Re: the slotlessness of sound cards

[Jeff Blakeney <CUTjblakeney@sentex.net>]

On 31 Mar 2003 06:09:58 GMT, mjmahon@aol.com (Michael J. Mahon) wrote:

>I thought that the sound digitizing capablilty was built-in to the
>Ensoniq chip, requiring only pre-amplification (and therefore no
>control at the slot, just power).

The sound connector on the IIgs motherboard does indeed have a
digitizing input on it but it is only mono.  There was a small board
that came with HyperStudio that allowed you to digitize audio using
that input and it didn't use a slot.

>BTW, the standard for stereo was to put even numbered Ensoniq
>channels on one side and odd numbered channels on the other,
>so, again, no "slot-oriented" control is required, just power for
>speaker/buffer amplifiers.

This is where things get weird.  Some sound cards had their own
digitizing input built onto them to give better sound quality when
recording sound onto the IIgs.  This type of this is also required to
record stereo sound clips on a IIgs.

It would be possible to create a board like the HyperStudio one to
record stereo sound.  It could get its power and control from the 16
pin game I/O connector on the IIgs motherboard.  You would have to use
one of the outputs on that connector to tell the board to switch
between the left channel and right channel of the incoming signal very
quickly so timing would be a little difficult to get worked out but it
could be done.

-- 
 Jeff Blakeney - Dean of the Apple II University in the
                 Apple II Community on Syndicomm.com
 CUT the obvious from my address if you want to e-mail me