TS9 vs. TS808

[boxcarmonument]

Check out the comparinator to get an Idea of the diferences between the different pedals.

http://www.oldtonezone.com/distortionoverdrive-pedal-shootout/the-od-pedal-comparinator/

I have to say this is possibly one of the best ideas for a website I've ever seen!
If only they did this with amps and cabs.

 

[tunedown]

Check out the comparinator to get an Idea of the diferences between the different pedals.

http://www.oldtonezone.com/distortionoverdrive-pedal-shootout/the-od-pedal-comparinator/

I have to say this is possibly one of the best ideas for a website I've ever seen!
If only they did this with amps and cabs.

I wish the site would allow you to demo different styles of music so you could hear the benefits through different picking styles and chord progressions as well.

 

[Joel]

I have a/b'ed them through the LoneStar. My opinion is that the difference between the TS9 and TS808 is very slight. The TS808 is a little smoother sounding to my ears. The TS9 has a lot more gain on tap though, which is very important if you are using it as a stand-alone overdrive. I have returned the Ibanez 808 for the Maxon 808 simply because it was cheaper by about $60 and uses the same chip.

All of the tube screamer types of pedals are very similar, and they all color the sound noticeably, but that's part of the reason why so many people are using them. I have also tried the TS808 against a Xotic BB Preamp through the LoneStar and through a Dual Recto. If you are looking for transparency, the BB Preamp is the ticket. It makes the amp sound exactly the same, except with more gain.

In the end, I decided to buy the 808, because for my usage, I prefer the way that the tube screamers color the sound.

 

[paintballnsk]

the TS-9 is a hunk of crap. This is an easy decision. Pay the extra $60 and buy a Maxon or TS808. I've never liked any newer Ibanez pedals. Don't use the overdrive for a distortion, but more like a distortion boost. It also adds a ton of sustain, chunk, and compression.

Rectifier settings:
High 5-8, Mids 4-6, Bass 5-7, Presence 4-7, Gain 4-6
TS808:
Drive 0-3
Tone 4-6
Volume 7-10

Use something like a Boss Noise Supressor with any overdrive. Putting the gain on the tube screamer pas 4-5 will over-color your sound. You'll hear it a lot more when you mic your cab.

 

[tunedown]

The Maxon 808 is a great pedal, however I still prefer my TS9 over it, to me the TS9 Gives a little Mid bump that the rec's need and cuts a little bit of the excessive bottem end the rectifier has. Dont get me wrong, the 808 does alot of the same, but for some reason I just like the TS9 better so far, but I have to do a little more comparison.

on your settings, do you mean when you say gain at 8 oclock that you have it completly off? If so that is good, want to really make your amp scream just max the level.

My settings
TS9
GAIN: Completly Off
LEVEL: Maxed
TONE: 11 o'clock

Basically, yes.

I usually dial in "some" gain, but never more then 2 ticks on the dial. I've actually started to enjoy how much..."meaner" it sounds with just a hair of gain.

And, I usually set my tone fairly high, so I have to keep my level at a moderate level to keep from squealing. (I also use a hot pickup, so that could account for some squealing too). I'll try bringing my tone down and bumping my level as high as I can get it and see how I like it.

Thanks for the input!

Your input helped the most. I was pretty much right there, but taking your comments in to account I've found the tone I was looking for (for now). For me, my guitar, tuning, and cabinet I set it up like this:

Tuning: D-standard / Drop C
Pickup: Gibson 500T (Ceramic)
2ch Dual Rec: Pres=9 oclock, Bass=12 oclock, Mids=9/10 oclock, Treble=2 oclock, gain=10/11 oclock
TS9: Gain=7/8 oclock, Level=11 oclock, Tone=2 oclock.
Cab: is a 5150 cab loaded with Sheffields and V-30s. Good combo IMO. Good natural distortion and warmth combo. And the cabs themselves are a good mid ground between a Marshall and a Mesa. Tight and Punchy, but they still "breathe" a little. Also lighter and less expensive (to replace) then a Mesa so it's easier to drag all over the west coast (and care less if it gets destroyed or stolen).

I like the tone at 2 oclock on the TS9 (same old song and dance...it really "opens up" the amp. "Takes the blanket off" etc). But with the Tone there, I have to leave my level at 11 or I'll squeal. I like a little controlled feedback and I'd rather control it w/out a noise suppressor. So for now, I'm happy.

Thank you all for your suggestions and help. I'll report back as soon as i pick up the TS808 and give it a shot.

One factor that I'm nervous about is the Mid bump that you mentioned is evident in the TS9. I feel like the Mesa's need that and I feel like it's a benefit of the TS9 that I'll miss. Boosting the mids in the input signal and taking it back out in the tone stack is an old trick that I learned back when I owned a Mark IV (boost the mids in the tone stack and take the mids back out in the 5-band EQ). Is this something I should worry about? Does the TS/Maxon 808 lack that same mid-spike?

 

[Joel]

Any of the tube screamer pedals will, to a certain extent, feature that mid-spike/colorize the tone.

 

[tunedown]

Any of the tube screamer pedals will, to a certain extent, feature that mid-spike/colorize the tone.

Thank you.

