Is it just me, 4558 vs

[Dan0h]

Simple question: is it just me or do 4558’s cut out too much of the beautiful low end? Every time I build a pedal that uses 4558’s I feel like the over all sound has the lows and low mids missing. This works great for the total recall pedal but not so much for drive pedals, as you can tell I’m not really a TS fan either.

It really stuck out to me this weekend when I finished the Earth Drive build and it only lasted a minute on my board. To me it sounded like a TS with options and next to my Pro-10 blue it was missing almost all the low end that I love so much. I guess to each their own but just wondered why these chips drop so many frequencies?

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Simple question: is it just me or do 4558’s cut out too much of the beautiful low end? Every time I build a pedal that uses 4558’s I feel like the over all sound has the lows and low mids missing. This works great for the total recall pedal but not so much for drive pedals, as you can tell I’m not really a TS fan either.

It really stuck out to me this weekend when I finished the Earth Drive build and it only lasted a minute on my board. To me it sounded like a TS with options and next to my Pro-10 blue it was missing almost all the low end that I love so much. I guess to each their own but just wondered why these chips drop so many frequencies?

Did you put a different op amp in the Earth Drive to see if you prefer it more or if you even hear a difference?

 

[Dan0h]

Did you put a different op amp in the Earth Drive to see if you prefer it more or if you even hear a difference?

I didn’t. But I should.

 

[cdwillis]

I bet the real culprit is the high pass filter in the noninverting gain stage more so than the op amp itself. Replace that 47nf in a tube screamer with a 1uf and it'll have a lot of low end.

 

[owlexifry]

I bet the real culprit is the high pass filter in the noninverting gain stage more so than the op amp itself. Replace that 47nf in a tube screamer with a 1uf and it'll have a lot of low end.

but then it wouldn’t really be a tubescreamer anymore. that low end cut is necessary so that it doesn’t clip low frequencies that turn to mud.

1uF would be way too much. that’d be fart city.
for a little more low end maybe a 68nF or 100nF would be nice, but even that starts to get to flubby (for me anyway)

opamps don’t make that much difference, but i did find the LF353 had a better refined low end than 4558

https://soundcloud.com/alexshriffs%2Fjrc4558-vs-lf353-ibanez-super-tube-screamer-vero-clone

(usually go for TL072, but lately i’ve been dabbling with LF353)

 

[Dan0h]

but then it wouldn’t really be a tubescreamer anymore. that low end cut is necessary so that it doesn’t clip low frequencies that turn to mud.

1uF would be way too much. that’d be fart city.
for a little more low end maybe a 68nF or 100nF would be nice, but even that starts to get to flubby (for me anyway)

opamps don’t make that much difference, but i did find the LF353 had a better refined low end than 4558

https://soundcloud.com/alexshriffs%2Fjrc4558-vs-lf353-ibanez-super-tube-screamer-vero-clone

(usually go for TL072, but lately i’ve been dabbling with LF353)

Tl072 is my fave. I haven’t tried a LF353 yet but I might have to. I just finished the Glory hole build which uses a lm833 and that sounds excellent but I love. BB circuits. I think I’m just not a fan of TS circuits overall. The string slinger sounds great but every other one sounds too mid pushed for me.

 

[jesuscrisp]

The op amp doesn't cause what you describe, it's the rest of the circuit. The 4558 doesn't make a pedal sound like a TS and a TS will still sound like a TS without one.

 

[Dan0h]

The op amp doesn't cause what you describe, it's the rest of the circuit. The 4558 doesn't make a pedal sound like a TS and a TS will still sound like a TS without one.

So it’s just coincidence that every pedal I’ve made, TS or non TS that have a 4558 in them all sound like some of the lows and low mids are cut? I realize that each circuit can allow or disallow specific frequencies to pass based on many factors but after multiple builds involving 4558s vs other chips it feels like the 4558 circuits all have the same signature. Similarly tlo72s have a similar signature. Maybe it’s not the chips. Sounds like it’s time to break out my breadboard and do some testing. Maybe what I’m really getting at is outside of my DMM clone I’m not a fan of the color that 4558s add. It works great in the DMM because delays of those low frequencies just turn to mud.

 

[jesuscrisp]

Maybe you can give us the list of the 4558 circuits you built?

 

[Dan0h]

Maybe you can give us the list of the 4558 circuits you built?

For sure. I will do that tonight. As I am most likely wrong in my thinking. Pretty sure the ode’s had fat bottoms and I think those were 4558.

 

[Dan0h]

Maybe you can give us the list of the 4558 circuits you built?

• Comprehensive drive
• Little green machine
• Nobleman
• lowballer
• Aquababy
• Total recal
• Current lover
• Earth drive

I was wrong. It’s really just the TS style ODs that have the cut lows which is the whole point of the TS. Never mind this entire thread I’m an idiot.

 

[owlexifry]

Tl072 is my fave. I haven’t tried a LF353 yet but I might have to. I just finished the Glory hole build which uses a lm833 and that sounds excellent but I love. BB circuits. I think I’m just not a fan of TS circuits overall. The string slinger sounds great but every other one sounds too mid pushed for me.

i only wanted to try LF353 cos they’re cheaper than TL072 (but similar specs and performs just as well)
but yeah sounds like BB circuits would be much more your thing

 

[jesuscrisp]

You can try a 4558 in a Bluesbreaker

 

[Dan0h]

You can try a 4558 in a Bluesbreaker

I will try and see if my lovely lows disappear. I thought I read that tl072s have less noise than 4558s but an actually AB test would be more valid than internet speak.

 

[cdwillis]

I think NE5532 is even quieter if there is a buffer in front. That's what I used in my last tube screamer.

 

[ICTRock]

• Comprehensive drive
• Little green machine
• Nobleman
• lowballer
• Aquababy
• Total recal
• Current lover
• Earth drive

I was wrong. It’s really just the TS style ODs that have the cut lows which is the whole point of the TS. Never mind this entire thread I’m an idiot.

op amp muff enters the arena ...