OK OK I know a lot of people swear by them but in every application I have used them in, they sound and perform like garbage.
The point of this thread is, I don't get why people swear by them...
Scratchy, harsh, NOISEY, overly midrangey and they just severely lack detail. When comparing them to the NE5532, OPA2228 and OPA2604, the 4558 IMO is absolutely put to shame. Those chips have closer specs to a 12AX7 tube and also sound/perform sooooo much better. When I play arpeggios through a circuit containing a 4558, there is such a lack of detail and raspiness that it would be embarrassing in a live performance.
Can anyone possibly tell me why they like these chips so much?
My only thought is it teams up with tube amps better than the superior chips I mentioned...
The point of this thread is, I don't get why people swear by them...
Scratchy, harsh, NOISEY, overly midrangey and they just severely lack detail. When comparing them to the NE5532, OPA2228 and OPA2604, the 4558 IMO is absolutely put to shame. Those chips have closer specs to a 12AX7 tube and also sound/perform sooooo much better. When I play arpeggios through a circuit containing a 4558, there is such a lack of detail and raspiness that it would be embarrassing in a live performance.
Can anyone possibly tell me why they like these chips so much?
My only thought is it teams up with tube amps better than the superior chips I mentioned...
usage and rating of OpAmps used in Guitar amps
is a different story, as the OpAmp in a Guitar
amp might be intentionally overdriven to
create distortion. Different type of OpAmp
might behave different when overdriven, which
creates specific sound effects.
So a very good Opamp by specsheet and
linear application rating might not create
that specific sound distortion when overdriven.
Regards,
Stephan
is a different story, as the OpAmp in a Guitar
amp might be intentionally overdriven to
create distortion. Different type of OpAmp
might behave different when overdriven, which
creates specific sound effects.
So a very good Opamp by specsheet and
linear application rating might not create
that specific sound distortion when overdriven.
Regards,
Stephan
It's about the distortion in a pedal, like schnullimaus said. Supposed to sound tube-like.
I think Stevie Ray Vaughan used a pedal that utilized the JRC4558D. I guess you can play like Stevie as long as you have the right opamp...
This is kinda funny... http://cgi.ebay.com/IBANEZ-TUBE-SCR...ryZ64418QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I think Stevie Ray Vaughan used a pedal that utilized the JRC4558D. I guess you can play like Stevie as long as you have the right opamp...
This is kinda funny... http://cgi.ebay.com/IBANEZ-TUBE-SCR...ryZ64418QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
You know the odd thing about the pedals using this chip, especially the tube screamer is they tend to be pedals people almost always modify. I'm willing to bet that along with all the mods Stevie had done to his, an opampectomy as one person coined it was part of the operation.
In all the guitar gear and stages I've used this op amp, it's been horrid. It was pleasing for a little while in my Crates distortion emulation circuit but after a month or two of use then switching back to the NE5532, the 5532 is superior beyond words.
Maybe it teams up with tube gear really well?
Maybe since a lot of tube gear has that ultra thick not so ronchy metal tone, the all around harshness of the 4558 adds bite to tube tone?
I think this when I hear how ronchy and brittle the Metal Zone is and it's one of the most popular pedals used with tube amps today.
I've got death metal pedal thread going. JRC4558's used twice in it. Due to the two chips and no gain control, this pedal is a well of noise and uselessness to a serious player. If it were modded though, I think it would be the most widely used pedal. An opampectomy and gain control modded into this pedal and I am willing to bet it is the closest thing to tube subtle overdrive there is. It's a tough call to be certain changing the 4558's won't take away from it's tubeness though. Based on my ears this pedal was someones flagship design based around this chip and they cut down the functions of the circuit because it was too damn good...
In all the guitar gear and stages I've used this op amp, it's been horrid. It was pleasing for a little while in my Crates distortion emulation circuit but after a month or two of use then switching back to the NE5532, the 5532 is superior beyond words.
Maybe it teams up with tube gear really well?
Maybe since a lot of tube gear has that ultra thick not so ronchy metal tone, the all around harshness of the 4558 adds bite to tube tone?
I think this when I hear how ronchy and brittle the Metal Zone is and it's one of the most popular pedals used with tube amps today.
I've got death metal pedal thread going. JRC4558's used twice in it. Due to the two chips and no gain control, this pedal is a well of noise and uselessness to a serious player. If it were modded though, I think it would be the most widely used pedal. An opampectomy and gain control modded into this pedal and I am willing to bet it is the closest thing to tube subtle overdrive there is. It's a tough call to be certain changing the 4558's won't take away from it's tubeness though. Based on my ears this pedal was someones flagship design based around this chip and they cut down the functions of the circuit because it was too damn good...
Actually the hallowed spot for crappiest opamp on the planet way well be securely occupied by the LM324/LM358, an abortion of an opamp that makes even the 4558 sound good in comparison. It's even cheaper than the 4558.
Having said that, I agree with a lot of the posters here - when I see a 4558 or one of its variants in a piece of gear, my thoughts immediately turn to ripping that thing out and replacing it with something (just about anything) else.
Having said that, I agree with a lot of the posters here - when I see a 4558 or one of its variants in a piece of gear, my thoughts immediately turn to ripping that thing out and replacing it with something (just about anything) else.
The LM324 is a just a budget quad in a chip made for general purpose instrumentation. I wouldn't even consider it for audio with the slow slew and high noise. For it's intended purpose, it is fine. I use some I got for free for comparators in a solar project. Work just fine. Not, "crappiest on planet".
Whoever used that opamp in an audio app (especially headphones), shoulda been shot, pronto. The 324/358 was most likely never meant for an audio application (how-so with a slow slew rate and class B output stage). Having said that, people used it anyway...I think the OPA4134 has the same pinout and infinitely different (and superior) specs. You may (probably) need to change bypassing and biasing to make the newbie opamp package behave.
For a historical perspective, the LM324 and LM358 define the pinouts of most quad/dual opamps out these days. The Raytheon RC4136 was a dissenting vote for the quad package pinout, but was not widely emulated.
Your mission will be to look at the biasing of the opamps to see if an improved device can be substituted without gastric disturbances. The 324/358 works well in single-supply apps as long as it's not asked to do anything much. Other opamps may take more exalted treatment. Post some schematics...
For a historical perspective, the LM324 and LM358 define the pinouts of most quad/dual opamps out these days. The Raytheon RC4136 was a dissenting vote for the quad package pinout, but was not widely emulated.
Your mission will be to look at the biasing of the opamps to see if an improved device can be substituted without gastric disturbances. The 324/358 works well in single-supply apps as long as it's not asked to do anything much. Other opamps may take more exalted treatment. Post some schematics...
Would you really want to listen to an LM324 with +/- 1.5V rails? It would be all crossover distortion. When Raytheon introduced the RC4558 in the mid-70's, they made a point of comparing the 10 kHz waveforms to the LM324 - it was a shoo-in as the 4558 actually tried (sorta) to bias the output stage into AB vs. B.
Having said all of this, I haven't let an opamp near any of my audio projects for quite some time (except for one chip-amp indiscretion with an OPA541 that told me to stay where the good results are)...
Having said all of this, I haven't let an opamp near any of my audio projects for quite some time (except for one chip-amp indiscretion with an OPA541 that told me to stay where the good results are)...
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