Sound chip

A sound chip is an integrated circuit (i.e. "chip") designed to produce sound. It might do this through digital, analog or mixed-mode electronics. Sound chips normally contain things like oscillators, envelope controllers, samplers, filters and amplifiers.

A number of methods of electronically producing sounds were devised during the late 20th century. These included pulse-width modulation, programmable sound generators, wavetable synthesis and frequency modulation synthesis. Sound chips were widely used in arcade game system boards, video game consoles and home computers.

From the late 1990s to present day pulse-code modulation became standard, for example as used in Intel High Definition Audio standard of 2004. The PCM method is used in Mobile phones, PC sound cards and motherboards and its widespread use is part of the digital sound revolution.