Op amp questionaire!!!!!!

[AFF]

Okay I know the great people of this site are well capable of helping my latest question.

Who can explain the differences in the most common Op amps and the most common Op amp replacements.

For example I know some places swear that the 4885 is the perfect replacement in your new distortion or overdrive pedal. I have heard the newer Op amps with long number and letter names are more hi fi and better suited.

I have also come across that because the less clean and easier some op amps are the more you would be drawn to place that specific one in the circuit.

The main reason behind my question is a Metal Zone mod. It got me thinking more about the op amps ... the one I am modding has three (mitsu) op amps and I also discovered that Boss has produced 3 versions of the MT-2 and each had a different combination of the three.

I am very interested in the socket that allows you to replace your sinlge inline 8 pin and plug and unplu instead of solder and desolder!!! Great idea by the way ... I would love to start mixing and matching the dual inline pin op amps ... I saw a small board that allows you to place to opamps together and then the board will drop right into the single inline slot. I think Monte Allums offers one of these set ups and I am sure that mouser and other elec suppliers do also.

I know I will have do a little bit of spec research also to know what will and will not work together ... I know some have the 7 pin is hot and the 9 pin if not and then a different op amp is completely backwards.


SO THE QUESTION AT HAND IS : WHAT CHARACTERISTICS CAN BE HEARD FROM THE MOST COMMON OP AMPS AND THE MOST COMMON OP AMP REPLACEMENTS. EXAMPLE : BURR BROWNS DO THEY REALLY ACHIEVE A BETTER TONE THAN THE STOCK TS-9 CHIP? I UNDERSTAND DIFFERENTAPPLICATIONS WILL PRODUCE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT OUTCOME SO AGAIN I AM WORKING WITH BOSS PEDALS ONLY FOR RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!!!
-AFF

[RocketStar]

All of my experience in this area comes from building modded tube screamer clones. I have tried 9 different opamps in the TS circuit, and I have found that the differences are subtle, but they are definitely there.
"Burr Brown" encompasses more than one opamp, so you have to know which one you're getting into a little bit. That being said, they generally do sound more smooth or hi-fi to my ears. Whether that's good or bad is your call.
The main thing is that it will depend on everything else in your signal chain for which opamp will suit you best. Everytime I build an overdrive for somebody I take every opamp I have and test them out with that person playing his guitar through his amp and let him pick. There usually aren't any bad choices, but there are some that are clearly better.
ymmv

[AFF]

Awesome. I appreciate the info. I am modding and soon building DS-1s. I am actually working on multiple Boss pedals. I know the ds-1 tones and feel very comfortable with this pedal so I can hopefully notice changes better this way and get an idea of what I am looking for.

Generally speaking what model numbers are the most common?
I know the 4558(d)(dd)
Could you recommend some different ones to try?

[bside2234]

You ask a tough question. A 4558 can sound good in one circuit and total crap and noisy in another circuit so to say a 4558 is better or worse than another is not easy to answer. Plus personal taste factors in.
What you want to watch out for is that you replace a dual opamp with a dual opamp and single with a single.
The 4558 is a dual and common replacements are the OPA2134, TLO72, TLO82, LF353, LM833, OPA2604.
Some common single opamps are LM741, TLO61, and TLO71
There are tons of others. Get yourself familiar with datasheets. For example, google "TLO72 datasheet" and you will get a lot of results. The datasheet pretty much tells you everything you need to know about the opamp.