PSPaudioware.com: Lexicon PSP 42 Delay Plug-In

Despite all the amazing plug-ins available for delay these days, there’s something inherently cool and desirable about early first generation digital hardware delay units, hence so many plug-in emulations of them. With the newly updated Lexicon PSP 42, PSP Audioware has captured everything that makes the original Lexicon PCM42 delay a useful tool four decades after it was introduced, while adding some smart new features that make a lot of sense within the context of today’s DAW workflows. I would argue that what made the original Lexicon PCM42 (and its baby brother, the PCM41) so useful were two factors; the smart yet simple interface, and its unique sound. As most of us have come to realize, we actually enjoy the way delays sound when they are not linear or accurate in comparison to the signal sent to them. The fact that tape delays, analog bucket brigade delays, and early digital delays degrade the signal is part of why we like the way they sound so much. I have an original PCM41 that I use all the time even though my DAW has a built in delay plug-in that technically sounds better and is much more flexible. The fact that the PCM41 is easy to use and is very non-linear is why I keep using it. The PSP 42 emulates this sound in several ways. The original PCM42 had non-linear converters as well as opto-limiters before the AD converters. Both of these mangled the sonic character of the 42 in a unique way. There was also an X2 button that would cut the sample rate in half to give a longer delay time with even lower fidelity. All of this contributed to the sonic character of the PCM42, and all these characteristics are modeled on the PSP 42 with the ability to control and mix how much of each legacy component you want to engage. You can even remove all of the vintage character from the PSP 42, but where’s the fun in that? All of the simple intuitive controls of the original 42 are on the main panel, with a second panel that has some advanced features. Here you can change the direction of the delay buffer, which can get interesting when using the PSP 42 as a phrase sampler. This feature was inspired by users that had modified hardware versions in a similar way. An envelope follower has also been added to the control voltage section of the delay, so you can now do volume-triggered flange type effects. And, of course, we can easily sync the delay to the tempo of our tracks (and then slightly change it manually or with the LFO so it’s got that not-quite-perfect sound we’re all looking for). A lot of these advanced functions were not available on the earlier version of this plug-in, and it also has an expanded, larger, easier to use GUI. Besides the obvious delay functions, all the expanded controls on the PSP 42 allow the creation all kinds of special effects, as a quick browse through the extensive preset library will demonstrate. Check out “Reverse David Lynch,” and you’ll hear what I’m talking about.

I’ve been using PSP 42 on some mixes, and it sounds very similar to my hardware PCM41. It evokes the same lo-fi feeling I get from that unit, but it’s much more versatile and can do a lot more. This will become a go-to plug-in for me for a lot of delay applications. Kudos to PSP for taking an already great sounding plug-in and making it even more useful and sonically adventurous.