Decades of experience and wisdom in this video. It is extremely difficult for musicians to select what gear to buy especially when some “famous” companies make pro gear but also shitty crap that they sell to the masses with their famous brand name and artist endorsements. Thankfully there are a few companies like tech21NYC that make top quality, innovative, pro performance gear.
I just purchased a PSA 2.0 online. There are a number of videos from Tech21 for the PSA 2.0 that sold me on this device. I’m also a longtime user, and I own a number of their products that I have used for live work and the occasional recording. Thank you so much, Tech21. You provide a great product, and it makes my music work life soooooooo much easier.
Amazing unit. Got mine over a year ago and keep finding ways to use it. Highly recommended to anyone’s serious about recording or playing live guitars and basses. All analog and made in USA are also key words in 2021. An instant classic.
We need a flyrig size unit that is fully-programmable that can do PSA 2.0 and programmable reverb/delay/chorus. Even if you could make the 5 flyrig footswitches work in "Pedal Mode", as they do now, and then add a "Program Mode" where each button calls up one of 5 presets you've pre-programmed. I know you can do it. :-)
In the effects loop on my Fly Rig 5 ver 2.0, I have successfully run a SansAmp Classic, an RK5 ver 1, and a TC Electronic Combo Deluxe amp modeling pedal. I don’t doubt you could run a PSA 2.0 in the effects loop on a Fly Rig 5 ver 2.0 and use it as the amp, then use the SansAmp section on the FR5 as a low gain drive, along with the British/California drive section and boost. You would have everything you could ever need.
So glad the No latency bank change was shown. I’ve had that problem with digital pedals loading the next bank of amp sims causing a short cut/mute. Also I love using the PSA 1 plugin that comes with Protools so this will be a great pedal for me to recreate studio sounds live.
I really related to Chris’s example of adapting our own playing to a digital preset vs playing naturally on analog! I have really tried my best to hate Tech21 and try other stuff that adds various routing options and reverbs etc. BUT honestly there is something that keeps bringing me back to it. In the last 12+ years I have owned at least 2 Sansamp pedals at any given point in time! Just picked a PSA 2.0 - collecting it tomorrow :) crazy! Super thanks - you guys are awesome!
@@Tech21nycat least 2 at any given point in time. Started with the original Sansamp with the TriAC. Then the TriAC with GT2, then GT2 with a V1 Blonde… then a Leeda, Liverpool, California British and Blonde V2 all together… now it is a Blonde V2 with PSA 2.0! 🙌🤘
The best preset for rock/metal bass tone is preset n 47. You only need to adjust the gain if you use an active instrument and if you want to go clean to dirt you just do it with your fingers or pick by playing softer or harder. And you don't even need to blend the clean di signal ( although is good to record it for backup and side chain gate).
Wow ! excellent informative video, the PSA 2.0 is an amazing unit with endless possibilities, ... Thanks guys I love these Tech 21 Inside Studio 21 videos, this video along with Tim's videos on the PSA 2 0 have sold me on it, ..... it looks like I'll be adding it to my Tech 21 collection of Sansamps 😀👍
I still have that very same Sans Amp Tee shirt (I got it as salesperson swag when I worked in Pro Audio sales at Sam Ash Forest hills in Queens NY in 1996 :) It has never faded or had the silkscreen flake off and I have had it in my tee shirt drawer or on my person for 26 years :) Soo.... TL;DR I am now fully back in Gear Acquisition Syndrome mode and am SO tempted to blow a chunk of change that I don't have budgeted on the PSA 2.0. It ticks SO many boxes. Thanks for making me a lifetime addict for Tach21 products guys LOL... See why and what I am trying to do below... (yawn... I know..... :-) ) I sold my PSA-1 for WAY less than it was worth two years ago and have been kicking myself ever since... but I learned, after seeing this video (and moreover, speaking to John on the phone at Tech21 support about my original non-"classic" SansAmp pedal and how to get the best out of it, among other things SansAmp-y) that the PSA 2.0 addresses a number of issues I had with the PSA 1.. Namely: The PSA-1 has 1) No master volume control (PSA 1.0) the actual main signal level out the output jack was stored separately in each patch. You would have to modify all of them if they were too loud or too soft for the pedalboard or rack rig you are swapping it into. 2) No way to bypass the speaker emulation 3) it is a rack unit and requires a separate footcontroller, etc. (I have all that stuff, but I downsized my rack rig excess to a small pedalboard like everyone else) 4) Even with a footcontroller, if you mapped an expression pedal to volume on the patches, you got zipper noise as it went through the 1-127 values that midi allows (it did not do any interpolation between values to smooth the transitions out) 5) I never really connected with it as a live performance option when I was gigging, even when I had a rack rig.. (I had a Roland GP-100 that did EVERYTHING soup to nuts and sounded great, and had a direct expression in that provided super smooth volume control, among other things) I have had all my guitar gear in mothballs for about 10 years (Kids and career took over) Covid 19 lockdown had me pulling out all my guitars. I cleaned em up, set em up, and tore apart my rack rig and rack pedalboard and got all my stuff cleaned up, pots sprayed