Long -lived kit? Vintage even?

Headphones · August 2019

In the day job, as things enter service, we try to plan the replacement of the computery bits (technical language, sorry) on about a five yearly basis. The kit might get old, but the "brains" remain in the body of the bath tub curve of life being the plan.

I've noticed that I have two computery things, that I use every day, that are now approaching their twentieth birthday; a Pod Pro (the rack mount version of the original kidney bean) and a Zoom 1201 digital reverb.

I wonder how normal this is?

Should I be charging off to the (on line?) shops to replace them before their inevitable, imminent, demise at the plug hole end of the bath tub curve?

Are these now "classic" items that will be worth a ton in another decade and are actually bullet proof?

Who can top two decades of computery life?

Stuckfast · August 2019

Some early digital processors are now considered classics and quite highly desirable -- early Lexicon and AMS reverbs for instance. But then they are possibly more repairable than more recent stuff that uses surface-mount components and so forth. I would be slightly surprised if a Zoom 1201 ever becomes a sought-after classic, but you never know. People pay hundreds these days for things that were always crap, just because they are now old and crap.

ICBM · August 2019

I’ve got a Boss SE-70 multi-effects unit which I bought new in 1992, and it still works perfectly. I’ve never even changed the memory backup battery, and they’re supposed to only last 5 years.

There are quite a few people still using Boss ME-5 floor multi-FX too, and they’re from about 1987.

Like modern gear these aren’t going to be repairable if any of the specialist chips fails, but that’s just a matter of probability. Some will probably still be working fine in 50 years.

SimonC · August 2019

I’ve got an original Tom Scholz Rockman from around 1989 somewhere. I must dig it out and see if it still works.

p90fool · August 2019

I have a mid 90s Zoom pedal I've hung on to because it has a weird, grainy autowah I like, I also have an old digital Alesis FX unit I still use because it has a nice rotary effect and a flanger you can stall mid-sweep.

In fact, out of all my early digital studio gear I think the only thing which failed was an incredibly expensive Oberheim rack unit, the rest is in the attic and I presume it still works.

ESBlonde · August 2019

I've got a behringer 8024, one of the early digital processors for PA systems. Given that in those far off days the reputation for behringer was in the toilet it has lasted well and has proven to sound good too. It's also easier to use than the later DEQ2496 which I also have.

I think the 8024 must be about 20 years old now. All I've ever done is change the coin battery.

In the day job we have a unix server running bits of a legacy system they can't seem to get right on the modern MS sponsored software. The present server is about 8 years old and is one of a mirrored pair, I bought another unit a few years ago and use it as a spares source. better than that the old Wyse terminals are all from the early 1990s and the IOLAN seriel boards probably older than that. As long as we keep the steam pressure under control all is good. ;-)

randella · August 2019

I have an original ADA MP-1 MIDI preamp that still works, and via a MIDI controller too. I'm guessing it dates back to the 80's. Every so often it won't boot, but cycle the power and it's back again.

As for computers, no - sadly the best I can do is a 10-year-old Samsung laptop that still runs Windows 7 just fine. Or at least it would if I could find the power supply.

I have a box under the stairs that I keep meaning to sort out, it's full of old SCART cables and the odd parallel printer lead. Not sure if that counts.

Kittyfrisk · August 2019

1997 Korg Pandora PX2, cracking little FX/practice box that has some good sounds.
2000 Digitech RP100, still going but not used much at the moment.

1990 Macintosh SE/30; 1990 Atari 1040STE, both still work but currently packed away.

I recently gave away a fully working 1984-5 Tascam PortaTwo HS mini studio cassette recorder/mixer to a mate into sound art using lo fi kit.

1989-ish Sony Walkman Professional WM-D6C cassette recorder, still get's occasional use

thecolourbox · August 2019

Just to try and understand the bath tub curve, my bath has the taps and the plug at the same end. Is my bath a metaphor for the shift towards short life throwaway technology as the water flows from start to finish in a very short distance?

Winny_Pooh · August 2019

Check out prices for classic synths like a prophet, juno or CS80

Dave_Vader · August 2019

I've got an ancient ART rackmount guitar effects unit that I've never sold because I assume it's worth nothing

Same for my BOSS ME-30 (which is horrible)

I've got some rack synth stuff as well, a Roland D110 and an Akai S-01 sampler - again, I don't think they're worth selling, and sometimes I like to plug them in and marvel that they still work.

Oh, and I found an old Fostex 4-track tape machine - a MK2 with a massive battery pack - last week and it's off to a good home (a mate wants it for shits and giggles)

There's probably more.

mudslide73 · August 2019

Loads of computer stuff (8 bit stuff and as mentioned elsewhere Atari STs - 2x 520s and an 520STE with 4mb). No old digital music stuff though.

Axe_meister · August 2019

1980s TS9. Rather battered and apparently uses the wrong chip.
1980s Yamaha 16. Channel mixing desk, no FX a single pre-fader output and a single postfader per input.

randella · August 2019

Oooh I just remembered - I *do* have an old computer that still works, a BBC Master 128k. And a 5 1/4 drive to go with.

I did have an original issue BBC Micro, but it disappeared.

boogieman · August 2019

Kittyfrisk said:

1989-ish Sony Walkman Professional WM-D6C cassette recorder, still get's occasional use

That’s worth a few bob, check out the prices Sony cassette Walkman’s are going for on eBay. At the charity place where I volunteer we shift them easily, apparently cassettes are coming back into fashion and it’s the new hipster must-have after the vinyl craze.

