TL072 substitute? (They're expensive now outside the USA)

DAJE

DAJE

Well-known member
Worth a shot, I guess. TL072s are $2 each on Tayda right now. And I'm looking at a PCB that wants four five of them.

I could buy a bunch cheaply from other sources, but there seems to be some level of fakery going on with them. I don't feel confident I'd get in-spec results.

So: cheaper source of trustworthy TL072s for people who do not live in the USA?
OR
Decent substitute for less monies?
 
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$2??? Ouch!

can’t speak to non-US vendors, but as far as what Tayda has that are cheaper, the TL082, JRC4558, and NE5532 are pin-compatible

The TL082 is most similar to the TL072 (I think the difference is the TL07X chips are rated for lower noise than the TL08X)
 
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Ebay from a brick and mortar store. They’re a common part. I usually grab 10-15 when I’m getting a specialist IC.
 
jesuscrisp said:
If you live in Europe, Banzai still has them at around 0.70€
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Australia. I did check Jaycar, our local Radioshack equivalent, but they're even more expensive there, even without postage. Though there is a Jaycar store a 10 minute bus ride away so at least they're available if I need something in a hurry.
 
swyse said:
How about the LF353P, jfet Input, 3mhz bandwidth, 13v/us slew rate just like the TL072. I also think it sounds better than the TL072 in situations where it can clip but that’s subjective.
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And a mere 35c each from Tayda. Sounds like a good option. I'm looking at the Ocelot Octave (comparable to the Boss OC-2) which wants FIVE TL072s.
szukalski said:
YMMV but I have a bag of these which work fine to my ears compared to others I have.
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Already saved to my AliExpress wishlist, in fact. ;)
I've had good results from that seller, though they do seem to veer out of spec on occasion. Probably worth the few bucks gamble though.
 
Original uses TL022, but maybe you can also check whether TL062 are maybe cheaper at your usual sources? I mean, why not just even try RC4558 or something?
 
I’m sure once gear manufacturers run out of stock the increased cost of component will reflect on higher prices, leveling the play field again. It still sucks though.
 
I'm thinking it has a lot to do with the semiconductor shortage..... for now anyway.

The through-hole version averages around 90 cents from Mouser, which is still higher than normal, but the majority of them are out of stock. The SMD version, on the other hand starts at around 20 cents.

I expect things will get a little better eventually but we're definitely headed in the other direction in the long run.

Worse case scenario folks are just going to eventually have to embrace SMD... This really is the answer. There's a stigma surrounding it because I think a lot of builders believe it's scary or more difficult, but that's how a beginner feels looking at any PCB or electronic component.

Unless a person has a medical reason (eyesight, hand tremors, etc) SMD is no harder to work with than through-hole components, in fact it can be much quicker to assemble since you don't have to form or clip any leads. I'd use your analogy and say "It'll separate the kids from the big kids!" but it's really just not that huge of a deal. All you have to do is dive in, it'll seem like nothing in no time. I mean sure, we'll still see some awful things in the troubleshooting thread, but that happens now.

The only thing I find more difficult with SMD is that I prefer to work one value at a time. It's a bit tedious to dump out several different values on the bench and keep up with which one is which. (the seem to always land with the marking side down, and some have no marking at all)

I think the biggest issue overall with the DIY pedal scene would be troubleshooting, since we may or may not be able to spot incorrect component values from a photo.

Anyone learning about electronics today (I don't mean on pedal forums) will see SMD as the norm and through-hole as a bygone. Eventually we will have to catch up, or pay the premium for what (believe it or not) is slowly becoming "vintage" components.
 
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thewintersoldier said:
It is crazy that the garden variety opamps like the 72 are now 2 dollars each. It this point it's almost like you have to buy in bulk just in case and hope you either use them or have enough to go around. I don't know if it's more a supply and demand thing or moving more towards SMD. IC's and transistors are gonna be the expensive parts for builds. I know it's about diy and the experience and some people won't care about price, but I wonder when the price will be the same if not more for the average boutique pedal. Building a guitar or amp is more expensive than a commercial product so pedals can't be that far behind.
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Recently I've been looking at bulk discount prices for the first time since I started building.

It's still cheaper than sourcing old mojo transistors but it ain't far off either.

I've also started to pay attention to end of life/obsolescence, especially considering what you mention about the transition to SMD.
 
I agree though, $2 for a TL072 is a bit jarring. I've been pulling mine from salvage PCBs lately. Thankfully I have plenty of those.

I'll add the TL072 to my list of components to watch out for decent prices on. If I find a vendor with some good bulk pricing I'll stock up and make them available.
 
Robert said:
I'm thinking it has a lot to do with the semiconductor shortage..... for now anyway.

The through-hole version averages around 90 cents from Mouser, which is still higher than normal, but the majority of them are out of stock. The SMD version, on the other hand starts at around 20 cents.

I expect things will get a little better eventually but we're definitely in the other direction in the long run.

Worse case scenario folks are just going to eventually have to embrace SMD... This really is the answer. There's a stigma surrounding it because I think a lot of builders believe it's scary or more difficult, but that's how a beginner feels looking at any PCB or electronic component.

Unless a person has a medical reason (eyesight, hand tremors, etc) SMD is no harder to work with than through-hole components, in fact it can be much quicker to assemble since you don't have to form or clip any leads. I'd use your analogy and say "It'll separate the kids from the big kids!" but it's really just not that huge of a deal. All you have to do is dive in, it'll seem like nothing in no time. I mean sure, we'll still see some awful things in the troubleshooting thread, but that happens now.

The only thing I find more difficult with SMD is that I prefer to work one value at a time. It's a bit tedious to dump out several different values on the bench and keep up with which one is which. (the seem to always land with the marking side down, and some have no marking at all)

I think the biggest issue overall with the DIY pedal scene would be troubleshooting, since we may or may not be able to spot incorrect component values from a photo.

Anyone learning about electronics today (I don't mean on pedal forums) will see SMD as the norm and through-hole as a bygone. Eventually we will have to catch up, or pay the premium for what (believe it or not) is slowly becoming "vintage" components.
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The other thing to consider is being able to sub-contract out the population on a board design of the SMD parts and then do final assembly with common through hole parts like caps and resistors.

If you have a design that is calling for SMD semi-conductors, there is no reason to not have JLCPCB or your preferred vendor populate those for you.
 
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Robert said:
Anyone learning about electronics today (I don't mean on pedal forums) will see SMD as the norm and through-hole as a bygone. Eventually we will have to catch up, or pay the premium for what (believe it or not) is slowly becoming "vintage" components.
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I'm sure you're right. I'm not too worried by SMD - the only good thing about myopia is that I can see things really well up close.

EDIT: I think suggesting a sub or two in the build docs would be helpful. More work, though, just to slow down those build docs a little more.
 
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I'll grab a bunch of the AliExpress ones and sub them in on pedals I've already built to test whether they are what they claim to be. Though as I say above, there's some variation in batches, so results from one batch may not match the next.

I had a look at the data sheet for the LF353P that @swyse mentioned above and it looks like an exact match for the TL072 to me, given that I don't really know what the numbers mean. But if they're the same numbers, then it's all good, right?
 
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