AdLib

AdLib, originally Ad-Lib, Inc., was a California-based company best known for introducing the AdLib Sound Card for IBM PC compatibles in 1987. The card provided music and simple sound effects through Yamaha FM synthesis rather than digital audio sampling, offering a low-cost solution for PC audio.

Technical details: The AdLib card used Yamaha's YM3812 FM synthesis chip (OPL2) and provided nine-channel polyphony. It was designed for the ISA bus and offered a compact interface for software to generate music and effects. Because it relied on FM synthesis, the quality and character of sounds differed from later PCM-based cards.

Software and reception: The AdLib card rapidly gained popularity in the late 1980s, particularly among early PC games and music programs. Many titles included AdLib-compatible sound routines, and the card became a de facto standard for FM-based PC audio alongside other devices of the era.

Competition and decline: The emergence of Creative Labs' Sound Blaster line, which combined FM synthesis with digital audio and better overall compatibility, led to increased market dominance. As PC audio moved toward sampling and later PCI-based cards in the early 1990s, the AdLib brand waned.

Legacy: The AdLib Sound Card is remembered as a pioneer of affordable FM-synthesis audio on IBM PC compatibles and a key influence on the development of PC sound hardware. Its presence underscores the transition from pure synthesis to hybrid and digital audio in personal computers.