I had previously used OPA2604's but I have found another great chip that sounds MUCh warmer and tube like when used in the right sections.
The OPA2228. It has an unbelievable amount of gain is is very quiet. I use it in conjunction with a few other chips in my amp but the 2 OPA2228's are by far what gives my amp such a warm and rich sound. It brought out the warmth and richness of my mids like I was looking for and beefed up my bass as a bonus.
I still use the OPA2604 in my gain but for my pre gain boost and my low gain channel the OPA2228 has worked wonders. Also since each stage seems to run through the next, the chips compliment eaachother quite well.
ANyone with a solid state guitar amp , tube emulator or not, I'd try out the OPA2228 in it.
The OPA2228. It has an unbelievable amount of gain is is very quiet. I use it in conjunction with a few other chips in my amp but the 2 OPA2228's are by far what gives my amp such a warm and rich sound. It brought out the warmth and richness of my mids like I was looking for and beefed up my bass as a bonus.
I still use the OPA2604 in my gain but for my pre gain boost and my low gain channel the OPA2228 has worked wonders. Also since each stage seems to run through the next, the chips compliment eaachother quite well.
ANyone with a solid state guitar amp , tube emulator or not, I'd try out the OPA2228 in it.
the NE5532
Well I guess I really should have taken more consideration into using this chip!
The NE5532 has proved to be the best sounding out of over 2 dozen different chip types and probably just as many combinations.
I have such clarity and punch!!! The volume breaks up the least with these chips and I can get away with putting my amp on 5 before having to adjust my EQ now.....quite honestly 5 is enough to seriously and permanently damage your ears so this won't be happening often. I always had a very good tube sound from my amps emulation but this really seems to have peaked it.
The OPA2228 did provide a better mid dominated EQ setting but all in all the NE5532's are just blowing me away. The mid sound I was getting with the 2228's was amazing but it's worth the minimal change for the outstanding performance of the 5532's....THEY ARE UNREAL!!! More clarity, more volume than the 2228's which seemed to cut my volume tremendously and there is more warmth and bite now......and I thought I had maxed it out with the other chips I've been toying with.
Now I have 3 NE5532's installed. 1 in my input boost section, and 1 in each gain section of the amps circuit. I kept the OPA2228 in the clean channel and threw one in the reverb circuit just because.
Now I have some OPA350's on the way which have an unbelievable bandwidth and low noise floor but something tells me I'll be sticking with the 5532's.
I guess the 5532 has pretty close specs to a 12AX7 tube...even more so than the OPA2604's I was so happy with initially.
What's clear to me is certain chips sound great in amps and decent at best in pedals. Also vice versa.
I think I may go back to the JRC4558 for my reverb though....guess I can try a 5532 there but so far an almost nonexistant slew rate and a low bandwidth chip has proven to sound the warmest and the cleanest in this section of my amps circuit.
Well I guess I really should have taken more consideration into using this chip!
The NE5532 has proved to be the best sounding out of over 2 dozen different chip types and probably just as many combinations.
I have such clarity and punch!!! The volume breaks up the least with these chips and I can get away with putting my amp on 5 before having to adjust my EQ now.....quite honestly 5 is enough to seriously and permanently damage your ears so this won't be happening often. I always had a very good tube sound from my amps emulation but this really seems to have peaked it.
The OPA2228 did provide a better mid dominated EQ setting but all in all the NE5532's are just blowing me away. The mid sound I was getting with the 2228's was amazing but it's worth the minimal change for the outstanding performance of the 5532's....THEY ARE UNREAL!!! More clarity, more volume than the 2228's which seemed to cut my volume tremendously and there is more warmth and bite now......and I thought I had maxed it out with the other chips I've been toying with.
Now I have 3 NE5532's installed. 1 in my input boost section, and 1 in each gain section of the amps circuit. I kept the OPA2228 in the clean channel and threw one in the reverb circuit just because.
Now I have some OPA350's on the way which have an unbelievable bandwidth and low noise floor but something tells me I'll be sticking with the 5532's.
I guess the 5532 has pretty close specs to a 12AX7 tube...even more so than the OPA2604's I was so happy with initially.
What's clear to me is certain chips sound great in amps and decent at best in pedals. Also vice versa.
I think I may go back to the JRC4558 for my reverb though....guess I can try a 5532 there but so far an almost nonexistant slew rate and a low bandwidth chip has proven to sound the warmest and the cleanest in this section of my amps circuit.
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