with deoxit, etc. I had not played through anything louder than a battery powered Blackstar Fly-3 mini amp in all this time. I finally plugged into an actual 60 watt combo amp with the guitars I love, and cranked it up, and was back in that happy place again, ready to get started all over. My pedalboard is being set up to be used both stereo and mono. The original plan was to go from my gain pedals to my Tech21 Trademark 60 Combo's front end, then FX send from the TM60 back to my pedalboard for time based effects (the stereo chain of digital stuff): and either mono from one channel of the stereo pedals back into the FX return of the TM60 if I want to keep it simple, or If I want to run stereo, the other channel from the stereo time based pedals into a small Class D power amp and into one of my my Pacific Woodworks 1x12 EVM-12L loaded cabs (from my old rack rig). It was cool, but I was finding that the preamp section in the Trademark 60 combo had some limitations; if the clean sound was sparkly and blackface fender-y, the drive channel was way too dark. If I get the drive channel usable, the whole sparkly spanky chimey funky thing is gone on the clean channel. Funk sounds don't have as much quack, etc. I am NOW trying to reconfigure my pedalboard to use my original Sans Amp pedal to take the place of the preamp section of the Trademark 60. I think it is do-able, although limited to one pedal platform tone which needs to be clean with headroom (none of the great amp breakup the pedal can do) And I need to have all the gain and dynamics pedals in front sound good for everything from funk to Gilmour leads, etc. John from Tech21 was very very helpful in his advice about the Sans Amp pedal in this regard. However, I was really intrigued by the flexibility of something like the Flamma FS06 digital preamp sim / IR pedal. It's great in concept, 7 different classic and modern amp models to choose from (with finger presses on a mini button) and each model has a footswitchable clean and gain channel whose settings can be stored into the preset for the amp model. But I thought (and Chris and Andrew confirm in this video) that any digital modeling preamp will at some point NOT accept being slammed on their front end, like a tube amp or even an analog solid state amp will--just saturating more. You are going to digitally clip. And I have drive pedals that sound great when pushing the front of a real amp as a boost as well as drive.
I've recently bought one of these for bass. Not only it sounds incredible, but it has an impressive array of no-nonsense features for a "no computer interface" pedal. It's not easy to hold up with the expanding digital world, but this box is one of the few to accomplish that. Maybe the only missing feature (which is not a major critical point, just an abstract consideration) is the possibility to limit the preset range, in order to create and cycling through some preset list. I don't know if that feature can be upgraded ever, but it's my 2cents suggestion on an already killer product!
Yeah, I've seen that before. I was just kinda hoping Tim would experiment with the controls while playing the bass. But those bass preset videos did convince me to buy a PSA, so it's all good.
Thinking about getting a PSA 2.0, Midi Mongoose, and using that with my Boss MS-3. I have several of the Character Series pedals, and can get great sounds out of that. However, the PSA 2.0 can get all of the Character Series tones and more, I'm sure. Using a Marshall Guv'nor or Bluesbreaker into a Plexi setting on the PSA 2.0 can probably get close to that Gary More - Still Got the Blues tone.
Guitar is a mono instrument. To make a guitar amp or amp emulator like the PSA 2.0 stereo, you would need to place a stereo effects unit after the pedal. In general, effects like stereo reverb and delays are usually added in post processing in your DAW after the recording at mixdown. This way if there is too much reverb/delay or not enough it can be adjusted properly for the mix or automated etc.
I love the PSA 2.0 however, I would have preferred to see it in a size of the programmable Bass Driver with an FX loop and controls for tweaking the eq curve of the cab sim (something like the A/DA GS-3)
Hi there, I’m really enjoying my PSA 2.0! Question: Is a 1/4” TRS output cable necessary all the time, or just recommended for use into a DI for an audio interface when using speaker simulation? I gather that the TS output cable is okay for daisy chaining with other stomp boxes in the performance scenario, or DI when not using speaker simulation? Thanks!
No. In most circumstances you should be using a standard 1/4" TS cable. The TRS connection is for use with a stereo break out cable. From the PSA 2.0 manual: REMINDER: The 1/4” Output is a TRS jack so the complete SansAmp signal passes through the tip, while the ring connection carries the SansAmp signal without speaker simulation.This special output is intended for use with a stereo jack when recording into a digital workstation.You can run the all-analog speaker simulated signal to the monitors --with zero latency-- for optimal listening and record a nonspeaker simulated track.This will allow you to choose any IR/digital speaker sim later in the mixdown process that best suits your taste.
Would you recommend running it through a passive or an active DI box to the mixer? Is there some reason you didn't include the XLR output on the PSA 2.0 while it's on the FlyRigs? Seems like unless you are within 20 feet of the mixer, you're going to need a balanced cable right? I was hoping the "real world" video would talk more about that sort of thing.
