Quote:

...I have referred to it as my MIDI interface. I think of a "sound card" as something completely different, given that MIDI is data and AUDIO is sound.



This is one of those technical definition of terms Eddie. The term "soundcard" came from the old cards that actually had a synth built in and were therefore capabable of producing sound on their own. Plus the term "card" commonly meant in computerspeak a physical card that you installed on a slot on your motherboard like a video card and that's what we all did 10-15 years ago. Modern interfaces are technically not soundcards at all, they don't install on your motherboard and they don't have any ability to produce sound from a built in synth. You notice on M-Audio's website describing your Fast Track Pro, they make no mention of the term soundcard. They talk about how you can use midi cables and/or plug in a mic or instrument.

A lot of people simply refer to these things as soundards out of habit and it's sort of a generic term now like Xerox. Some people will say make a Xerox of this document when they actually have an HP copier. You're right "soundcard" is an incorrect term if you want to be precise about it but you call it a midi interface, it's actually an audio/midi interface. Personally I try to use terms like this correctly because things change and we all need to keep up to avoid confusion. The only true soundcard in production that I'm aware of and of course there could be others, are some of the Creative Soundblasters because they still have their synths that you can use to play your midi tracks or games.

Bob

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