Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Windows PC audio system block diagram or info

This is topic Windows PC audio system block diagram or info in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 01-15-2007, 05:57 PM:

Does anyone have a block diagram or can outline how the various software and hardware components of a typical Windows PC audio system work together?
Obviously, you have hardware inputs and outputs on both ends, but what happens in the middle, how do the various audio codecs and software components influence each other?
At what point do the settings in the control panel come into play?
How do other software devices, like media players, config utilities, other processing programs like audio editors work together?

I have an onboard "Realtek High Definition Audio" system with tons of digital and analog in and outputs (on the front *and* the back). It has its own little config tool, and I am mostly interested in how that interfaces with control panel settings, basically, what the whole processing path is from external sources or audio played from the hard disc, where all the software components come in etcetc.

EDIT - OK, right after posting this, I found this interesting link:
http://www.optimalsound.net/AudioDesignLine.html
which already seems to provide some answers. There are several sub-articles and even a big diagram (under "click to read" near the top of the page).
I don't have time to read it and analyze the diagram right now, but it seems there might be some answers already there.

Still, any additional info or comments are always welcome. This is specifically about "Intel HD Audio". Actually, it says in the specs that that's what my PC (from HP has), but the system info says Realtek, so I wonder if that's a mistake in the specs or if Intel simply uses Realtek components.

On the Realtek (obviously a Taiwanese company) website, it doesn't offer much info except for driver downloads.

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 01-18-2007, 04:50 AM:

Just wanted to bump up this massively interesting topic. I am a little surprised by the lack of responses. Has no one here investigated that yet?

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-18-2007, 07:49 AM:

Mike...because the description identified the topic as a teaser....I mean how typical PC software/hardware works together? They don't; duh! [Razz]

Oh wait...you were serious, weren't you?

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 01-18-2007, 04:17 PM:

He's German. He was serious.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 01-18-2007, 04:24 PM:

Mike, I did go to that site and looked at the chart and other things... YAWN...

I just want to use the stuff without learning all the "How did they do it"...