You can use either or if you need an XLR connection. The PSA 2.0 has a midi jack in order to access the 128 memory locations. The form factor is not big enough to add an XLR connection and would also require an effects loop. A balanced cable is not necessary with a properly buffered pedal like our SansAmp products. You can use over 100 feet of cable without noise or signal loss. If you need to use an XLR connection any inexpensive DI will work.
as per Mr.Jack White .... a analog signal path is like a pencil pressed on paper drawing a continuous uninterrupted line ...the line continues until the player stops playing ...then the line gradually fades away and can be heard until its essence disappears , but ..the most gentle of a touch to the string re-introduces the signal ... once any A/D analog to digital convertors are part of the signal path ...the line on the piece of paper is a series of dots attempting to mimic the solid analog line...when one stops playing the spaces between the dots become very apparent ... defeating the digital noise gate introduces noise levels ...but the space between the dots remain ...once the signal is re-introduced ... on has to touch the string somewhat harder to produce a signal that is as sonically detailed as the analog signal. CAVEAT :All that was mentioned above is worthless if one is creating art that does not require these sonic details . There is no correctness ...only the Isness of facts . If wants the best digital recording device then one must pay attention to the CLOCK ...IMHO ..thee best at this so far is the GRIMM UC-1 , for that detail one pays about $5000.00 for 2 inputs ...which is very reasonable for a device that is totally built in house ...including the power supply ,and ,Is the current "Dark Horse" in thee most prestigious of mastering facilities....please note that the creators of the UC-1 are quick to admit ,this is as good as it gets so far. ...if your buying a F-1 racing car ...one must have F1 fuel and tires to realize the full potential of the machine they have just purchased... to that end ...do not critique equipment until one has tested it with balanced Ac power ...or double inverted power that gets the correct power to the unit ...your grid power to your home was intended for household items such as motor ,bulbs and non-digitally controlled appliance that can suffer the instability of grid ac power without consequence ...recording equipment ...analog or digital has its performance altered by grid power. Guitar pedals makers deal with unpredictable QC in wall wart power supplies , maybe the manufacturers should cease packaging units with wall warts that end up in recycling /landfills ,tell the public to source a QUALITY ,ac or dc , power supply from a vendor that they have tested ...or ...offer a noiseless battery pack option that uses conventional rechargeable batteries . Cheap versions of these battery packs exist in many flavours and chemistry...but some still make random noise... What is That?... someone with test leads and a oscilloscope knows. We recently acquired a Boss SY200 , loaded 3 AA batteries into it ...perfection ...from first power up. Plenty of R&D into tone and features goes on...time for the same passion to be applied to the power supply and that users "first powering up" experience.... had that "first powering up' experience with my personal sansamp classic that I bought from Andrew at his NAMM booth in about 1992. For details to get started on the digital "CLOCKING " debacle ...start at the pink noise link below ...read ...learn ...observe . For the uninitiated,clocking in digital audio is the same Bane/headache as wow and flutter is in Analogue tape machines ,be aware that what a ossicope reveals and the human flaw of being able to rationalize wrong as right are at odds (no brand names mentioned) ...as is ... what a oscilloscope tells one ...and how humans process sound ...again no correctness stigma ...just the isness of facts ... that this wee brain has observed and listened to ...so far. Additional enlightenment is always welcome ... pro audio is not a belief system.... the excitement of air molecules is science... and science thrives on progress. peace out .mO (retired and puttering about) PL1, PSA2.0 , 2 - 1990's original sansamp rack units and 1992 Sansamp Classic web.archive.org/web/20180517163924/pinknoisemag.com:80/pink-papers/pink-paper-002 www.grimmaudio.com/reviews/mastering-engineer-alan-silverman-chooses-uc1/
Thanks for asking. Hard to say. It would need to be redesigned & also resized to accommodate the jacks. They take up a lot more room on the inside… Anything is possible, but couldn’t begin to say when. 🤷♀️
As are all SansAmps, they’re designed to work just as well with an amp. A video can help just so much. You really have to test it out in person. Thanks for asking!
Great to see some experienced minds showing off this device's capabilities! Any tips for recording straight into an audio interface with this? If I read the manual correctly, the output signal found on the Tip conductor has some rudimentary cabinet impulse response after the SansAmp signal, whereas the Ring has no additional IR. It seems in this video that most use cases assume you have at least some kind of guitar amp to play through, even if it's something neutral in sonic palette. I ask because my amps live at the practice space which is separate from my little apartment "studio"!
The PSA 2.0 can be used into the front end of a regular guitar amp though we suggest setting the amp for a more neutral setting. You can also bypass your amp's preamp and plug the PSA 2.0's output into your amp's efx return to bypass your amp's preamp and only use your amp as a power amp. The PSA 2.0 is a direct recording device and has an analog speaker sim. It can be plugged directly into a mixer or interface. We also gave the ability to split the signal with a TRS/stereo breakout cable to record the pedal with no speaker sim into your DAW if you wish to process the sound with IR's after the fact and monitor the analog sim in real time with zero latency. You can also use the analog speaker with IR's quite effectively. Our analog speaker sim has a smooth musical EQ curve that will not fight against an impulse response since there are no phase or time delay artifacts in the analog speaker sim.
I would like to buy one of the new ones ,But i have enough, I still use the british and blonde into return ,I like sandsamp pre amps better than most others They sound better than my fender hotrod preamps ,Its no contest ,I use M.I A B. and tweed in abox in front of them.
The Punch control on the unit adjust the midrange of the SansAmp circuit. The High and Low shelving EQ's are post SansAmp and are for fine tuning the sound after adjusting the Character controls.
