Soundcard vs Audio Interface:
A Soundcard or an Audio Interface? Before we understand what a sound card or an audio interface is we need to understand what is sound and what is audio. Sound and Audio both are the same thing just that audio is more of a technical term used in the Pro-Audio Industry and sound in general. Both of them are defined with the similar definition i.e “SOUND: is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid”. Audio on the other hand is a vibration transmitted in a signal form. So any which way both are same in nature just defined a little differently.
In day to day use in a non professional environment we generally go with the term sound rather than audio. Making it little confusing for most people who are either beginners or amateurs.
Interface:
As the term defines its self as to interact with an object or person . In audio the sound interacts with the computer and for it to interact it need a medium and that medium is know as sound card or an audio interface.
A sound-card or an audio interface both are designed with the help of a circuit-board, this circuit-board can be inbuilt (on motherboard also called onboard sound-card) in computer or can be an external device communication via various protocols i.e (USB, Firewire, Lightpipe, Pcie e.t.c).
An audio professional is advised to get him/her self an external audio interface for various reason.
- Multiple Input Output options.
- Better audio quality.
- Low latency.
- If at time it goes bad you do not have to replace your computer system just get a new audio interface.
Audio interfaces comes in different forms and sizes. Now next time you go out shopping don’t confuse your self. Now You Know.
