Jump to content

Windows Sound System

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Front and back of an original Microsoft Windows Sound System sound card

Windows Sound System(WSS) was asound cardspecification developed byMicrosoft,released at the end of 1992 forWindows 3.1.It was sold as a bundle which included anISAsound card, amicrophone,a pair ofheadphonesand a software package.[1]

WSS featured support for up to 16-bit, 48 kHz digital sampling,[1]beyond the capabilities of the popularSound Blaster Pro,although it was less frequently supported thanSound BlasterandGravissound cards, as well asRolandsound cards,daughterboards,andsound modules.[2]In addition, the WSS featuredRCAanalog audio outputs, an uncommon feature among sound cards of this era; other connections were a microphone input, a stereo line input and a stereo headphone output.[1]

WSS was supported by most popular DOS sound libraries developed in the 1990s, such as theMiles Sound Systemand HMI Sound Operating System, as well as less popular ones such as Loudness Sound System, Digital Sound Interface Kit, Digital Sound & Music Interface and Junglevision Sound Drive.[2]

Much like with theIntel High Definition Audiostandard of today, the actual hardware was also standardized as well. WSS was based on theAnalog DevicesAD1848codecchipand had an on-boardYamahaYMF262-M(OPL3) FM synthesissound chipforMIDIplayback[1](supporting up to 18 simultaneous MIDI voices).[3]

Drivers

[edit]

WSS 1.0a drivers were released in February 1993. They introduced single-modeDMA,supported games in MS-DOS,Ad LibandSound Blasteremulation.[4]

WSS 2.0 drivers, released in October 1993, added support for OEM sound cards (Media Vision,Creative Labs,ESS Technology) and included an improved DOS driver (WSSXLAT.EXE) that providedSound Blaster 16compatibility for digital sampling.[4]However, they did not provide support forFMorwavetable synthesis.

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcdBrown, Bruce (1992-11-24)."Microsoft Sound System Gives Windows a Voice".PC Magazine:36–38 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ab"Microsoft Windows Sound System standard support in DOS games".www.vogons.org.2014-05-29.Retrieved2019-12-05.
  3. ^Strehlo, Kevin; Lyons, Patrick (1992-09-21)."Microsoft's Audio Bundle Blasts the Competition".InfoWorld:137 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ab"Comparing Features of Windows Sound System 1.0, 1.0a, and 2.0".support.microsoft.com.2014-02-28. Archived fromthe originalon 2016-03-22.Retrieved2019-12-05.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Windows_Sound_System&oldid=1237806216"