Windows Sound System

Windows Sound System ( WSS ) was a specification for sound cards that was developed by Microsoft and first published in late 1992 for Windows 3.1 . WSS offered support for up to 16-bit 48 kHz sampling, which was beyond the capabilities of the sound cards established at the time ( Sound Blaster Pro ). In addition, WSS cards had cinch connections, an unusual feature at the time.

WSS 1.0a drivers were released in February 1993. They support single-mode DMA as well as MS-DOS games using AdLib and Sound Blaster emulation. In October 1993 the WSS 2.0 drivers were published, which supported not only WSS but also OEM sound cards from various manufacturers ( Media Vision , Creative Labs , ESS Technology ). Also included was an improved DOS driver, WSSXLAT.EXE, which enabled Sound Blaster 16 compatibility, but without FM or wavetable synthesis .

The specification also standardized the hardware of WSS sound cards: They were based on the Analog Devices AD1848 codec chip and the Yamaha OPL3 (YMF262-M) FM synthesis chip.

Individual evidence

• Comparing Features of Windows Sound System 1.0, 1.0a, and 2.0 , Microsoft
• Contents of the Windows Sound System 1.0 README.TXT , Microsoft
• Analog Devices supports Microsoft's new Windows Sound System , September 21, 1992 TheFreeDictionary.com
• Microsoft Windows Sound System soundcards , YJFY Computer Component Museum