I have a Tech 21 XXL and think its very misunderstood. I keep it w/ tone nearly as bright as possible and gain as low as possible, pedal always on into a Jazzchorus amp. It works for me it works.
The low impedance 1/4" Out is totally suitable to run straight to a PA. It utilizes a high quality buffer and can be used for long cable runs without interference. If you must convert to XLR (because the snake has only XLR inputs), you can add a simple DI box. It doesn't improve the sound quality... it's just another way of connecting.
@@garryfmacdonald You don't "need" to use a direct box. The output is low impedance and designed to be plugged in directly to a mixer. If you need to use an XLR connection or run effects after the PSA 2.0 that may not be properly buffered, any direct box (passive or active) can be used.
You could try running a Fly Rig 5 ver 2.0 with the PSA 2.0 in the effects loop. I have done this recently using an old school SansAmp in the effects loop of the FR5 v 2.0, using the SansAmp as the amp, and using the SansAmp section on the FR5 ver 2.0 as a low gain overdrive option. It worked beautifully. Tech21 truly makes some of the best working gear available.
Can I run this live into my Bass Driver DI and use both together with the Bass Driver DI engaged, as well as being used as a DI box, or does the PSA 2.0 make the Bass Driver DI redundant for anything else but use as a DI box?
@@Tech21nyc I “experimented” with the YYZ pedal in front of the Bass DI and it was horrible. Only sounded ok when placed after the Bass DI in the chain, which is pointless if I want to go DI out of the Bass DI.
@@CC-hg9un It seems odd the YYZ would sound horrible in front. Please email us directly with details about the entire signal chain, the order in which everything is connected and what settings you used. Additionally, it would be helpful to know what you are interested in accomplishing with the Bass Driver and PSA 2.0 so we can get a better handle on how to guide you: info@tech21nyc.com
@@Tech21nyc Will email later today when I have a moment. Basically, I want to use the PSA 2.0 primarily in live performance as an overdrive that I can kick on and off alternating with the Sansamp beefy SVT/Fat Tube sound. I don’t want to lose any bottom end when I switch to overdrive, and I don’t want to bi-amp because soundmen seem to have a hard enough time with one bass signal…
@@Tech21nyc With all my respect, I bought your Bass DI back in 92 and used it a lot in the studio and live… and I’m the one who convinced the gear dealer in my country to start selling your gear more than 20 years ago. I didn’t mean nothing bad , I’m just nostalgic and prefer the old vintage look over the new flashy one. That’s all. Keep on rocking with the killer gear! I love you!
@@auratnik Appreciate the insight and sentiments. We still love the black & yellow as well and still use it for certain pedals, but... well, you get it. The crayon offer still stands. 😀
Luv and own Tech21 stuff, BUT this is too small, an with small plastic knobs, I would fear stomping on this scrawny little critter! C'mon now Make it into a REAL Boss build style pedal.
Don't let the looks deceive you. It's not a new version. It's a different version. This SansAmp PSA 2.0 has all the same ingredients, has all-metal housing, is easily portable, and is much more cost-effective for players on the go. 🙂
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Decades of experience and wisdom in this video. It is extremely difficult for musicians to select what gear to buy especially when some “famous” companies make pro gear but also shitty crap that they sell to the masses with their famous brand name and artist endorsements. Thankfully there are a few companies like tech21NYC that make top quality, innovative, pro performance gear.
Really appreciate the kind words!
david webb, end of pointless rant? lol
I just purchased a PSA 2.0 online. There are a number of videos from Tech21 for the PSA 2.0 that sold me on this device. I’m also a longtime user, and I own a number of their products that I have used for live work and the occasional recording. Thank you so much, Tech21. You provide a great product, and it makes my music work life soooooooo much easier.
Thank YOU!
Amazing unit. Got mine over a year ago and keep finding ways to use it. Highly recommended to anyone’s serious about recording or playing live guitars and basses. All analog and made in USA are also key words in 2021. An instant classic.
I love that you guys include a midi interface too. Tech 21 is one of the true OGs and keeps up!
We need a flyrig size unit that is fully-programmable that can do PSA 2.0 and programmable reverb/delay/chorus. Even if you could make the 5 flyrig footswitches work in "Pedal Mode", as they do now, and then add a "Program Mode" where each button calls up one of 5 presets you've pre-programmed. I know you can do it. :-)
this!
Yes agreed 👍🏼
YES‼️ 💯🎯🎸🔊🎶🎵🎶🎵
Yes!!
In the effects loop on my Fly Rig 5 ver 2.0, I have successfully run a SansAmp Classic, an RK5 ver 1, and a TC Electronic Combo Deluxe amp modeling pedal. I don’t doubt you could run a PSA 2.0 in the effects loop on a Fly Rig 5 ver 2.0 and use it as the amp, then use the SansAmp section on the FR5 as a low gain drive, along with the British/California drive section and boost. You would have everything you could ever need.
So glad the No latency bank change was shown. I’ve had that problem with digital pedals loading the next bank of amp sims causing a short cut/mute.
Also I love using the PSA 1 plugin that comes with Protools so this will be a great pedal for me to recreate studio sounds live.
I really related to Chris’s example of adapting our own playing to a digital preset vs playing naturally on analog!
