NEC C4558C in an overdrive pedal?

[Carl]

Hi!

I am working on a two and a half channel overdrive pedal and I've been chasing old JRC4558s for it, but haven't yet found any. (No I am not interested in the overpriced ones on EBay...)

But I did find a couple of NEC C4558Cs in a 25 year old Boss KM-60 mixer.

Has anyone tried these? Were they also used in the original TS-808s or early TS-9s. Is it similar to the "old" JRC4558? (I know that they're both 4558s, but all 4558 type of OP don't sound the same)

I have already bought some new TI4558 for the project, but I am curious about these C4558Cs I've just found.

/Carl

[Mike Burgundy]

a 4558 is a 4558, basically.
Differences are highly overrated (but possible), a current RC is the same as a JRC.
Just stick them in and see what yourt ears tell you. Also, Jack Orman has an article (might be in a newsletter) detailing how to tinker with opamps if you want to make any old opamp behave like that "magic" one.

[petemoore]

I pulled up some ol' TL082's that I'd 'stacked' or piggybacked...two OA's connected...pin 1 to 1, 2 to 2, 3 to 3 etc.
 There was a slight difference between any of my other 082's and the stacked one.
 If you're stacking OA's, be very certain the dots on BOth are at left top, so the OA's are pinned together 1-8 to 1-8...not backward, and solder very 'gingerly' so as not to very easily overheat them.

[cd]

If you must have the NOS JRC4558s to satisfy your mojo factor, keep looking.  Otherwise, take a trip to smallbearelec.com and save yourself the hsassle.

[Aharon]

If the overdrive is a "Tubescreamer type" go for a 4559,I have been converted!!!.
Aharon

[Steben]

If the overdrive is a "Tubescreamer type" go for a 4559,I have been converted!!!.
Aharon

What are your (No bullshit-) Reasons?

[Aharon]

I don't remember ever giving bullshit reasons,I might have given an uninformed reason..... :wink:  :lol:  :oops:

Simple,what better than the listening test,I rebuilt my TS last week or so and decided to use a 4559 instead,the rest of the components were just desoldered and reused.The sound is focused,tight,much less residual noise,break up is smoother,and I have a crapload of the 4558s with most pre and sufixes to compare.I also liked the 5532 as a possibility but it's sterile compared with the 59 whatever that may mean.
Aside from that subjective opinion I have no other reason  to suggest it's use.I'm not much for mojo.
Take care
Aharon

[mlabbee]

I agree on the 4559 - I normally don't buy into the "mojo" factor with ICs, but I could actually hear a pretty significant difference between some of them in my TS clone.  The Burr Browns I tried were really clean and clear - actually, too much so!  I'm looking forward to trying them in boxes where clena and clear is a plus  :-)

I tried a few others, including the Small Bear 4558's and just found the 4559 to have more distortion with a really nice tone.  Most of the others had virtually indistinguishable sounds.

Incidentally, I was able to try a bunch, since I contacted TI and had them send me a ton of samples.  That's a good way to try a wide variety (they own Burr Brown now, so you can get those ICs as well, although they don't send you as many).

[DDD]

As far as I know propely designed overdrive stage is not sensitive to the brand name of OA it uses. At the same time poor overdrive schematic needs a good and fast OA (as well as overdrive using "rail-to-rail" clipping
deliberately).

[Carl]

I am not after magic or mojo or snakeoil or whatever.

However I do believe that OAs sound different. Old tubescreamers sound really good and one of the channels in my pedal will be TS-808 clone and the other will be a mix of a Fulldrive and an 808 with a few extra tricks, so it make sense for me to get one of the OAs which were used in the 808 when I am trying out different OAs.

I will also try to get a 4559 as well and a few others to play around with.

This all started when I tried an old Tubescreamer with one of my amps. It sounded great, so I thought I should build one. The project grew inte a slightly bigger, two and half channel overdrive which I believe will do the job for me.

Channel one will be a TS-808 (but with mechanical bypass a k a true bypass) The second channel will also be based on the 808 but with switchable symmetrical/asymmetrical clipping, swichable and bypassable HPF switchable frequency for the tone control and a Fulltone style boost/solo switch along with a boost/solo pot.

/Carl

[Carl]

If the overdrive is a "Tubescreamer type" go for a 4559,I have been converted!!!.
Aharon

What's the 4559 full name? I can't find it when I am searching on just "4559"

TIA

/Carl

[Carl]

If the overdrive is a "Tubescreamer type" go for a 4559,I have been converted!!!.
Aharon

What's the 4559 full name? I can't find it when I am searching on just "4559"

TIA

/Carl

Oops, sorry I found it....

/Carl

[Aharon]

RC4559P
Aharon

[AL]

4559

http://www.mouser.com/?Ne=500&handler=data.listcategory&Ntt=*4559*&terms=4559&crc=true&N=570&Ns=MfgrPartNumber%7c%7cSField

I would go with the earlier suggestions and contact Texas Instruments for some free samples. That way you easily swap out IC's until you get something you like.  

AL