Sound devices are computer peripherals that produce, manipulate, or record sound or electronic signals representing sound. Virtually all modern music and movie sound production is done digitally using computer sound devices.

Speakers and Signals

Whether it is in a computer, a pair of headphones, or a stereo system, a speaker produces sound by causing the cone (external surface) to vibrate. The cone, often made of paper, is attached to the voice coil, an electromagnet. Behind the voice coil is a second magnet. By sending a positive or negative electrical signal to the voice coil, it is alternatively attracted to and repelled from the second magnet. By continuously alternating the signal between positive and negative, the voice coil, and therefore the cone, can be made to vibrate. The faster the material vibrates, the higher the frequency of the sound; the larger the vibration, the louder...