I have really tried my best to hate Tech21 and try other stuff that adds various routing options and reverbs etc. BUT honestly there is something that keeps bringing me back to it. In the last 12+ years I have owned at least 2 Sansamp pedals at any given point in time!
Just picked a PSA 2.0 - collecting it tomorrow :) crazy!
Super thanks - you guys are awesome!
Love this story. Thanks for telling it! BTW, you've owned at least how many? 😃
@@Tech21nycat least 2 at any given point in time.
Started with the original Sansamp with the TriAC. Then the TriAC with GT2, then GT2 with a V1 Blonde… then a Leeda, Liverpool, California British and Blonde V2 all together… now it is a Blonde V2 with PSA 2.0! 🙌🤘
@@bandbaaja Thanks so much for the info and support!
The best preset for rock/metal bass tone is preset n 47.
You only need to adjust the gain if you use an active instrument and if you want to go clean to dirt you just do it with your fingers or pick by playing softer or harder.
And you don't even need to blend the clean di signal ( although is good to record it for backup and side chain gate).
Wow ! excellent informative video, the PSA 2.0 is an amazing unit with endless possibilities, ... Thanks guys
I love these Tech 21 Inside Studio 21 videos, this video along with Tim's videos on the PSA 2 0 have sold me on it, ..... it looks like I'll be adding it
to my Tech 21 collection of Sansamps 😀👍
We are so pleased to hear that. Many thanks for taking the time to let us know.
@@Tech21nyc You're welcome anytime,
I still have that very same Sans Amp Tee shirt (I got it as salesperson swag when I worked in Pro Audio sales at Sam Ash Forest hills in Queens NY in 1996 :)
It has never faded or had the silkscreen flake off and I have had it in my tee shirt drawer or on my person for 26 years :)
Soo.... TL;DR I am now fully back in Gear Acquisition Syndrome mode and am SO tempted to blow a chunk of change that I don't have budgeted on the PSA 2.0. It ticks SO many boxes. Thanks for making me a lifetime addict for Tach21 products guys LOL... See why and what I am trying to do below... (yawn... I know..... :-) )
I sold my PSA-1 for WAY less than it was worth two years ago and have been kicking myself ever since... but I learned, after seeing this video (and moreover, speaking to John on the phone at Tech21 support about my original non-"classic" SansAmp pedal and how to get the best out of it, among other things SansAmp-y) that the PSA 2.0 addresses a number of issues I had with the PSA 1.. Namely:
The PSA-1 has
1) No master volume control (PSA 1.0) the actual main signal level out the output jack was stored separately in each patch. You would have to modify all of them if they were too loud or too soft for the pedalboard or rack rig you are swapping it into.
2) No way to bypass the speaker emulation
3) it is a rack unit and requires a separate footcontroller, etc. (I have all that stuff, but I downsized my rack rig excess to a small pedalboard like everyone else)
4) Even with a footcontroller, if you mapped an expression pedal to volume on the patches, you got zipper noise as it went through the 1-127 values that midi allows (it did not do any interpolation between values to smooth the transitions out)
5) I never really connected with it as a live performance option when I was gigging, even when I had a rack rig.. (I had a Roland GP-100 that did EVERYTHING soup to nuts and sounded great, and had a direct expression in that provided super smooth volume control, among other things)
I have had all my guitar gear in mothballs for about 10 years (Kids and career took over)
Covid 19 lockdown had me pulling out all my guitars. I cleaned em up, set em up, and tore apart my rack rig and rack pedalboard and got all my stuff cleaned up, pots sprayed with deoxit, etc.
I had not played through anything louder than a battery powered Blackstar Fly-3 mini amp in all this time.
I finally plugged into an actual 60 watt combo amp with the guitars I love, and cranked it up, and was back in that happy place again, ready to get started all over.
My pedalboard is being set up to be used both stereo and mono.
The original plan was to go from my gain pedals to my Tech21 Trademark 60 Combo's front end, then FX send from the TM60 back to my pedalboard for time based effects (the stereo chain of digital stuff): and either mono from one channel of the stereo pedals back into the FX return of the TM60 if I want to keep it simple, or If I want to run stereo, the other channel from the stereo time based pedals into a small Class D power amp and into one of my my Pacific Woodworks 1x12 EVM-12L loaded cabs (from my old rack rig).
It was cool, but I was finding that the preamp section in the Trademark 60 combo had some limitations; if the clean sound was sparkly and blackface fender-y, the drive channel was way too dark. If I get the drive channel usable, the whole sparkly spanky chimey funky thing is gone on the clean channel. Funk sounds don't have as much quack, etc.
I am NOW trying to reconfigure my pedalboard to use my original Sans Amp pedal to take the place of the preamp section of the Trademark 60. I think it is do-able, although limited to one pedal platform tone which needs to be clean with headroom (none of the great amp breakup the pedal can do) And I need to have all the gain and dynamics pedals in front sound good for everything from funk to Gilmour leads, etc. John from Tech21 was very very helpful in his advice about the Sans Amp pedal in this regard.
However, I was really intrigued by the flexibility of something like the Flamma FS06 digital preamp sim / IR pedal. It's great in concept, 7 different classic and modern amp models to choose from (with finger presses on a mini button) and each model has a footswitchable clean and gain channel whose settings can be stored into the preset for the amp model.
