Finding an Innovation SSI 2001 Soundcard?

Yvan256 asks: "I've been looking for over 15 years for the Innovation SSI 2001 soundcard. It's a very old and extremely rare ISA card, based on the SID 6581 chip of the Commodore 64. Yes, I am aware of the HardSID (I've got one), but it's not hardware compatible with the SSI 2001 (different method of accessing the SID registers). The SSI 2001 is about the only card missing from my soundcards collection. I am aware of the IBM Music Feature, I have one. It's just not on the webpage yet. Please note, this collection is about the different technologies that came out at the beginning of the soundcards era, not the thousands of SoundBlaster clones that were available (including the Pro Audio Spectrum series). So, if anyone has an Innovation SSI 2001, or know where I could get one, please tell me."

Re:Contact the maker?

[Dogtanian]

Contact the people that made it ?

The card dates from the late 1980s, almost 20 years ago. Possibilities:-

* The company went bankrupt in the early 1990s.

* They merged with another company, which was later taken over by another company that had some success, but went bankrupt in the mid-1990s, and whose name and key assets were taken over by another business who just wanted the brand awareness (and everyone had probably forgotten about the SSI 2001 by this time, so they probably didn't give a toss about the design or rights to that). That company in turn got swallowed up by Creative or someone like that, and their branding has long since been abandoned, and the company structure dissolved into Creative.... In short, good luck figuring out who "the people who made it" are. Well, it might not have played out exactly like that, but you get the picture.

You might find a few ex-employees, but I doubt they've got tonnes of spare cards lying around in their house. More likely that there are a few lying forgotten at the back of someone's warehouse, waiting to be purchased by someone with an eye for retro computer kit, but that might take some time.

Re:I've got one!

[Yvan256]

If this is true, keep any SSI 2001 you may find (however unlikely), and any Mindscape Sound Board too (I've never even seen a picture of that one). The Game Blaster and Covox Sound Master are also rare pieces, and strangely enough even the 1st AdLib card can be "easily" sold on eBay.

You can, however, ditch most of the SB clones. Unless you find Pro Audio Spectrum cards, which are semi-rare. Oh, and keep any boxes/manuals/etc, they may be more valuable than the cards (sometimes).

Re:lol?

[Yvan256]

Explain why someone would collect stamps but not use them? Explain why people collect matchbooks and don't use them?

It's just a collection, it's not about cramming the most different soundcards ever put in a single system at once.

Besides, it's a part of computer history, and there's only a handful of people like me on the whole planet. I don't know about you, but 3 or 4 people with these particular pieces of hardware is not enough, as far as preserving computing history goes.

That may not be an "official" museum, but that's what museum do: keep old crap for people to see and learn about.

Re:Yvan

[Yvan256]

It's true, my website has fallen way behind in terms of updates. However, I do plan on adding content and updating it some day.

As for your Sound Master comment, I'm more interested in the synth side of soundcards. If Sim City supports digital audio, it would sound about the same coming from any soundcard with a DAC (aside from SNR, 8-bit vs 16-bit, mono/stereo, etc). Ultima VI is a good game to get music from since it supports most cards to their best potential.