Preferred use of a Tube Screamer?

[AlvisX]

As a front buffer ........
Back in the day , I preferred an EH LPB2 or a DOD 250 as a solo boost , nowdays , a TC Spark
I have a TS9 and an 808 modded TS7 ,they're ok and do what they were intended to do
I have my briefcase air travel ,expendable mini board with a Behringer 808 copy on it ....as it seems to like a buffered pedal up front to reduce the tone suck
.I think I have the Level at about 85% the tone at 20% and the drive all the way off
Dialin' in that tone is the tricky part of screamers for me

 

[PelliX]

Use it mainly as a boost, but from time to time I sort of use it as an OD with compressor effect. The only FX pedal I really wouldn't want to live with out (I use rack gear for the most part).



This is an interesting comparison between a cheap clone (NUX OD-3) and a real Ibanez. See if you can spot the riffs... seems to start with a Texas blues shuffle a la SRV, then there's a bit sounds rather Motley Crue inspired and so on...

 

[Ken Ops]

Doorstop/bookend

 

[Neptical]

This thread makes me proud of my SD-1.

 

[Vesperado]

All joking aside, I am really digging stacking it into my Guv'nor MK I and Maxon DS830 before my Blackheart BH15 head, some of the tightest and juiciest palm mutage perceivable to my ears. What's more is that I stack my Strange Master clone into it for some sizzley solo work.

It can serve as a dual-stage front end to serve as a pseudo treble peaker to emulate a cascading treble peaker on a treble-peaker amp, or the treble-peaker on a non-treble-peaker amp, like a Fender or stock Blackheart.

How many people are familiar with cascading treble-peakers? It's a whole lot of fun if you ask me!

 

[Ufoscorpion]

My joyo vintage od is the nuts . Tone 0 , drive 0 , level dimed . Love it , allways on .

 

[Vesperado]

Feeling a bit inspired from this video:



So for this Labor Day, I am gonna have a good sit down with my Maxon made Ibanez TS9. Here are some ICs which I have laying around:

NE5532AP
LM4562NA
Burson V5i-D
RC4558P
TL082ACP
TL072ACP
LN358N
LM1458N
MC1458P
JRC2904D

What it had: TA75558P, and what it has: JRC4558D.

Let the competition begin!

 

[Vesperado]

All testing was done over a plexi circuit with 1720p peaker, .82 cathode bypass, 2n2 coupler, and 20n mids cap into a stock JCM900 1960A cab with a PRS SC250 with Ceramic/Alnico V buckers.

NE5532AP: removes high mids peak, lowers gain a smidge, adds a hint of low mids, rolls off highs and lows a tad.
LM4562NA: shifts high mids peak up a few Hz to where it begins to squeak, adds a hint of gain/airyness with less compression, adds punchy bass and extends the lows. Nice contender for shred tones.
Burson V5i-D: significant bass roll off; shifts resonance upwards in effect, removes high mids hump and evens out mids, a bright yet uncompressed character.
RC4558P: defective
TL082ACP: not as compressed as the JRC4558D, but with much extended and boosted lows which give the impression of a "flubby" bass on palm-mutes; a better fit for bass guitars?
TL072ACP: in a word, very amp like (American overdrive). Clear string definition on chords, removes high mids spike while evening out both mids and highs while extending and slightly boosting lows, resonance lower than JRC4558D for palm-mutes. Really nice contender for 6L6 type amp like tones.
LM358N: 100% British Crunch. It gets my #1 vote! Not only so, but it retains the TS character without the harshness/bloatiness.
LM1458N: Why am I so late to the game on this one? A close second to the above, but with some slight noise. Still very useable. This has a character reminiscent of a creamier Plexi with some sag, whereas the 358N has no sag only crunchy mids. They both have extended and slightly boosted lows, palm-mutes resonate on point with a British half-stack. No compression, no high mids spike/hump, and good string definition/note separation. Very Angus-like. Makes me want to acquire a second TS9...or maybe put it on a switch...
MC1458P: Old-pro out of Malaysia. More low-mids and noise than that above, but the noise might be attributed to my pulling it in haste. Hard to say. This one sings beautifully with a resonance lower than that of the New-pro 1458N.
JRC2904D: Old-pro. Super crunch into high gain territory. I put it against my stock OD9Pro+ on Boost mode and it throws down! This IC totally transforms the TS9 into a mids-boosted metal shredder's machine--without any unwanted compression! The resonance is higher than the LM358N, excellent tightness, and it has got hair in spades. It overpowers the TS character, but in a good way. Gonna need a few more Tube Screamers for the ol' collection...
TA75558P: I really dig this IC with the TS9. In my mind, it is THE sound I associate that pedal being. Its got a glassy top, pushed Fender combo jangley-Jensen sort-of-thing. THAT character which I became familiar with at those live shows in Okinawa decades back. The mids are never over-powering; its got that mojo going on. Pure classic. Old-pro Toshiba Corp.
JRC4558D: Old-pro. My intimation is these suit single-coils better for the TS, as with my ceramics they come out rather loose and boomy in the low-mids with a scratchy top that gets harsh and fatiguing. Its as if a Fender combo is being pushed to the max and soon becomes unstable. Cool sound I suppose, just not for me. These are great in other pedals, but I feel that the Toshiba chip is more tasteful and suitable for the TS9.