But I thought (and Chris and Andrew confirm in this video) that any digital modeling preamp will at some point NOT accept being slammed on their front end, like a tube amp or even an analog solid state amp will--just saturating more. You are going to digitally clip. And I have drive pedals that sound great when pushing the front of a real amp as a boost as well as drive.
I've recently bought one of these for bass. Not only it sounds incredible, but it has an impressive array of no-nonsense features for a "no computer interface" pedal. It's not easy to hold up with the expanding digital world, but this box is one of the few to accomplish that. Maybe the only missing feature (which is not a major critical point, just an abstract consideration) is the possibility to limit the preset range, in order to create and cycling through some preset list. I don't know if that feature can be upgraded ever, but it's my 2cents suggestion on an already killer product!
A Real treat, as always
I had it. My biggest complaint was the onboard cab sim. Adding anything beyond light gain and it gets very fizzy. Sounded better with IR's
That's how most analog cab sims sound.
I regret selling my PSA 1.1, will be getting the PSA 2.0.
A DI out would be a good addition.
26:07 in case you came here for bass.
Wasn't nearly enough, but there it is lol
Wait, there’s more! There are 10 Bass preset snippets in the playlist: ruclips.net/p/PLHNte-PbVjgVCPxThgx_TzlRs7wzAiz5i
Yeah, I've seen that before. I was just kinda hoping Tim would experiment with the controls while playing the bass. But those bass preset videos did convince me to buy a PSA, so it's all good.
Thinking about getting a PSA 2.0, Midi Mongoose, and using that with my Boss MS-3. I have several of the Character Series pedals, and can get great sounds out of that. However, the PSA 2.0 can get all of the Character Series tones and more, I'm sure. Using a Marshall Guv'nor or Bluesbreaker into a Plexi setting on the PSA 2.0 can probably get close to that Gary More - Still Got the Blues tone.
Great device which I’m glad to have, it gets an A+. My question however, is how do ppl use this for mixdowns? It’s mono.
Guitar is a mono instrument. To make a guitar amp or amp emulator like the PSA 2.0 stereo, you would need to place a stereo effects unit after the pedal. In general, effects like stereo reverb and delays are usually added in post processing in your DAW after the recording at mixdown. This way if there is too much reverb/delay or not enough it can be adjusted properly for the mix or automated etc.
I love the PSA 2.0 however, I would have preferred to see it in a size of the programmable Bass Driver with an FX loop and controls for tweaking the eq curve of the cab sim (something like the A/DA GS-3)
I keep seeing the "it needs an FX loop" comments and the simple answer is, "no, it doesn't." It goes after the PSA 2.0
Hi there, I’m really enjoying my PSA 2.0! Question: Is a 1/4” TRS output cable necessary all the time, or just recommended for use into a DI for an audio interface when using speaker simulation? I gather that the TS output cable is okay for daisy chaining with other stomp boxes in the performance scenario, or DI when not using speaker simulation? Thanks!
No. In most circumstances you should be using a standard 1/4" TS cable. The TRS connection is for use with a stereo break out cable. From the PSA 2.0 manual:
REMINDER: The 1/4” Output is a TRS jack so the complete SansAmp
signal passes through the tip, while the ring connection carries the
SansAmp signal without speaker simulation.This special output is intended for use with a stereo jack when recording into a digital workstation.You can run the all-analog speaker simulated signal to the
monitors --with zero latency-- for optimal listening and record a nonspeaker simulated track.This will allow you to choose any IR/digital
speaker sim later in the mixdown process that best suits your taste.
@@Tech21nyc Thanks for the clarification!
Awesome little pedal! Hope to get mine soon. Btw, is there a plan to a sansamp pedal to get GK bass amps tones?
Would you recommend running it through a passive or an active DI box to the mixer? Is there some reason you didn't include the XLR output on the PSA 2.0 while it's on the FlyRigs? Seems like unless you are within 20 feet of the mixer, you're going to need a balanced cable right? I was hoping the "real world" video would talk more about that sort of thing.
You can use either or if you need an XLR connection. The PSA 2.0 has a midi jack in order to access the 128 memory locations. The form factor is not big enough to add an XLR connection and would also require an effects loop.
A balanced cable is not necessary with a properly buffered pedal like our SansAmp products. You can use over 100 feet of cable without noise or signal loss. If you need to use an XLR connection any inexpensive DI will work.
as per Mr.Jack White .... a analog signal path is like a pencil pressed on paper drawing a continuous uninterrupted line ...the line continues until the player stops playing ...then the line gradually fades away and can be heard until its essence disappears , but ..the most gentle of a touch to the string re-introduces the signal ...
once any A/D analog to digital convertors are part of the signal path ...the line on the piece of paper is a series of dots attempting to mimic the solid analog line...when one stops playing the spaces between the dots become very apparent ... defeating the digital noise gate introduces noise levels ...but the space between the dots remain ...once the signal is re-introduced ... on has to touch the string somewhat harder to produce a signal that is as sonically detailed as the analog signal.
CAVEAT :All that was mentioned above is worthless if one is creating art that does not require these sonic details . There is no correctness ...only the Isness of facts .
