is the *really* popular
model) as can be heard all through the late 80's. Other types of Synthesis
are Analog (what I grew up on, non-digital!), Phase Modulation (is this
still used?), Sampling, and a bunch of others I just can never remember.
If my memory serves (I could be *entirely* wrong): FM uses `operators'
that create a specific waveform. This waveform can be controlled in pitch,
envelope, filter, etc via modulators. Different devices employ differing
numbers of operators (I think the DX7 has 6). I believe you can use a
operator for either Voice generation (a voice is a *sound*, not necesarrily
a human voice) *or* as a modulator for other operators. In this capacity,
the waveform of operator 1 can be used to modulate pitch, amplifier (I
generically (wrongly) refer to this as envelope), filter, etc. of another
operator.
I hope I have all of the right; I never owned a FM synth. and it has been a
number of years since I last thought about all of this!
Anyway, as stated earlier, these technologies are not the same thing. The
Sound Blaster Pro card (and I assume this CDPC) uses FM Synthesis for sound
generation, and MIDI to allow it to control/ or be controlled by other
devices. Additionally, I think is has some sort of
Analog -> Digital and Digital -> Analog circuits for sample recording and
sample playback (this is the 16-bit 44.1KHZ stuff, I believe)
Did I answer a question, or just rattle on?
-Mike <I didn't think I could remember all of that junk <g>>