Audiopunks SansAmp Rack for WiN

Audiopunks and Tech 21 have teamed up to recreate the SansAmp PSA-1 and Classic pedals as plugins. This collaboration will bring the unique SansAmp sound to your DAW, using an accurate model of the original hardware devices and complementing it with modern features.

The SansAmp Rack plug-in combines analog character with digital flexibility:

• Authentic Classic and PSA-1 tone
• Stereo L/R and M/S connectivity for wide-format workflows
• Mix and Rack In/Out controls for fine-grained tone control.

The Legacy of the PSA and Classic Pedals Reimagined

Few analog amp designs have left behind such an indelible legacy as Tech 21’s SansAmp series.

Introduced in the early 1990s, the original SansAmp Classic pedal revolutionized direct recording and performance by giving guitarists and bassists the warmth and dynamics of a tube amp without having to use one. Its unique switch-mode configuration allowed users to precisely control gain structure, EQ character, and cabinet emulation in a compact, flexible format.

This is the device Kurt Cobain used during the recording of In Utero, creating aggressive guitar tones directly from the console. Around the same time, Tchad Blake began using the Classic pedal as an integral part of his drum recording chain, running bass mics through it to add punch, growl, and harmonic grit. The tone became one of his signatures.

As demand grew, Tech 21 released the SansAmp PSA-1, a rackmount version of the Classic with full preset memory and advanced control. With its all-analog sound and ability to store settings, it became an indispensable studio tool for synths, vocals, drums, and more.

SansAmp Classic

• INTRO: Uses the preamp to boost the mid and high frequencies.
• NORMAL: Preamp with flat EQ.
• BASS: Suitable for both rhythm and bass guitar.
• PRESENCE: Shapes the preamp contours in the upper midrange. Set to maximum for maximum sound.
• AMP: Shapes the power amp contours. Set to full power for maximum distortion.
• HIGH: Balances the final EQ. Compensates for excess high frequencies in guitar amps during live performance; we recommend setting this to half or less. When recording live in the studio, we recommend setting this to maximum.
• OUTPUT: Adjusts the overall volume. Balances with the Bypass signal for the best sound.
  

SansAmp PSA-1:

• NOISE: Creates low-frequency distortion. Increase the volume for a thick, rich sound, or decrease for crisper lows and greater clarity.
• PUNCH: Adjusts the overdrive in the midrange. Reduce for smoother, vintage tones; increase for an aggressive sound with a boosted midrange.
• CRUNCH: Adds upper harmonics and pick attack. Reduce for smoother highs or a clean sound.
• DRIVE: Simulates the distortion in a power amplifier. Higher settings add sustain and saturation, lower settings increase headroom.
• LOW / HIGH: Active EQ ±12 dB. Designed to shape the musical sound of instruments.
• LEVEL: Sets the overall power of the PSA-1 motor.