If wants the best digital recording device then one must pay attention to the CLOCK ...IMHO ..thee best at this so far is the GRIMM UC-1 , for that detail one pays about $5000.00 for 2 inputs ...which is very reasonable for a device that is totally built in house ...including the power supply ,and ,Is the current "Dark Horse" in thee most prestigious of mastering facilities....please note that the creators of the UC-1 are quick to admit ,this is as good as it gets so far.
...if your buying a F-1 racing car ...one must have F1 fuel and tires to realize the full potential of the machine they have just purchased... to that end ...do not critique equipment until one has tested it with balanced Ac power ...or double inverted power that gets the correct power to the unit ...your grid power to your home was intended for household items such as motor ,bulbs and non-digitally controlled appliance that can suffer the instability of grid ac power without consequence ...recording equipment ...analog or digital has its performance altered by grid power.
Guitar pedals makers deal with unpredictable QC in wall wart power supplies , maybe the manufacturers should cease packaging units with wall warts that end up in recycling /landfills ,tell the public to source a QUALITY ,ac or dc , power supply from a vendor that they have tested ...or ...offer a noiseless battery pack option that uses conventional rechargeable batteries .
Cheap versions of these battery packs exist in many flavours and chemistry...but some still make random noise... What is That?... someone with test leads and a oscilloscope knows.
We recently acquired a Boss SY200 , loaded 3 AA batteries into it ...perfection ...from first power up. Plenty of R&D into tone and features goes on...time for the same passion to be applied to the power supply and that users "first powering up" experience.... had that "first powering up' experience with my personal sansamp classic that I bought from Andrew at his NAMM booth in about 1992.
For details to get started on the digital "CLOCKING " debacle ...start at the pink noise link below ...read ...learn ...observe .
For the uninitiated,clocking in digital audio is the same Bane/headache as wow and flutter is in Analogue tape machines ,be aware that what a ossicope reveals and the human flaw of being able to rationalize wrong as right are at odds (no brand names mentioned) ...as is ... what a oscilloscope tells one ...and how humans process sound ...again no correctness stigma ...just the isness of facts ... that this wee brain has observed and listened to ...so far.
Additional enlightenment is always welcome ... pro audio is not a belief system.... the excitement of air molecules is science... and science thrives on progress.
peace out .mO (retired and puttering about) PL1, PSA2.0 , 2 - 1990's original sansamp rack units and 1992 Sansamp Classic
web.archive.org/web/20180517163924/pinknoisemag.com:80/pink-papers/pink-paper-002
www.grimmaudio.com/reviews/mastering-engineer-alan-silverman-chooses-uc1/
Will there be future versions with effects loop for timebased effects and modulations?
Thanks for asking. Hard to say. It would need to be redesigned & also resized to accommodate the jacks. They take up a lot more room on the inside… Anything is possible, but couldn’t begin to say when. 🤷♀️
Newb question, is this pedal compatible with bass, I've been looking for something like this. Great vid's.
Absolutely! There are 10 Bass factory presets. Check out the snippets in the playlist: ruclips.net/p/PLHNte-PbVjgVCPxThgx_TzlRs7wzAiz5i
I'm having a hard time finding a video with this in front of a solid state amp. It sounds good, but I don't necessarily need it for recording.Thanks!
As are all SansAmps, they’re designed to work just as well with an amp. A video can help just so much. You really have to test it out in person. Thanks for asking!
Great to see some experienced minds showing off this device's capabilities! Any tips for recording straight into an audio interface with this? If I read the manual correctly, the output signal found on the Tip conductor has some rudimentary cabinet impulse response after the SansAmp signal, whereas the Ring has no additional IR. It seems in this video that most use cases assume you have at least some kind of guitar amp to play through, even if it's something neutral in sonic palette. I ask because my amps live at the practice space which is separate from my little apartment "studio"!
The PSA 2.0 can be used into the front end of a regular guitar amp though we suggest setting the amp for a more neutral setting. You can also bypass your amp's preamp and plug the PSA 2.0's output into your amp's efx return to bypass your amp's preamp and only use your amp as a power amp.
The PSA 2.0 is a direct recording device and has an analog speaker sim. It can be plugged directly into a mixer or interface. We also gave the ability to split the signal with a TRS/stereo breakout cable to record the pedal with no speaker sim into your DAW if you wish to process the sound with IR's after the fact and monitor the analog sim in real time with zero latency. You can also use the analog speaker with IR's quite effectively. Our analog speaker sim has a smooth musical EQ curve that will not fight against an impulse response since there are no phase or time delay artifacts in the analog speaker sim.
Can you guys do a video about how to best record a sansamp GT2 for metal guitars?
I would suggest adding a Boss GE-7 or MXR 10 Band EQ after the Sansamp GT2.
May be I missed this, but is it going in to the effects loop return on the amp?
It's actually going to the front of the amp, which was set clean.
I wouldn't mind a build your own fly rig
What is the signal chain? Guitar > wah > drive > psa2.0 > chorus > delay > reverb > to PA?
Everything is plugged into a Fender HRD.
@@Tech21nyc o i meant pedal signal chain do we run mods n delays n reverb after psa2?
