Sound Blaster 16
Sound Card
User's Guide

To print this User's Guide, click anywhere within
this page and then click your browser's print button.

Specifications All specifications are subject to change without notice or obligation. Audio Specifications Frequency Response 20hz to 20khz (Line-out) Signal to Noise Ratio 80dB (Line-out) THD + Noise 0.02% (Line-out); 0.2% (Speaker-out - typ.) AGC Amp. Gain 20dB to 46dB (20dB fixed gain when AGC is off) Mic. Impedance 600 ohms Mic. Sensitivity 30 mVpp to 200 mVpp Line-In Impedance 20 kohms Line-In Sensitivity 0 to 2 Vpp CD Audio-In Impedance 20 kohms CD Audio-In Sensitivity 0 to 2 Vpp Power Consumption Normal Operation +5 Volt Current Consumption 110 mA (Typ.) Standby Mode +5 Volt Current Consumption 80 mA (Typ.) Suspend Mode +5 Volt Current Consumption 20 mA (Typ.) Low Power Mode +5 Volt Current Consumption 40 mA (Typ.) I/O Mapping (Default settings in bold type) Audio 220H - 22FH, 240H - 24FH, 260H - 26FH or 280H - 28FH MPU-401 UART 300H - 301H, 310H - 311H, 320H - 321H or 330H - 331H Joystick 200H - 20FH Music Synthesis 388H - 38BH, 38CH - 38FH, 390H - 393H or 394H - 397H Interrupts and DMA Channels (Default settings in bold type) Low DMA setting 0, 1 or 3 IRQ setting 5, 7, 9 or 10 Temperature Range Operation 10 to 15 degrees C Non-operating -40 to 70 degrees C Many Gateway 2000 products are custom engineered by our suppliers to Gateway 2000 specifications, and may vary with similarly marketed products.   Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of a Sound Blaster 16 sound card! The Sound Blaster is perfect for your multimedia needs. It raises the standard for business and entertainment audio by bringing increased speed and power to computer audio. The Sound Blaster complies with the Windows 95 Plug and Play hardware guidelines for add-on cards, while maintaining full compatibility with the Sound Blaster 16 standard.   System requirements Before installing your sound card, make sure that your system meets the following minimum requirements. Pentium, Pentium Pro or Pentium II compatible VGA display (recommended) 5MB of hard disk space for the Sound Blaster software 8MB of system memory.   Features The Sound Blaster card is Sound Blaster 16 compatible, Roland MPU401 UART mode compatible and in full compliance with Multimedia PC level 2 specifications. It is also fully compatible with Sound Blaster Pro, with the selection of input sources for Digital Audio Recording greatly enhanced. In addition, Sound Blaster meets all Windows 95 Plug and Play specifications, eliminating any requirement for the user to select I/O and DMA address settings through hardware or software. The card is automatically recognized and configured by the host computer during installation. As well as being Plug and Play compliant and compatible with Microsoft Multimedia Extensions to Windows, Sound Blaster provides other outstanding features that surpass MPC Level 2 performance.   Digitized sounds Sound Blaster 16 and Sound Blaster 2.0 compatible 8/16-bit stereo sampling from 5kHz - 48kHz (selectable) Recording source: microphone, stereo line-in, CD-audio, synthesized music or multiple source recording 8-bit DMA transfer on Channel 1 or 3 (software selectable) 8-bit ADPCM decompression in hardware (2:1, 3:1, and 4:1) Advanced 16-bit software-based real-time audio compression/decompression system with the following standards: Creative ADPCM (16:4), CCITT A-law (16:8), CCITT u-law (16:8) Automatic dynamic filtering for digital audio recording and playback.   Synthesized music Advanced 4-operator music synthesizer with two modes: 4 operator mode with 6 melodies (4-operator), 3 melodies (2-operator), and 5 percussions; 2 operator mode with 15 melodies and 5 percussions.   Stereo digital/analog mixer Output mixing of all audio sources: digitized sounds, synthesized music, line-in, CD-audio, PC speaker, microphone Input mixing sources: synthesized music, microphone, line-in, CD-audio Multiple source recording and L/R channels may be swapped or mixed 32-level volume control on digitized sound, synthesized music, microphone, CD-audio, line-in, master volume.   MIDI interface MPU-410 UART mode MIDI Time-stamp for multimedia extension Input buffer: 64-byte FIFO.   Joystick port Standard PC joystick port for 1 or 2 joysticks.   Microphone Automatic Gain Control (AGC) amplifier Selectable AGC for optimum microphone sensitivity Input impedance 600 ohms Sensitivity: 30 mVpp - 200 mVpp.   Card Layout AUX connector (TV tuner) CD audio connector TAD (Telephone Answering Device) connector PC speaker connector Internal microphone connector Modem Blaster upgrade header J2 and J3 jumper (see next page for configuration) Note: In our effort to provide you with the latest developments in sound card technology, we seek the most recently updated hardware available. Because of this, your sound card may vary slightly from the illustration above. Because these changes do not affect the overall functionality of the card, the rest of the information contained in this manual is accurate for your card.   