> The letters refer to the model.
>     SB = Sound Blaster
>     AWE = Advanced Wave Effect

        Correct.

> The numbers indicate how many bits of data are in one sound byte.
> More bits mean more complex sounds.  Like the number of singers
> in a choir -- the more there are, the richer and fuller the sound is.

        No, this is a common misconception, the number can mean one of two things,
for the SB 16 the 16 truly does mean a max of 16 bits per sample. For the
AWE 32 and AWE 64 the number does
not indicate number of bits per sample, instead it means the amount of
simultaneous voices that can be played when using MIDI sounds, for the AWE
32 it can play 32 different notes at once through hardware, for the AWE 64
32 voices are through hardware and 32 voices are done through software. TTYL