@@abhishekkapadia4687 If you go to 22:01 you can see how it is connected. Tube Screamer>PSA>Chorus>Delay>amp.
I would like to buy one of the new ones ,But i have enough, I still use the british and blonde into return ,I like sandsamp pre amps better than most others They sound better than my fender hotrod preamps ,Its no contest ,I use M.I A B. and tweed in abox in front of them.
Greetings, what was the rationale for not including a 'mid ' control in this model? Mid frequencies are integral for guitar tones.
Hang on... I just downloaded the manual...haha...I comprehend now!
The Punch control on the unit adjust the midrange of the SansAmp circuit. The High and Low shelving EQ's are post SansAmp and are for fine tuning the sound after adjusting the Character controls.
I don't like the speaker sim through an amp. It seems to swallow the sound of the guitar. I'd save that for running direct.
The SansAmp PSA 2.0 has a speaker sim defeat switch, so you can turn it off. 😁
Where can we get a sansAmp tech21 t-shirt ?
Thanks for asking! You can find our merch table here: reverb.com/marketplace?query=tech%2021%20merchandise&make=tech-21
Were you going direct into the front of the amp or effects loop?
Into the front of the amp.
I have a Tech 21 XXL and think its very misunderstood. I keep it w/ tone nearly as bright as possible and gain as low as possible, pedal always on into a Jazzchorus amp. It works for me it works.
Should have a di output Andrew 😢
The low impedance 1/4" Out is totally suitable to run straight to a PA. It utilizes a high quality buffer and can be used for long cable runs without interference. If you must convert to XLR (because the snake has only XLR inputs), you can add a simple DI box. It doesn't improve the sound quality... it's just another way of connecting.
Would you recommend a passive or active Di box for this? @tech21nyc
@@garryfmacdonald You don't "need" to use a direct box. The output is low impedance and designed to be plugged in directly to a mixer. If you need to use an XLR connection or run effects after the PSA 2.0 that may not be properly buffered, any direct box (passive or active) can be used.
♥️🎸🤘
Now we need a Modulation Delay Reverb only unit as compact and usefull as this one ;)
Slightly less compact, but certainly useful & lots of bang for your buck, perhaps consider one of our Fly Rigs: www.tech21nyc.com/products/flyrig/
@@Tech21nyc I already own a flyrig cali and the psa 2.0, now i need a good small modulation unit to make justice to the psa :)
@@jeromenogier6507 Thanks so much for the intel and for choosing our gear!
You could try running a Fly Rig 5 ver 2.0 with the PSA 2.0 in the effects loop. I have done this recently using an old school SansAmp in the effects loop of the FR5 v 2.0, using the SansAmp as the amp, and using the SansAmp section on the FR5 ver 2.0 as a low gain overdrive option. It worked beautifully. Tech21 truly makes some of the best working gear available.
Can I run this live into my Bass Driver DI and use both together with the Bass Driver DI engaged, as well as being used as a DI box, or does the PSA 2.0 make the Bass Driver DI redundant for anything else but use as a DI box?
You can do anything that works for you. Experiment.
@@Tech21nyc I “experimented” with the YYZ pedal in front of the Bass DI and it was horrible. Only sounded ok when placed after the Bass DI in the chain, which is pointless if I want to go DI out of the Bass DI.
@@CC-hg9un It seems odd the YYZ would sound horrible in front. Please email us directly with details about the entire signal chain, the order in which everything is connected and what settings you used. Additionally, it would be helpful to know what you are interested in accomplishing with the Bass Driver and PSA 2.0 so we can get a better handle on how to guide you: info@tech21nyc.com
@@Tech21nyc Will email later today when I have a moment. Basically, I want to use the PSA 2.0 primarily in live performance as an overdrive that I can kick on and off alternating with the Sansamp beefy SVT/Fat Tube sound. I don’t want to lose any bottom end when I switch to overdrive, and I don’t want to bi-amp because soundmen seem to have a hard enough time with one bass signal…
If they just keep a classic looking yellow logo on a black surface I would be all over it.
Not sure why you'd opt to forego all that sonic goodness because of the color. We'd be happy to send you a box of crayons!
@@Tech21nyc With all my respect, I bought your Bass DI back in 92 and used it a lot in the studio and live… and I’m the one who convinced the gear dealer in my country to start selling your gear more than 20 years ago. I didn’t mean nothing bad , I’m just nostalgic and prefer the old vintage look over the new flashy one. That’s all. Keep on rocking with the killer gear! I love you!
@@auratnik Appreciate the insight and sentiments. We still love the black & yellow as well and still use it for certain pedals, but... well, you get it. The crayon offer still stands. 😀
Luv and own Tech21 stuff, BUT this is too small, an with small plastic knobs, I would fear stomping on this scrawny little critter!
C'mon now Make it into a REAL Boss build style pedal.
This new version looks like a toy and will never come close to the old rack, much more powerful and truly professional to use.
Don't let the looks deceive you. It's not a new version. It's a different version. This SansAmp PSA 2.0 has all the same ingredients, has all-metal housing, is easily portable, and is much more cost-effective for players on the go. 🙂
Too much talk and no action!
How about this? ruclips.net/video/_H-nYCAEcNg/видео.html