J2 / J3 jumper configuration The J2 and J3 jumpers (as shown in the card layout illustration) are used to enable or disable the card’s built-in amplifier for the Speaker Out/Line Out jack. The built-in amplifier is disabled by default. The built-in amplifier should be enabled only if you are connecting non-powered speakers to the Speaker Out/Line Out jack. The configuration for the J2 and J3 jumpers is shown below. Built-in amplifier disabled (default) Built-in amplifier enabled External connectors Line In (Black): Connects to cassette players, CD players, etc. Microphone In (Red): Connects to external microphone Speaker Out / Line Out (green): Connects to speakers, headphones Joystick / MIDI connector   Installing the Card Installing the sound card in your system is not a difficult process. However, to ensure proper installation, please follow the directions carefully and read through the following static electricity precautions. Note: If this sound card was purchased with your system, you can skip this section.   Warnings and precautions The procedures detailed in this manual can be completed by anyone with average mechanical skill. However, hard disk drives can be damaged fairly easily. Observe the following precautions so as not to void your warranty: Do not drop the card or handle it carelessly. Keep all liquids and moisture away from the card. Protect the card from extreme temperatures. Follow configuration and installation instructions carefully. Carefully follow the static electricity precautions below. Read through all the instructions before beginning the installation process. Before opening your system case, read and follow these preventions and precautions to prevent damage from static electricity. Caution! Preventing Static Electricity Damage The components inside your system are extremely sensitive to static electricity, also known as electrostatic discharge (ESD). Static electricity can cause irreparable damage to your system; however, if you follow these preventions and precautions, you should prevent such damage. Static Electricity Preventions WEAR A GROUNDING WRIST STRAP (available at most electronic stores). Turn off the system power. Touch the back of the power supply fan, located on the back of the case. UNPLUG ALL CORDS FROM WALL OUTLET. Remove the system case cover. Static Electricity Precautions Avoid static-causing surfaces such as plastic and styrofoam in your work area. Remove parts from their antistatic bags only when you are ready to use it. Do not lay parts on the outside of antistatic bags since only the inside provides antistatic protection. Always hold cards by their edges and their metal mounting bracket. Avoid touching components on the cards and the edge connectors that connect to expansion slots. Never slide cards or other parts over any surface.   To install the card: Shut down the computer and unplug it from the electrical outlet. Open the system case (for instructions on opening the system case, refer to the documentation that shipped with your computer). If you are adding a new card, prepare a slot by removing a screw that holds the slot cover for one of your system’s empty ISA expansion card slots. Remove the slot cover. Save the slot cover in case you ever remove the card and need to replace the cover. If you are replacing or upgrading your sound card, remove the screw that holds the card in place. Remove the old sound card by pulling it straight out of its slot. Hold the card by its corners. It’s OK to slightly seesaw a card end-to-end to loosen a card, but do not bend the card sideways. If you have an internal CD-ROM drive, leave its flat, grey data cable connected to the interface card or system board. If you are replacing an old sound card and have an audio cable connected to the CD-ROM, disconnect the audio cable from your CD-ROM drive and remove the cable from your system. Connect the audio cable that came with your Sound Blaster card to the back of your CD-ROM drive and the other end to the CD audio connector on the Sound Blaster card. Make sure all jumpers are set correctly. Do not change the default settings unless necessary. For information on jumper settings, see the previous section, "Configuring the SB16" prior to installation. Insert the new card in the slot you prepared in Step 2. Press the card straight into the slot. Make sure that you push evenly on both edges until the card is firmly seated. You may need to press in on the bottom of the metal bracket to keep it from catching on the case. It’s OK to slightly seesaw a card end-to-end as you work it into the slot, but do not bend the card sideways. Secure the card to the case with the screw you removed in Step 2. Replace the cover and the cables on the back of the system, but don’t fasten the screws. After you have connected speakers, and installed the software as described in the next section, start up the system and test the card to be sure it works. When everything works, fasten the cover in place.   Installing Windows 95 Software The Sound Blaster 16 is easiest to use when installed in a Plug and Play system. When installed in Windows 95, Sound Blaster 16 requires a minimal amount of configuration by the user. Before installing the software, make sure that you have installed the card as described in the previous section, "Installing the card."   