Vintage Tech archives in Bay Area seeks moving volunteers Sun 6/21, Mon 6/22.

Phil Lapsley, vintage computing history buff, writes:

VintageTech, the organizers of the Vintage Computer Festival, are moving their warehouse of historical computers, equipment, software, and documentation from Livremore, CA to Stockton, CA. Volunteers are needed today (Sunday) and tomorrow (Monday) in Livermore to help pack and palletize all their wonderful machines and related ephemera. It is an amazing chance to help a good cause and get up close and personal with a bunch of interesting historical stuff. I have posted a set of photos of some of their wonders at this Flickr link. If you can spare some time, even an hour or two, please contact Sellam Ismail at [e-mail].

[#1 posted by Angstrom, June 21, 2009 2:11 PM]

OMG
they've got a ConBrio ADS 200 , it's the crazy looking synthesizer, second image from top left.

Those things are rare as hens teeth, here's a quote so you understand.

Compared with the first version, Con Brio's second model was a hit: Of the three instruments manufactured, one was actually sold - for $30,000.

Yes, three of those were made.
It was way ahead of its time and is pure synthesist gear porn.

[#2 posted by Angstrom, June 21, 2009 2:20 PM]

oh, a link or two

http://www.synthmuseum.com/conbrio/conads20001.html
http://www.vintagesynth.com/misc/conbrioads200.php

[#3 posted by Timothy Hutton, June 21, 2009 2:43 PM]

Please, don't take this the wrong way (any post about older computer equipment is always welcome), but (with apologies to Sesame Street), two of these things are not like the others in the previously links:

Previously:
•Joybubbles, and the history of phone phreaking - Boing Boing
•Website helps you get your grandparents FBI files - Boing Boing
•RIP: Joybubbles, Granddaddy of Phone Phreaking, 1949-2007 - Boing ...
•Blue Box Evidence Images from the FBI, 1971 - Boing Boing
•Goodies from the FCC "TV decency" complaints database - Boing Boing
•Vintage tech: Commodore 64 espresso maker plugin - Boing Boing
•Vintage tech devices that never existed - Boing Boing
•Vintage Computing Festival this Saturday, Jersey Shore - Boing Boing

Wish I could help, I was at a playground consrtuction project on the wrong side of the continent this wet, New Jersey weekend.

[#4 posted by Anonymous, June 21, 2009 4:58 PM]

I work as an artifact conservator. These are in terrible condition and are on the fast track to artifact death. Poor storage and virtually no conservation measures taken here. That makes me sad.

[#5 posted by plapsley, June 21, 2009 6:46 PM]

@Timothy Hutton: You're right, two of those things aren't like the others. But one thing they have in common (at least for the first 5 items) is me: I'm writing a book on the history of phone phreaking. As part of my research I've sent in tons of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. From this submitted to BB a couple of FOIA web sites that I thought people would enjoy. --Phil

[#6 posted by Timothy Hutton, June 22, 2009 5:00 AM]

PLAPSLEY - Not a problem, it just stood out to me as I read the list.

I look forward to your current project - I enjoy reading such books, but the problem I've had with most is they are either to watered down to be mainstream (Hackers by Steven Levy) or too random and inconsistently edited (The Best of 2600 edited by Emmanuel Goldstein) - each satisfies a particular market segment, but I happen to be in neither...

[#7 posted by Anonymous, June 22, 2009 10:00 AM]

Anony @#4, you don't know what you're talking about. At all.

[#8 posted by Narfig_Agar, June 22, 2009 2:35 PM]

@Angstrom

Indeed! I couldn't believe it when I saw that ConBrio ADS 200 with a "what is it" tag. Like finding one at a garage sale. Very sexy, I wonder if it works?

[#9 posted by Angstrom, June 22, 2009 4:26 PM]

@ narfig, I beleive that one has had a bit of renovation on it. there was a post on matrixsynth about that very unit a short while back.

here.

http://matrixsynth.blogspot.com/2009/04/futurespace-orchestra.html

Sellam from Vintage Tech details the restoration progress in the comments. It's been videoed but footage is apparently not yet available AFAIK