Anyone who grew up with Sony’s very first video game console would have a fuzzy nostalgic feeling every time they hear that sound. I’m referring to the iconic PS1 startup sound, which every original PlayStation owner considers the most beautiful sound on earth. That’s an exaggeration but it’s certainly one of the most recognizable sounds in all of gaming history.
PS1 Startup Sound: Who discovered it?
A Twitter user by the name of @mcclure111 recently discovered that a synthesizer machine preset sounds remarkably similar to the PS1 startup sound. The synth preset is from the Roland D-50, which was initially released in 1987 and one of the most popular synthesizers on the market after the Yamaha DX7.
According to the site Reverb Machine, the D-50 was capable of producing “very cheesy new-age sounds, as well as fake slap-basses.” However, it’s currently making a comeback as it remains one of the most complex synthesizers ever made. The name of the patch preset on the D-50 which sounds like the PS1 startup sound is simply dubbed Spacious Sweep, which can be found on the Reverb Machine site.
PS1 Startup Sound: Is it exactly the same?
If you listen to Spacious Sweep preset, it sounds almost exactly the same as the PS1 startup sound. However, I say almost because it lacks an essential element which made the startup sound iconic in the first place. The chimes are missing in the preset sound so it looks like we have only discovered half of what makes up the PS1 startup sound.
If you don’t believe me, check out the video below to compare the Spacious Sound preset with the original PS1 startup sound. Like I mentioned above, the chimes are missing but besides that, it sounds exactly the same.
The PS1 is actually trending again as more classic games from that era are being remastered for the current generation. Examples include the very successful Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy and the upcoming Spyro Reignited Trilogy, which was officially announced only last month. It looks like the PS4’s great-grandfather isn’t dying anytime soon. Check out our list of top 10 PlayStation-era mascots that deserve remasters.
