Sound Blaster
The de facto standard for PC audio before Windows 95.
Sound Blaster is a line of sound cards and audio hardware created by Singapore-based Creative Technology, also known as Creative Labs. The first Sound Blaster card launched in 1989. For years, these cards set the standard for PC audio on IBM-compatible machines, dominating the market until Windows 95 became widespread and built-in audio hardware became common. Windows 95 standardized how software talked to sound hardware, making backward compatibility with Sound Blaster cards less critical.
By 1995, over 15 million Sound Blaster units had been sold worldwide, representing seven out of every ten sound cards purchased. To date, total sales exceed 400 million units. The current lineup includes USB-powered DACs and other audio adapters.
Creative’s audio journey began earlier with the Creative Music System (C/MS) CT-1300 board in August 1987. It used two Philips SAA1099 chips to produce 12 channels of square-wave stereo sound—four of which could generate noise. Creative often used off-the-shelf parts and reference designs, hiding chip identities under paper stickers. On the C/MS board, the Philips chips were labeled “CMS-301.” A large 40-pin chip on the board looked like the DSP found in later Sound Blasters, and software used it to detect the card.
In 1988, Creative sold the C/MS through Radio Shack as the Game Blaster, which was identical hardware. The C/MS came with five floppy disks of utilities and songs; the Game Blaster included just one floppy with basic tools and game patches for Sierra Online titles, plus a revised copy of *Silpheed* with C/MS support.
The first Sound Blaster, version 1.0 (codenamed “Killer Kard,” model CT1320A), arrived in 1989. It added a Yamaha YM3812 FM synthesizer (OPL2) with 9 voices (11 in drum mode), making it compatible with the AdLib sound card—then the market leader in PC games. The “DSP” on the Sound Blaster stood for Digital Sound Processor, not digital signal processor; it was a simple Intel MCS-51 microcontroller. It could play back 8-bit mono audio at up to 23 kHz and record at up to 12 kHz, with ADPCM decompression at ratios of 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1, plus a basic MIDI interface. The CT1320B variant often had C/MS chips in sockets rather than soldered. Some sources list the original Sound Blaster 1.0 as CT1310, though this is debated; Creative’s own website uses CT1310 for that model.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- Creative Technology
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The history of Creative sound cards started with the release of the Creative Music System (C/MS) CT-1300 board in August 1987, which contained two Philips SAA1099 integrated circuits providing 12 channels of square-wave stereo sound. A year later, in 1988, Creative marketed the C/MS via Radio Shack under the name Game Blaster, identical in hardware to the C/MS. The first Sound Blaster, the Sound Blaster 1.0 (CT1320A), was released in 1989 and added a 9-voice FM synthesizer using the Yamaha YM3812 chip (OPL2), providing compatibility with the market-leading AdLib sound card. It also included a Digital Sound Processor (DSP), a simple microcontroller from the Intel MCS-51 family, capable of 8-bit monaural sampled sound playback at up to 23 kHz and recording at up to 12 kHz. The inclusion of a game port was important to its early success, as PCs of that era did not include one and game port cards were costly. In less than a year, the Sound Blaster became the top-selling expansion card for the PC. When Microsoft announced Multimedia PC (MPC) in November 1990, it suggested developers use the Sound Blaster as it was the only sound card that came close to complying with the MPC standard.
Reader's Guide
The Sound Blaster's significance lies in its role as the dominant sound card standard for IBM PC compatibles before Windows 95 standardized audio at the application level. By 1995, Sound Blaster cards had sold over 15 million units worldwide and accounted for seven out of ten sound card sales. The card achieved market leadership by offering AdLib compatibility with additional features at the same or lower price, and by including a game port that saved an expansion slot. In-game support for the digital portion of the card developed after the Sound Blaster had gained dominance. The press speculated that Microsoft based the MPC standard on the Sound Blaster's specifications. By 1993, Computer Gaming World wondered why a gamer would buy a competing AdLib card that was not Sound Blaster-compatible. Creative advertised the Sound Blaster 16 with the slogan 'Get Real', emphasizing its 'real 100% Sound Blaster compatibility'. To date, Sound Blaster has sold over 400 million units, and its current product lineup includes USB-powered DACs and other audio adapters.
Did You Know?
- The first Sound Blaster card was code-named 'Killer Kard'.
- The Sound Blaster's DSP stood for Digital Sound Processor, not digital signal processor.
- The Sound Blaster 1.0 could play back 8-bit monaural sampled sound at up to 23 kHz.
- The Sound Blaster 2.0 added support for 'auto-init' DMA for continuous double-buffered sound output.
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