we've been asked a number of times what was our specific inspiration for PSP oldTimer. Well, we've been keeping it a secret, but we'll reveal it to you, our loyal users:
Two years ago we were rummaging through the studio of an old national radio station which went bankrupt a few weeks earlier, and was selling off its gear. We were twiddling knobs on familiar old tube compressors when a short, round, nearly bald man with one eye permanently shut poked his head. He smiled a knowing, sneaky smile.
"You like?"
We nodded. This is good stuff, great prices, we told him.
"You look like good fellows. Like you know what you're doing...." He smiled even wider, revealing a mouth missing more than a few teeth. "You want to see something special?"
"Yes!" we all answered excitedly.
He nodded approvingly, beckoning us with his arm to follow him. We left the studio and followed him down a poorly lit corridor and down some completely unlit stairs.
"This is the basement...I call it the audio graveyard. But like many graveyards, if you know where to look, there is still life here!"
Between garbage and parts and half destroyed [g=211]rack[/g] cases we found an unfamiliar looking dusty hardware unit that looked surprisingly intact. At first we couldn't tell what it was, but when Antoni wiped the faceplate clean with his t-shirt we discovered hard to read, heavy worn descriptions over three big knobs: "Czas", "Kompresja", "Output" (which translates to "Time", "Compression", "Output"). There was no name, no brand or designer's name or anything other markings or controls except a large switch.
"Can we turn this on?"
The man gave us an approving smile and pointed towards the electricity outlet.
When we turned it on we were surprised that it was still working. We quickly plugged in some audio cables and started running tracks and full mixes through it. We were greeted with the fantastic, musical, world-class sound which is still demanded by pro audio users over the world.
"Don't know who made it..." the man smiled devilishly, "Maybe I don't want to..."
We guessed it might be a custom [g=322]compressor[/g] made by one of those unnamed audio inventors who built incredible sounding gear from the garbage parts available on the other side of the Berlin Wall.
We kept asking what he knew, and the story kept changing. We think this unit was designed for the radio station in late 60's by engineer who disappeared...Did he defect to the West? Was he kidnapped by the KGB and transfered to Soviet Union? Was he abducted by Aliens? We don't know, and our strange, grinning host wasn't telling.
"You can have it if you like it," he finally told us, "it deserves better than the junk heap."
We thanked him very graciously. Mateusz unplugged it as fast as we could, in case he might change his mind, and we all took it carefully back to PSP secret laboratory.
Okay...maybe it didn't happen exactly like this... ;- ) Our point is that the main philosophy of our company is that it's the sound that counts. This is first and foremost in our mind when we design new processors or effect plug-ins, and when we built PSP oldTimer this was also the case.
