Editing Mockingboard (section)

{{Short description|Computer sound card}}
[[File:Mockingboard_V1.jpg|thumb|Mockingboard v1 clone]]
[[File:Korean Mockingboard clone.jpg|thumb|Korean Mockingboard clone]]

The '''Mockingboard''' (a pun on "[[Mockingbird]]") is a [[sound card]] built by Sweet Micro Systems for the [[Apple II]] [[microcomputer]]s. It improves on the Apple II's limited sound capabilities, as did other [[Apple II sound cards]].

In 1981, Sweet Micro Systems began designing products not only for creating music, but speech and general sound effects as well,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://apple2history.org/history/ah13/ |title=13-Peripherals |website=Apple ][ History|date=28 June 2010 }}</ref> culminating in the release of the Mockingboard in 1983.<ref name="Inc.19832">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AjAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA57|title=Hardware News|magazine=InfoWorld|date=17 January 1983|publisher=InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.|pages=57|volume=5|issue=3|issn=0199-6649}}</ref> The Sound II was introduced at {{USD|199|1983|round=-1}}, and the Sound/Speech I at {{USD|299|1983|round=-1}}.<ref name="Inc.19832" /> The Mockingboard's hardware allowed programmers to create complex, high-quality sound without need for constant [[Central processing unit|CPU]] attention. The Mockingboard could be connected to the Apple's built-in speaker or to external [[Loudspeaker|speaker]]s. However, as the quality of the built-in speaker was not high, the instruction manual recommended obtaining external speakers.

The Mockingboard was available in various models for either the slot-based [[Apple II]] / [[Apple II Plus]] / [[Apple IIe]] systems or in one special model for the [[Apple IIc]].  Sound was generated through one or more [[General Instrument AY-3-8910|AY-3-8910]] or compatible sound chips, with one chip offering three square-wave synthesis channels. The boards could also be equipped with an optional speech chip (a [[Votrax]] SC-01 or compatible chips such as the Arctic-02, SSI 263P, SSI 263AP or 78A263A-P<ref>[https://www.applefritter.com/content/source-speech-ics-used-mockingboard applefritter forum: "Source for speech IC's used in the Mockingboard"]</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://wiki.reactivemicro.com/Mockingboard |title=Mockingboard |website=ReActiveMicro wiki}}</ref>).

Some software products supported more than one Mockingboard. ''[[Ultima V]]'' supported two boards, for a total of 12 voices, of which it used eight. Most other programs supported at most one board with six voices.

[[Applied Engineering]]'s [[Phasor (sound synthesizer)|Phasor]] was compatible with the Mockingboard. It had 4 sound chips and thus provided 12 audio channels. Few programs supported using it for more than six voices, however.

An [[IBM PC compatible|IBM PC]]-compatible version was developed, but was only distributed with [[Bank Street Music Writer]].<ref name="oldskool">{{cite web |url=http://trixter.oldskool.org/2011/09/09/the-pc-mockingboard/ |title=The PC Mockingboard |publisher=Oldskooler Ramblings |date=2011-09-09 |accessdate=21 June 2014 |author=Leonard, Jim}}</ref>