When Tech 21 sold out the last of their SansAmp PSA-1s in December of 2004, guitarists around the world let out a collective gasp. Comments like, “Dude, I was gonna buy one tomorrow!” were heard almost universally. The implications were far-ranging and certainly not pretty. Many feared for the worst and began stocking canned food and 9-volt batteries.
Fortunately, the people at Tech 21 had a plan. Whew! The single-space rackmount is available again as the SansAmp PSA-1.1 and the end of civilization as we know it was averted. In point of fact, the PSA-1 underwent an internal redesign to accommodate the use of improved, more efficient and cost-effective parts. While the pure analog signal path and functionality remain the same, it became possible to include a few new features, like an on/off switch on the front panel, more program locations (there are now 128), a master volume control, an XLR ground lift switch, phantom power MIDI input, and a dedicated headphone output.
Today, the new SansAmp PSA-1.1 offers 49 factory presets of the most recognized vintage and modern tube amp sounds for guitar and bass, along with 77 user-definable locations. A Universal Output Section allows you to record direct to tape, as well as warm up existing tracks in mixdowns. For live applications, it can be used as a preamp, a “monster direct box” to P.A. system, and as an outboard processor.
