In high-end audio production, there is often an unwritten rule: the more expensive the gear, the better the result. We deliberately break this rule. Why? Because we know that the soul of a sound doesn’t lie in its price tag, but in the physical nature of how that sound is generated.
Our best example: The Yamaha PSS-390.
From Childhood Bedroom Memory to Sound Design Tool
In 1991, priced at 399 DM, the PSS-390 was a classic home keyboard for beginners. When we later upgraded to professional workstations like the Yamaha SY55 or the Korg X3, the little plastic device vanished from our radar—just as it did for so many others.
Yet years later, our professional foundation reminded us of the architecture slumbering beneath that unassuming plastic housing: a pure, two-operator FM synthesis engine with sliders for direct access to the frequency spectra.
Old Knowledge as an Effect Catalyst
We went out of our way to reacquire a PSS-390 a few years ago. Not out of nostalgia, but as a precise tool for modern sound design. The trick isn’t just the device itself, but the way we integrate it into our signal chain:
- The Chain: The signal from the “cheap” keyboard is routed through a high-end, analogue effects chain.
- Vintage Refinement: We utilize genuine vintage phasers, analogue delays, and a physical spring reverb.
- The Result: By combining the sharp digital edge of FM with the harmonic distortion of rare analogue gear, we create sounds that come dangerously close to a legendary Yamaha DX7—but with a texture and unpredictability that no standard preset in the world can replicate.
What Does This Mean for Our B2B Clients?
This approach is the ultimate expression of our philosophy: technical expertise trumps big budgets.
- Exclusive Sound Assets: We deliver sounds that cannot be found in any commercially available sample pack. We “build” sounds from sources that others have long since thrown away.
- Efficiency Through Knowledge: We know exactly which frequencies of a budget microchip need to be boosted to make them shine in a professional production (e.g., for software notification sounds or gaming atmospheres).
- Creativity Without Limits: We refuse to be restricted by industry standards. If a 30-year-old toy keyboard provides the perfect fundamental tone for your project, we will use it—and refine it with the expertise gained from three decades of audio production.
In the end, the only thing that matters is what comes out of the speakers. Whether the source was a €5,000 synthesizer or a 399 DM home keyboard is irrelevant, as long as you master the mechanics behind it.
We hear the potential where others only see plastic.