My TS9 is not satisfactory help me out

[Axonic Rot]

I have a ts9 reissue with the JRC4558d chip. It works decently at preamp filtering, but I'm still not happy with it.

Recently I looked further into what was going on.

I plugged my guitar into my DI and set the gain up on the mic pre. Then I put the TS between the guitar and the DI. The TS cannot reproduce the signal strength coming from my guitar or come anywhere close to it even with the level all the way up. I had been using the level at 12 o clock because that's where it was sounding best. This test confirmed my suspicions. Everything past 12 oclock was the sound of the pedal drowning in its own incompetence. I don't think this is a big deal as much as the next thing I noticed:

Then I compared the frequency response to a TS808 sim on the computer(TSE). The TS808 sim shaped the sound in a much more useful way that made the sound tighter. Since I haven't owned a TS808 or an OD808 I don't know if this was an inaccuracy in the sim that made it better than my real life gear, or if 808s are that much better than a 9. Most people speak as though the difference is nominal.

What I would like to know is if the level issue is common and if the 808s really sound that much better overall. I know there are scores of people here with tonnes of experience. Thanks in advance.

 

[onqel]

try comparing them with the tone control at min/max if you haven't so already, the stuff going on in between could be different because of the difference between the real life potentiometer and the modeled one...

The tubescreamer clips the your guitarsignal if it's very high (even with drive at min) and you might not get the same amplitude out compared to what's going in ..

 

[006]

The differences of a TS9 and 808 are, generally speaking, not a huge night and day difference. There is something wrong with your TS9 it sounds like.

 

[kvoid]

open it up

mod it to 808 specs

 

[ahjteam]

did you change the battery? and where do you have the tone knob set to? how old are the strings?

 

[Axonic Rot]

I ended up turning knobs for hours and got what I was looking for. The pedal can't put out what is coming in, but I can't expect that anyway because all of my guitars have insane output that clips just about everything. (I use high output pickups and have nothing but a selector switch in the circuits, no tone pot, no volume pot, no caps)

I ended up turning the tone to 3 oclock, which I always thought would be scratchy. I compensated by bringing the treble to 5(out of ten value) and mid to 3(out of ten value). All of the sag is gone now and it's much clearer and smoother. Drastically changing what hits the front end and eqing the amp differently really gets it together. It also conjured up some familiar tones that I have heard on recordings and wondered how they got that sound.

try comparing them with the tone control at min/max if you haven't so already, the stuff going on in between could be different because of the difference between the real life potentiometer and the modeled one...

The tubescreamer clips the your guitarsignal if it's very high (even with drive at min) and you might not get the same amplitude out compared to what's going in ..

All of that is dead on man. That really helped jog my brain. I ended up turning the tone knob up further on the real thing.

The differences of a TS9 and 808 are, generally speaking, not a huge night and day difference. There is something wrong with your TS9 it sounds like.

I would love to know what the difference is exactly. Most prefer the 808s for some reason and some even swear by the Maxon rather than the Ibanez.

open it up

mod it to 808 specs

I have the resources for that, but I'm eventually just getting an OD808 because I don't want to die without comparing them side by side.

did you change the battery? and where do you have the tone knob set to? how old are the strings?

I had the tone knob at noon at the time. I use a power supply. I use crispy new strings all the time.

 

[kvoid]

Some reading is in order if you're really interested in the operation of the TS. Yes I could just tell you to swap two resistors and your 9 becomes an 808 (a part or two more for the much less loved 5 for example). But here:

http://www.geofex.com/article_folders/tstech/tsxtech.htm

and also:

http://www.bteaudio.com/articles/TSS/TSS.html

I'm not a fan of tube screamer snobbery. I use a Behringer TO800. It might get replaced by an MXR M66 Classic Overdrive (Primarily cause I got it cheaper than the Behr!) soon.

For us Metalheads it might not matter that much since we use it as a filtered boost essentially but for the rest of the guitar playing world this obsession with TS clones is a path that leads to poverty, misery, delusional and irrational behavior.

OT: Anyone know what is the cheapest TS clone available today?

 

[Axonic Rot]

I went to a local shop today to look for some bass strings that they didn't have. I was heading out the door and saw something green in my peripheral vision. I now have an OD808.

I plugged it in and played a few notes and laughed hysterically. It sounds so much better than the TS9 that I'm just shocked.

I now see why this pedal is everyone's preference.

All of the reports on the internet that all the TS pedals sound about the same or completely the same are DEAD WRONG.

 

[ahjteam]

I went to a local shop today to look for some bass strings that they didn't have. I was heading out the door and saw something green in my peripheral vision. I now have an OD808.

I plugged it in and played a few notes and laughed hysterically. It sounds so much better than the TS9 that I'm just shocked.

I now see why this pedal is everyone's preference.

All of the reports on the internet that all the TS pedals sound about the same or completely the same are DEAD WRONG.

Difference between TS9 and TS808 is kinda like difference between shoving a pinky or an index finger to your ass. Some say it feels the same, some say it feels totally different, but in the end the reality is that you have a finger up your ass.

 

[Axonic Rot]

Difference between TS9 and TS808 is kinda like difference between shoving a pinky or an index finger to your ass. Some say it feels the same, some say it feels totally different, but in the end the reality is that you have a finger up your ass.

I don't have a TS808 so maybe they are both indeed only slightly different. But the difference between the TS9 and OD808 is like the difference between using my hand and fucking a vagina.