JRC4558D vs TI RC4559P tone test

[shredgd]

For all those wondering how these two op amps may or may not differ tone wise in a tubescreamer-style circuit (a Timmy circuit, in this case), I recorded two audio samples in which the settings of my pedal were absolutely the same, only difference the chip used.

I definitely hear a difference, slightly more presence with the 4559, more "hifi" sounding. There would be probably good reasons to favor one or the other (the infamous "more clarity" vs "more warmth" debate), but for sure not a world apart.

What do you think?

Giulio

[FiveseveN]

I definitely hear a difference, slightly more presence with the 4559

Probably because it's about 2 dB louder, but otherwise the same.
A human can't play the exact same thing twice, and knowing it should sound different will make it much worse. Use a looper or a recording so you have the same source. Then you can subtract the resulting tracks to see any difference.

[shredgd]

2 dB! Wow! Congratulations for you ears, by the way!
I tried to play with the same intention and the two waveforms are alike in Ampkit as far as amplitude, but I give you right that a looper would give even a better comparison.
Anyway, this is at least a good starting point, and the added presence is not something I "wanted" to hear (I actually knew the 4559 might be a little more gainy, and that would have made the 100pF cap of the Timmy circuit remove more treble, wouldn't it?)

[roseblood11]

Who kisses better? A 80 years old granny or a 85 years old? Guess what? I don't wanna know...
But nice playing!

[FiveseveN]

Congratulations for you ears, by the way!

Don't be silly, I analysed them in Sound Forge 

[armdnrdy]

There are a few things that I have learned not to talk about in public forums....
Politics....religion....and the difference in sound of op amps.

Let the games begin!   

[GibsonGM]

There are a few things that I have learned not to talk about in public forums....
Politics....religion....and the difference in sound of op amps.

Let the games begin!   

I'll add to that....whether tubes clip differently than diodes   

[ElectricDruid]

There are a few things that I have learned not to talk about in public forums....
Politics....religion....and the difference in sound of op amps.

Let the games begin!   

May the odds be ever in your favour!

T.

[thermionix]

...and the difference in sound of op amps.

I misread the title as "RC4558P", as in comparing two brands of the same chip.  Yes there is a difference.  Extremely subtle.  KA4558 is more noticeably different.  The JRC is the "mushiest" of the three, in a TS anyway.

[nickbungus]

Who kisses better? A 80 years old granny or a 85 years old?

Depends where they kiss you

[thermionix]

Who kisses better? A 80 years old granny or a 85 years old?

Depends where they kiss you

[nickbungus]

Well she ain't that good lookin'
But I ain't that smart
That old woman
Done stole my heart
Well, we ain't got much
Back a-here in these hills
'Bout all we can afford
Is a few cheap thrills

So, put yer teeth up on the windowsill
Tell the neighbors to let us be
Oh can't they see that we're in love
That we're in love . we're in love

I like homemade jelly
When it's rubbed on my belly
A little bacon fat
Keeps it right on track
Well, our love chain
It's got a few kinks
But we don't care
What the neighbors think

So, put yer teeth up on the windowsill
Tell the neighbors to let us be
Oh, can't they see that we're in love
That we're in love. we're in love
We're in love, we're in love

Well she ain't that good lookin'
But I ain't that smart
That old woman
She done stole my heart
We ain't got much
But we gots one another
And when she pulls out them choppers
She reminds me of mother

Put yer teeth up on the windowsill
Tell the neighbors to let us be
Oh can't they see that we're in love
That we're in love
We're in love
We're in love
We're in love...

[thermionix]

I prefer the original Ditch Diggin' version, but that one didn't come up in the first couple pages of search results.  I guess they re-recorded because maybe their old label owns the original recording, you know how that goes.

[duck_arse]

back on the topic of opamps, so I can veer it off again - if a person was to stack a pair of opamps, say a "JRC4558D" and a (TI - made in Japan) "TL4558P" in a single socket, would it matter to the toan who which one was on top?

[reddesert]

Opamps should never be stacked, but if they are stacked, they must be stacked in alphabetical order.

To the OP, there's no particular reason why a 4559 opamp would be "gainier" than a 4558. Closed-loop gain is determined by the components in the feedback loop of the op-amp. There might be differences in op-amp input impedance or bandwidth (though nearly any op-amp has enough bandwidth for audio frequencies), but not so much in the gain.

[Juan Wayne]

If the way these threads derail as fast and as beautifully as they always do, isn't testament to how pointless the XXX4558X vs [insert-8-legged-creature-of-your-choice] debates are, I don't know what is.

That said, I love every single one of them.

[j_flanders]

But nice playing!

Well, this I guess. It sounds familiar. Is it an intro of an actual song or just some random playing for this test.
Since we're posting videos... played a little faster, it reminds me of Bettie Serveert: