flickr by Kiel Bryantfull size
"VintageTech electric organ/synthesizer looks to be on loan from a Tatooine Cantina -- or Captain Kirk's garage band."
That would be the Con Brio ADS200. Click on the Con Brio label below for more.
Update via Kiel in the comments: "Here's what Sellam (VintageTech president) gave me about it: 'That's the famous Con Brio ADS-200, a way-ahead-of-its-time synthesizer produced in the late 1970s/early 1980s. It was a project by 4 gard students at CalTech. They turned it into a company but since they were all engineers it failed pretty quickly, and only a couple of these were made. This is one of only two known to exist.
It was exhibited at the last VCF, along with the ADS-200R (the portable version). We got the ADS-200R working again recently, thanks in part to one of the original designers who lives in San Jose.
Both belong to Brian Kehew, and this one has been in my warehouse for a while as I'm trying to restore it for him (needs a new disk drive and a few electronic connectors fixed).' "
Update via Sellam in the comments: "I'm not sure what Brian has done to document our restoration progress online, but I'm sure at some point there will be ample web space devoted to these synths.
This is what I currently know (some details might be a little off):
1) Details about the ADS-200 in Kiel's photo can be found on the Con Brio Wikipedia page1b) According to the above link, it was THREE CalTech grad students, not four ;)
2) The 200R model is a portable version of the 200 pictured above. Brian Kehew scored it from Don Lieberman a couple years back. Don (one of the original of the three CalTech grads) had it in his workshop and was just about to throw it out when Brian made contact. Brian brought it up from San Jose to my warehouse, we plugged it in, and it came right up. It was actually in nearly flawless condition. We were able to get it mostly functional using the system disks from the 200 model above.
2b) We finally got it totally functional (well, 98%...) earlier this year. Don and Brian came up and we worked on it for half an afternoon and got the last problem solved (the keyboards). We played old samples stored on dusty old 8" floppy disks. The 2% that still needs to get functional is the video. The system disks we're using were coded for the 200, which uses a different video driver chip or something. We can boot the 200R using the same disks but the video is horizontally shifted and rolling. We can alleviate it by manipulating the video controls, but we don't get to see the whole screen. We get to see enough to load/edit/play samples, etc. Fixing this will be a matter of software, and that will take lots more work and hacking. Unless we can find an original system disk for the 200R.
3) The 200 model needs a new 8" floppy drive. Oddly, the one that it used is some rare CDC (Control Data Corporation) model for which I cannot find documentation. If anyone knows where to get documentation and a schematic for a CDC BR8A8 8" floppy disk then that would be fab. I tried substituting different 8" drives but none will work. Hmm...I just had a thought: maybe it's NOT the disk drive but rather the controller, or a cable. But anyway, can't say for sure until I know what the BR8A8 is equivalent to, or what's special about it, if anything.
4) As soon as the 200 is restored it will go back to Brian and he will do some magick with it. We (or at least I) hope to reprise the demo at the next VCF.
5) I video'd our restoration session as I thought it might be historically significant. It includes audio from the 200R. I'll get that digitized and up on YouTube as soon as someone invents a time machine so I can get more hours in the day. If someone wants to volunteer to do this then I'll be happy to get you a copy of the tape (Kiel?)
http://www.vintage.org
http://www.vintagetech.com"
Aren't there only two of these? Is this Brian Kehew's instrument, or another one? Any additional info?
ReplyDeleteIt looks like this one is Brian Kehew's. Or so it seems based on the new comment on the flickr page.
ReplyDelete[Kiel Bryant here, author of this image. Forgive the old Blogger acct. -- long defunct].
ReplyDeleteHere's what Sellam (VintageTech president) gave me about it:
That's the famous Con Brio ADS-200, a way-ahead-of-its-time synthesizer produced in the late 1970s/early 1980s. It was a project by 4 gard students at CalTech. They turned it into a company but since they were all engineers it failed pretty quickly, and only a couple of these were made. This is one of only two known to exist.
It was exhibited at the last VCF, along with the ADS-200R (the portable version). We got the ADS-200R working again recently, thanks in part to one of the original designers who lives in San Jose.
Both belong to Brian Kehew, and this one has been in my warehouse for a while as I'm trying to restore it for him (needs a new disk drive and a few electronic connectors fixed).
My relationship to VintageTech: I'm the Design Director on the Vintage Computer Festival Steering Committee. Sellam & I are close personal friends.
ReplyDeleteCool. Thanks for the extra info Kiel.
ReplyDeleteFwonk!
ReplyDelete(come on, someone had to)
Hearts to Gwenhwyfaer from the Packrat. :o)
ReplyDeleteWhere is the second one ?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what Brian has done to document our restoration progress online, but I'm sure at some point there will be ample web space devoted to these synths.
ReplyDeleteThis is what I currently know (some details might be a little off):
1) Details about the ADS-200 in Kiel's photo can be found on the Con Brio Wikipedia page1b) According to the above link, it was THREE CalTech grad students, not four ;)
2) The 200R model is a portable version of the 200 pictured above. Brian Kehew scored it from Don Lieberman a couple years back. Don (one of the original of the three CalTech grads) had it in his workshop and was just about to throw it out when Brian made contact. Brian brought it up from San Jose to my warehouse, we plugged it in, and it came right up. It was actually in nearly flawless condition. We were able to get it mostly functional using the system disks from the 200 model above.
2b) We finally got it totally functional (well, 98%...) earlier this year. Don and Brian came up and we worked on it for half an afternoon and got the last problem solved (the keyboards). We played old samples stored on dusty old 8" floppy disks. The 2% that still needs to get functional is the video. The system disks we're using were coded for the 200, which uses a different video driver chip or something. We can boot the 200R using the same disks but the video is horizontally shifted and rolling. We can alleviate it by manipulating the video controls, but we don't get to see the whole screen. We get to see enough to load/edit/play samples, etc. Fixing this will be a matter of software, and that will take lots more work and hacking. Unless we can find an original system disk for the 200R.
3) The 200 model needs a new 8" floppy drive. Oddly, the one that it used is some rare CDC (Control Data Corporation) model for which I cannot find documentation. If anyone knows where to get documentation and a schematic for a CDC BR8A8 8" floppy disk then that would be fab. I tried substituting different 8" drives but none will work. Hmm...I just had a thought: maybe it's NOT the disk drive but rather the controller, or a cable. But anyway, can't say for sure until I know what the BR8A8 is equivalent to, or what's special about it, if anything.
4) As soon as the 200 is restored it will go back to Brian and he will do some magick with it. We (or at least I) hope to reprise the demo at the next VCF.
5) I video'd our restoration session as I thought it might be historically significant. It includes audio from the 200R. I'll get that digitized and up on YouTube as soon as someone invents a time machine so I can get more hours in the day. If someone wants to volunteer to do this then I'll be happy to get you a copy of the tape (Kiel?)
http://www.vintage.org
http://www.vintagetech.com
I'd love to see and hear a demo of one of the legendary Con Brio ADS synths that conclusively proves they were more than vaporware supported by a prop or two. So far, I haven't been able to find a verifiable source for the claims that one was used in the first two Star Trek movies. Is this more than an oft-repeated rumor? I've seen the photos, but where is all that spectacular (for its time) sound?
DeleteI'd be happy to.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see and hear a demo of one of the legendary Con Brio ADS synths that conclusively proves they were more than vaporware supported by a prop or two. So far, I haven't been able to find a verifiable source for the claims that one was used in the first two Star Trek movies. Is this more than an oft-repeated rumor? I've seen the photos, but where is all that spectacular (for its time) sound?
ReplyDelete