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Tech 21 SansAmp PSA-1
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Tech 21 SansAmp PSA-1
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lolomeca lolomeca
Published on 01/25/06 at 01:44
SansAmp preamp with technology, that is to say, a circuit without lamp, built entirely with transistors but while maintaining (imitating ~ simulating) the sound of the lamps.
The réglagles are made directly by pots, no menus to enable or place, we find the following settings:

Traditional settings:
- The level of the preamp button: Pre-Amp
- The level of distortion ave button: Drive
- The active EQ on the bass and treble: Low and High
- The output level: Level

We can saturate the sound by combining the control and Pre-Amp Drive.
SansAmp specific settings to build the grain and color of sound:
- Buzz: distortion bass with a positive and negative control.
- Punch: distortion with a midrange setting positive and negative.
- Crunch: Who acts on the brilliance and harmonic sound.
The unit is fully twelve o'clock, there are 49 presets and 49 factory storage space for personal settings. There are key MIDI: midi and midi dump map. You can also program a sequence of sequence of presets. A function to lock the action of the pots to prevent maladjustment during a concert.

The connection is complete:
- Two guitars inputs (front and rear high-impedance).
- An effects loop with possible in parallel with a mixer set at 50%. The return can be done in stereo.
- Two stereo output jack classic format and the format balanced XLR for connecting a console for example.
- All outputs (loop and output) are located at the line but can be attenuated by-10dB to find a level instrument. Similarly, the instrument input can be reduced back to-10dB.
- A footswitch input.

UTILIZATION

It is simplicity itself, turn, listen, if we like it, you can save. on the other hand, at the beginning get familiar with the settings: Buzz, Punch and Crunch. But the factory settings are very well built and serve as an excellent basis for work and help to tame the beast.

SOUNDS

The advantages of this preamp is the versatility and control. The sounds are really good or excellent. As they say some, this amp is really good for large distortions, personally I bought it mainly for that test. The clean sounds are also good, but they seem a bit less efficient, or at least it takes a bit more tweaking the settings.
The advantage of this machine is versatile (it is difficult to ask for as much tube amp) and control. Once we understand the interest adjustments Buzz, Punch and Crunch, we take great pleasure to build its grain. We can then build a full sound by adding a rack effect for example.
Another highlight of the PSA is its flexibility on the connection. Unlike conventional tube preamps, it has not been optimized for connection to a power amp tube and a slap guitar quality, such as the excellent TriAxis can be expressed only the addition of a great power amp and a good slap, it's quite normal, because the philosophy of the manufacturers is that each link amp (preamp-amp-slap) brings color to the sound. With the PSA, the philosophy is different, the designers designed the preamp so that it provides a sound that is already built entirely in terms of grain and color. Thus, it can plug directly into a console, in a classic tube amp or transistors. Of course the quality of the amplification occurs, but rather in terms of transparency rather than in terms of color. As against the PSA does not have a real simulator HP configurable, therefore it must change its equalizer when changing type of amplification.
The only downside is the sound on the dynamic response that seems less powerful than an all-tube amp. Similarly, the rate control of distortion by the volume knob on the guitar is less effective than a tube amp.

OVERALL OPINION

It is now just a month since I bought it on occasion. I am completely satisfied, I'll have a lot of practice to capture all the subtleties of adjustments. What I like above all in this unit is the philosophy of the unit, we construct the basis of sound with the PSA (grain, color), he added a good rack of effects to beautify and refine the sound, partite amplification need only send the sound to our ears without distorting it. The sounds generated are really quality, only the dynamic is less convincing in comparison to that of an all-tube amp.