Throughout its lengthy, multi-model lifespan, the Apple II series computers lacked any serious built-in sound capabilities.
[1] All Apple II models (except the Apple IIGS, a significantly different, albeit backwards-compatible machine) possess a speaker, but it was limited to 1-bit output in the form of a simple voltage the user could switch on and off with software, creating clicks from the speaker each time the state was toggled.
Music cards consist primarily of circuit boards plugged into the expansion slots of the Apple computer.
Advertised for sale in June 1980, this card featured three simultaneous voices with a five octave range and one white noise generator.
[7] Phasor is a stereo music, sound and speech synthesizer created by Applied Engineering that can play songs written for the ALF, Mockingboard and Super Music Synthesizer and the 1986 Applied Engineering Catalog claims that they actually sound better on Phasor.
The Mountain Computer Music System was a two-board set that provided audio output with 8-bit resolution.
[10][11] Frank Serafine used a Mountain and Syntauri system to create sound effects for the 1982 film Tron.
[12] The Passport Designs Soundchaser Computer Music System provided similar capabilities, but the software emphasized composition over real-time performance.