Installing the Windows 95 driver The first time you start the computer after installing the Sound Blaster 16 sound card, Windows 95 detects the card and prompts you to insert the media containing the driver. Use the following instructions to install the driver correctly.   To install the Windows 95 driver: Start up the computer. Windows 95 automatically detects the new hardware and displays a New Hardware Found dialog box. Click "Driver from disk provided by hardware manufacturer." Insert the driver disk and then click OK. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. If the installation prompts for a location for files, type the drive letter and path, if applicable (For example a:\ for the diskette drive) to the driver disk. After the system restarts, the installation of the driver is complete. If you want to install the Sound Blaster applications and accessories, insert disk 1, click Start, Run and type: setup.exe and press <Enter>. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. Refer to the online Help provided with each application for further information once installation is complete.   Installing Windows 95 multimedia components Windows 95 includes a number of multimedia programs, including a CD Player, Media Player, Sound Recorder and Volume Control. If your system was configured with Windows 95 before installing the Sound Blaster 16 sound card, it is possible that these programs are already installed. Follow the instructions below to install the Windows 95 multimedia components.   To install the Windows 95 multimedia components: Click Start, Settings and Control Panel. The Control Panel window appears. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove Programs Properties screen appears. Click the Windows Setup tab to bring the page to the front. Make sure that there is a check in the box next to Multimedia. You may have to scroll down the list of options to see it. Click Details to select individual components. Click OK. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation (you may need to insert your Win95 CD). After installation, the multimedia programs can be found by clicking Start, Programs, Accessories, and then Multimedia. For information about using these programs, see the documentation that shipped with your computer and Windows 95 Help.   Help Files For each of the software utilities described in this manual, on-line Help files have been included for your convenience. Although the information in this manual is extensive, there is information in the Help files that has not been included here.   Help under Windows 95 To access the Help files in Windows 95 utilities, click on the Help menu at the top of the screen. There are several choices including Contents and Search. Click on one of these choices to bring up the Help menu. Utilities may have different Help options; follow the on-screen prompts to navigate through the files. Some utilities may also have a question mark icon in the upper-right corner of the dialog box. If so, click on the question mark icon. The mouse pointer now has a question mark attached to it. Place the mouse pointer with the question mark over of the part of the screen you want information about and click. A pop-up window appears with helpful details.   Troubleshooting If your Sound Blaster 16 card is not functioning as it should, don’t panic. The problem is probably very simple to find and fix as long as you approach the situation methodically. The key to troubleshooting is to examine the evidence you have, gain as much information as you can, and eliminate possibilities one by one. In most cases, the source of the problem will soon become clear. Often, problems are extremely simple: bad cables, things not plugged in or turned on, etc. Check the obvious first, not last. For additional troubleshooting information see the documentation that shipped with your computer.   Configuration Adding new hardware and software to your computer requires ensuring that nothing conflicts with your existing system. If you have difficulty with the installation procedure or are unable to make the card work, a conflict may be present. Three major configuration settings are possible: I/O Port Address, Interrupt Request lines (IRQ), and Direct Memory Access channels (DMA). Even though the Sound Blaster 16 card is a Plug and Play card, the presence of other legacy cards can still cause resource conflicts. To resolve such conflicts, it is important to know the settings of other cards (it is best to remove other sound cards) and peripherals currently in your system, including the mouse, fax-modem, video accelerators, etc. Many peripherals come with setup software that lets you see and change the current configuration. Make a record of the settings used by all the peripherals in your system for reference when installing new hardware.   