We almost can’t give cd’s away at the moment, I bet they’re the next big retro thing once the majority have gone to landfill.

ICBM · August 2019

boogieman said:

That’s worth a few bob, check out the prices Sony cassette Walkman’s are going for on eBay. At the charity place where I volunteer we shift them easily, apparently cassettes are coming back into fashion and it’s the new hipster must-have after the vinyl craze.

We almost can’t give cd’s away at the moment, I bet they’re the next big retro thing once the majority have gone to landfill.

It's certainly a good time to be a CD buyer in charity shops. It's quite surprising what you can find, even if you do have to look through at least a hundred, maybe a thousand times as much dross to find the good stuff... but worth it when they're typically £1 a go.

boogieman · August 2019

ICBM said:

boogieman said:

That’s worth a few bob, check out the prices Sony cassette Walkman’s are going for on eBay. At the charity place where I volunteer we shift them easily, apparently cassettes are coming back into fashion and it’s the new hipster must-have after the vinyl craze.

We almost can’t give cd’s away at the moment, I bet they’re the next big retro thing once the majority have gone to landfill.

It's certainly a good time to be a CD buyer in charity shops. It's quite surprising what you can find, even if you do have to look through at least a hundred, maybe a thousand times as much dross to find the good stuff... but worth it when they're typically £1 a go.

A pound a go? You’re being done my friend, ours are 50p each if you buy 10.

We do a mix and match deal at the same price, books, cd’s and dvd’s A while back we were doing the same deal even cheaper : 5 for a quid!!

This week I’ve snagged some Pink Floyd (Endless River, it’s awful, glad I didn’t pay more than 50p for it!), Bert Jansch and various jazz ones. You’re right though, you do have to sift through an awful lot of dross to find the good stuff, I’ve lost count of the amount of Blobby Williams, Westlife, Vera Lynn etc etc we have on the shelves.

Kittyfrisk · August 2019

boogieman said:

ICBM said:

boogieman said:

That’s worth a few bob, check out the prices Sony cassette Walkman’s are going for on eBay. At the charity place where I volunteer we shift them easily, apparently cassettes are coming back into fashion and it’s the new hipster must-have after the vinyl craze.

We almost can’t give cd’s away at the moment, I bet they’re the next big retro thing once the majority have gone to landfill.

It's certainly a good time to be a CD buyer in charity shops. It's quite surprising what you can find, even if you do have to look through at least a hundred, maybe a thousand times as much dross to find the good stuff... but worth it when they're typically £1 a go.

A pound a go? You’re being done my friend, ours are 50p each if you buy 10. We do a mix and match deal at the same price, books, cd’s and dvd’s A while back we were doing the same deal even cheaper : 5 for a quid!!

This week I’ve snagged some Pink Floyd (Endless River, it’s awful, glad I didn’t pay more than 50p for it!), Bert Jansch and various jazz ones. You’re right though, you do have to sift through an awful lot of dross to find the good stuff, I’ve lost count of the amount of Blobby Williams, Westlife, Vera Lynn etc etc we have on the shelves.

I know the Sony's Pro's are appreciated now that they are hard to get hold of, but I always appreciated them all along, same with my vinyl decks & amps etc. I'm not alone, or unusual, just occasionally lucky

As for buying cheap CD's (& vinyl), its always been a great way to hear new things for not a lot (pre internet/streaming etc.) but no less valid. Plus, every time something is redistributed it prolongs it's useful physical life, as well as increasing the chances that someone else will stumble across something new to them, then pass it on.

JezWynd · August 2019

boogieman said:

Kittyfrisk said:

1989-ish Sony Walkman Professional WM-D6C cassette recorder, still get's occasional use

That’s worth a few bob, check out the prices Sony cassette Walkman’s are going for on eBay. At the charity place where I volunteer we shift them easily, apparently cassettes are coming back into fashion and it’s the new hipster must-have after the vinyl craze.

We almost can’t give cd’s away at the moment, I bet they’re the next big retro thing once the majority have gone to landfill.

I sold my professional Walkman on eBay to a Japanese company that was repatriating them. Got a good price for it but I suspect they were going to make a handsome profit back in Japan.

57Deluxe · August 2019

All still in regular use for my music:

Atari STf 1988
BOSS ME-5 1988
Roland Juno 1985
Roland MT32 1987
Kay Wah 1 1974
Woolies Audition Amp 1973

oh and a 1995 IBM Thinkpad 760ED (running W98se) to run DOS based apps on

digitalscream · August 2019

randella said:

Oooh I just remembered - I *do* have an old computer that still works, a BBC Master 128k. And a 5 1/4 drive to go with.

I did have an original issue BBC Micro, but it disappeared.

I've still got an old Beeb and a C64, but the modulators have come loose from the boards. One day, I'll get round to re-soldering them, although I have no idea what I'll plug them into.

I've got an old Archimedes as well (not one of the original runs, it's an A3020), which works perfectly with a VGA connection. The mouse is a bit knackered, but still just about works (the ball rollers are a bit hinky).

There's an ART SGE Mach II kicking around somewhere; the display backlight's temperamental, but it all still works and the delay sounds on it are probably my favourites of all time. It's just a shame that the unit's noisy by design.

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Long -lived kit? Vintage even?

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