Tony Silva, seller of sound cards. :)
This is a short review to put in good words for a seller I found on eBay who eBay decided to strike off. Their reasons are not always good. I think they decided he was selling too many, too fast, and as a personal seller that looks bad. If you want to see his profile, look for "tsilva68" on eBay, his feedback record is small but excellent, and might have been more so if they'd let him continue.
I was taking a risk, obviously, as eBay wouldn't tell me why he was struck off, but he had some Layla 24/96 rack units, like James Lehman bought and used with his Laserboy software. I asked if this seller had spare cards, as well as several complete units, and he had two so I really wanted to buy, so I risked it, sending a cheque for the two spare cards and one complete unit. The seller was fully responsive about this at all stages, and came through with the goods. The back story appears to be that he worked for a firm that used several of these units in a very under-utilised way, to get sound from a video stream of some kind in some professional application. The firm went under, the Layla 24/96's were to be thrown out! So a few people salvaged them. They have appeared on eBay from two or three sellers since, at varying prices, about half what they were before this (temporary) bulk supply appeared.
I guess it doesn't matter which seller you buy them from, btu if you have ANY interest in decent multichannel audio I/O for show purposes, have at them while you can. I said I'd put in a word here because he'd helped me, and I think he might have more of them than the other sellers, and as eBay didn't play nice, he might want to sell direct. I'll point him this way because I think it is best if people can communicate directly with him as I did.
As an alternative, for those wanting to buy one with its DC output caps bypassed for laser scan control or other DC coupled applications, I can sell you one, if you're in the UK, or Western Europe (if you're ok with the raw post price). His will cost you £90 each (they used to fetch £200, and no doubt prices will rise once they become rare again). If you want one from me with the caps removed and all channels tested I'll sell for £110. I have one ready because I want to buy a shortwave receiver. I don't mind if it doesn't go, but it would be good if it did because that radio won't stay unsold long. There might hopefully be people here who remember me and can say whether or not they think I can be trusted.
PS. Apparently during salvage, the cables went astray, but they appear to be standard serial RS-232 types. I have an original so I'll post wiring details so people can be sure what is required.
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Originally Posted by The_Doctor
Nice sig. I lay claim to knowing how the number 42 was devised. me and several people. 
Douglas Adams says there was no reason, but Stephen Fry says he'll take to the grave a confidence that claims there IS a specific self-explanatory reason. Mine fits. I won't make any lingering suspense, I think it's because of a phrase "all at sixes and sevens". Which had no record I could find among the many speculations online, which is sort of compelling in itself. Douglas Adams would certainly have thought of it even though many seem not to have. The more I think of it the more it fits. But this has nothing to do with anything here so I'll shut up now.