Rather than drone on, I am setting aside my top 5:
- LM358N
- LM1458N
- MC1458P
- JRC2904D
- TA75558P

Don't let anyone tell you a component has no effect on sound. Guard your ears and PRESERVE YOUR TONE.

 

[Tatzmann]

To shoo animals away from the yard.

I can see in their eyes that they rather would
be shot by buckshots instead of molested
with the screamer.

I think i saw one explode when i hit a pinchharmonic
followed by a mighty pickscrape.

 

[Vesperado]

Having spent some more time with the 5 put aside, I am decided on the LM1458N as my preferred opamp for TS duty in my rig.

Here is a refined summary of what I hear with my setup:

LM358N: Second closest to the raw character of a Tube Screamer, out of my Top 5, yet blended with "British" crunch. Bold lows with a brilliant top. Highs are inherently rolled back a bit, so dialing them back in via the Tone knob is necessary. This "flaw" helps combat the harshness in the circuit, but once compensated for the highs become very sweet, and the mids maintain a "British" flavor.
LM1458N: My fave. Third closest to the raw character of a Tube Screamer, out of my Top 5, yet heavy with a Plexi vibe. Deep lows exhibit tube-like warmth, low-mids are bold yet controlled, both mids and highs sizzle, almost swirl even, and mids have a general rasp to them, always pleasing. This opamp just sings with this circuit, I'm quite impressed with it for I was far from expecting it. Lots of folks dislike this opamp as it has poor published figures for noise, etc., but it truly outperforms the others I rolled about. A real keeper (and cheap, too)!
LM1458N x2: Two piggybacked in parallel, that is. It shaves off some noise, but the divided voltage robs the pair of its lows. Probably ok if your amp is inherently dark or muddy.
MC1458P: Closest to the raw character of a Tube Screamer, out of my Top 5, and falls somewhere between the Toshiba and JRC chips. Glassy top end less pronounced than the TA75558P, high-mids hump is less pronounced than the JRC4558D, lows are bolder than both those chips, and, a little loose in contrast to the LM1458N. A good alternative to tame the rudeness of the JRC4558D and regain some lows. A very classic vibe.
JRC2904D: Farthest from the raw character of a Tube Screamer, out of my Top 5, it sports a character of its own. Its a super crunch and high-gain powerhouse, a shredder's go-to, and holds its own. It's unique voice overpowers that of the circuit's. Mids are boosted, but not as you'd expect from a Tube Screamer, and highs are hairy yet smooth. Resonance is higher, too, about at low-mids. No compression or harshness to be found. It blew me away when I tried it out, I never knew a single IC could make my TS9 essentially a metal stomp! Dumb luck, really. Now, I did pull this reconditioning an old DOD chorus, so ymmv.
TA75558P: Do yourself a favor and try one out, that is if you are after authentic TS tone; you won't regret it! Glassy top-end, warm lows, smooth and creamy mids. Makes a Marshall sound like its a pushed Fender combo loaded with Jensens. Really cool chip. I prefer this far above the JRC4558D for this circuit.

I think players would benefit from opamp rolling, and the small tone mod which is outlined on page 2 of this thread. The pedal shouldn't need to be used as a volume booster alone, it is much more versatile than many presume; all that we need to do is tap into the circuit's potential. The pedal should offer full-range of its controls, and little tweaks to the circuit here and there afford just that: use of its entire range. The JRC4558D might have worked for SRV through a Fender combo, but it is too brittle through a Marshall at SPL. I don't think there is a Marshall owner under the sun who wouldn't benefit from a cheap LM1458N under the hood of their TS9 or 808, or whatever they list. Let their ears guide them. Mine pulled me away from the JRC4558D in this circuit and acquanted me with more confident and fittting candidates.

I hope my discoveries somehow help others looking for ways to get the best out of their Tube Screamers.

 

[Maxbrothman]

TS9 works with my Orange Tiny Terror for getting Led Zeppelin's Orange amp tones. I find the Boss SD1 is great for Marshall and the Maxon 808 great for my EVH. The Origin works with any OD including Klon clones and BE-ODs. Very versatile. TS9 is quite a tricky OD to match an amp with.

 

[Vesperado]

Replaced (2) 1u BP and (1) 10u pol. with MP films and a tantalum, 51k clipping resistor with 14k metal film, and 100u filter cap with a 220u. Pedal now sounds BETTER THAN EVER. 9VDC.

Running it into my Super Triple Super Lead gets tone for days, and then some! She's lovely LM1458N is the crunch master IC!

Them haters be eatin' cow pies...