This month marks 30 years the Sound Blaster 16 was released by Creative, this particular model is still likely the most famous of sound devices that has ever been released into the PC market since that time. The Sound Blaster 16 was able to process 44k formatted wav files and other CD quality audio using recording software such as Cubase and Goldwave. Additionally it had a game port that was also a MIDI input enabling a MIDI keyboard to uses the sound bank that was integrated into the device.
While there were many recording utilities that were used in Windows 3.1 at the time and later on in Windows 3.11, Windows 95 and Windows NT there was also many recording options that could be used in MSDOS.
MP3 files could also be played on Sound Blaster 16 depending on bitrate of the recording and the hardware that the sound blaster was connected to.
Still loved and cherished by retro computer lovers today, the Sound Blaster 16 is a great way to play DOOM, Jazz Jackrabbit or even interface a SCSI CDROM drive on some models for a full multimedia experience using Encarta 94 Encyclopedia.
So if you’re a hardware enthusiast, and still have one of these old computers with a Sound Blaster 16 installed in it, join the 1000’s of other retro computer fans that have revived their old machine and have retro games running the way that they are supposed to be run on the original hardware with no emulation.
Sound Blaster Drivers can be found on plenty of sites on the net if your original media has been destroyed.
Happy Birthday Sound Blaster 16!