Audio If you are satisfied that the Sound Blaster hardware and software are properly installed with no conflicts, but you hear no sound at all, the problem may be with your audio connections. Here are some suggestions: Try playing both a .WAV file and a .MID file to verify that no sound is coming from the speakers. If you hear one and not the other, the problem is internal and has nothing to do with your speaker system. Be sure that your speakers are properly set up. See the documentation that shipped with your speakers for more information Be sure that the sound card is properly connected to the speakers (a cable should be running from the Sound Blaster Line Out connector to a line input on the speakers). To eliminate the possibility of a bad cable, try plugging a pair of high-impedance headphones (such as most portable stereo phones) to the Line Out jack and see if you hear any sound.   Microphone For ease of installation, we recommend that you use a dynamic microphone. These require the least amount of setup. To set up Windows 95 for MIC input, double-click the speaker icon on the right side of the task bar. Make sure that the mute button in the microphone device panel is not selected and that the microphone level is turned up.   CD audio First, be sure that your CD volume is turned up to maximum in the volume control. If you still aren’t hearing music, you will need to verify that the internal patch cable is connected securely between your CD-ROM drive and the Sound Blaster 16 card. This is typically a small connector with four wires coming out of it. Verify that it is connected to the internal CD Audio connector on the sound card.   Notices   All rights reserved This publication is protected by copyright and all rights are reserved. No part of it may be reproduced or transmitted by any means or in any form, without prior consent in writing from Gateway 2000. The information in this manual has been carefully checked and is believed to be accurate. However, Gateway 2000 assumes no responsibility for any inaccuracies that may be contained in this manual. In no event will Gateway 2000 be liable for direct, indirect, special, exemplary, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from any defect or omission in this manual, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. In the interest of continued product development, Gateway 2000 reserves the right to make improvements in this manual and the products it describes at any time, without notice or obligation.   Trademark acknowledgments AnyKey, cow spot motif, CrystalScan, Destination, Field Mouse, Gateway 2000, GW2K, HandBook, TelePath, Vivitron, stylized "G" design, and motto "You’ve got a friend in the business" are registered trademarks and EZ Pad, Family PC, and Gateway Solo are trademarks of Gateway 2000, Inc. Intel, Intel Inside logo, and Pentium are registered trademarks and MMX is a trademark of Intel Corporation. Microsoft, MS, MS-DOS, and Windows are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other product names mentioned herein are used for identification purposes only, and may be the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 1997 Gateway 2000, Inc. 610 Gateway Drive, N. Sioux City, SD 57049 USA   Regulatory Compliance Statements American Users: This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio or television reception. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio and television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. Caution! The Federal Communications Commission warns the users that changes or modifications to the unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment. Canadian Users: This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus as set out in the radio interference regulations of Industry Canada. Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites applicables aux appareils numériques de Classe B prescrites dans le règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par Industrie Canada. European Users: This Information Technology Equipment has been tested and found to comply with following European directives: [i] EMC Directive 89/336/EEC amending directive 92/31/EEC & 93/68 EEC as per - EN 50081-1:1992 according to EN 55022:1995 Class B EN 61000-3-2:1995 or EN 60555-2:1986 EN 61000-3-3: 1995 - EN50082-1:1992 according to EN 61000-4-2:1995 or IEC 801-2:1984 ENV 50140:1994 or IEC 801-3:1984 EN 61000-4-4:1988 or IEC 801-4:1998 [ii] Low Voltage Directive (Safety) 73/23/EEC as per EN 60950: 1992 Japanese Users: This equipment is in the Class 2 category (Information Technology Equipment to be used in a residential area or an adjacent area thereto) and conforms to the standards set by the Voluntary Control Council for Interference by Information Technology Equipment aimed at preventing radio interference in such residential area. When used near a radio or TV receiver, it may become the cause of radio interference. Read instructions for correct handling. Australian and New Zealand Users: This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to the Australian/New Zealand standard AS/NZS 3548 set out by the Spectrum Management Agency. Caution! Disconnect power before servicing. Attention! Couper le courant avant l’entretien.