That's sort of what I wanted to hear

 

[Chris McKinley]

tunedown,

808's don't add a whole lot of mids, but a little bit in the upper midrange mostly, around 2-4kHz. They do add some harmonic content to the signal, which for solos is very nice, and can make up for not having as strong a midrange overall. Put a decent EQ in the loop and you can tailor the mids of both the OD and the amp together if you really feel you're still missing something there.

 

[tunedown]

tunedown,

808's don't add a whole lot of mids, but a little bit in the upper midrange mostly, around 2-4kHz. They do add some harmonic content to the signal, which for solos is very nice, and can make up for not having as strong a midrange overall. Put a decent EQ in the loop and you can tailor the mids of both the OD and the amp together if you really feel you're still missing something there.

I'm not worried about the "response" of my mid range, I'm just looking for a bit of a mid-spike in my input signal.

But thank you for the suggestion. I'm trying to keep as few pedals in my signal path as possible. 2 or less. tuner->screamer->amplifier. Preferrably: Tuner->Amplifier, but I haven't quite figured that out with a Dual Rectifier yet. Still working on that.

 

[tunedown]

All is well!

I finally picked up my TS808 and did a "before and after" between the TS808 and the TS9 and I CAN hear a difference and I like the TS808 BETTER. My initial review (one practice) is that it's more transparent (which I wanted).

My first setup looks like this:

Presence: 1 oclock
Bass: 12 oclock
Mids: 9 oclock
Treble: 11 oclock
Gain: 10 oclock

TS808 -
Overdrive: zero
Tone: 2 oclock
Level: 12 oclock

Thank you all for your input and help. I appreciate it.

 

[siggy14]

I would say there is something wrong with the TS9 if you are getting squealing because I never get squealing on mine unless I have a bad pickup. Since you are only getting squealing on the TS9 and not the 808 I am going to assume it is the TS9 that is having a problem.

The Maxon 808 is a great pedal, however I still prefer my TS9 over it, to me the TS9 Gives a little Mid bump that the rec's need and cuts a little bit of the excessive bottem end the rectifier has. Dont get me wrong, the 808 does alot of the same, but for some reason I just like the TS9 better so far, but I have to do a little more comparison.

on your settings, do you mean when you say gain at 8 oclock that you have it completly off? If so that is good, want to really make your amp scream just max the level.

My settings
TS9
GAIN: Completly Off
LEVEL: Maxed
TONE: 11 o'clock

Basically, yes.

I usually dial in "some" gain, but never more then 2 ticks on the dial. I've actually started to enjoy how much..."meaner" it sounds with just a hair of gain.

And, I usually set my tone fairly high, so I have to keep my level at a moderate level to keep from squealing. (I also use a hot pickup, so that could account for some squealing too). I'll try bringing my tone down and bumping my level as high as I can get it and see how I like it.

Thanks for the input!

 

[siggy14]

Do yourself a favor and get rid of the 5150 cabinet, one of the cheapest made cabinets out there! A friend has one and the tolex is coming off the bottem and I was really shocked to see that the whole cabinet was made from thin plywood or some kind of compressed board which would explain why it is so thin.

Honestly out of all the cabinets I have I think the boogie cabs with there V30's are just a perfect match made in heaven and i dont mind lugging around the extra 30 pounds.

The Maxon 808 is a great pedal, however I still prefer my TS9 over it, to me the TS9 Gives a little Mid bump that the rec's need and cuts a little bit of the excessive bottem end the rectifier has. Dont get me wrong, the 808 does alot of the same, but for some reason I just like the TS9 better so far, but I have to do a little more comparison.

on your settings, do you mean when you say gain at 8 oclock that you have it completly off? If so that is good, want to really make your amp scream just max the level.

My settings
TS9
GAIN: Completly Off
LEVEL: Maxed
TONE: 11 o'clock

Basically, yes.

I usually dial in "some" gain, but never more then 2 ticks on the dial. I've actually started to enjoy how much..."meaner" it sounds with just a hair of gain.

And, I usually set my tone fairly high, so I have to keep my level at a moderate level to keep from squealing. (I also use a hot pickup, so that could account for some squealing too). I'll try bringing my tone down and bumping my level as high as I can get it and see how I like it.

Thanks for the input!

Your input helped the most. I was pretty much right there, but taking your comments in to account I've found the tone I was looking for (for now). For me, my guitar, tuning, and cabinet I set it up like this:

Tuning: D-standard / Drop C
Pickup: Gibson 500T (Ceramic)
2ch Dual Rec: Pres=9 oclock, Bass=12 oclock, Mids=9/10 oclock, Treble=2 oclock, gain=10/11 oclock
TS9: Gain=7/8 oclock, Level=11 oclock, Tone=2 oclock.
Cab: is a 5150 cab loaded with Sheffields and V-30s. Good combo IMO. Good natural distortion and warmth combo. And the cabs themselves are a good mid ground between a Marshall and a Mesa. Tight and Punchy, but they still "breathe" a little. Also lighter and less expensive (to replace) then a Mesa so it's easier to drag all over the west coast (and care less if it gets destroyed or stolen).

I like the tone at 2 oclock on the TS9 (same old song and dance...it really "opens up" the amp. "Takes the blanket off" etc). But with the Tone there, I have to leave my level at 11 or I'll squeal. I like a little controlled feedback and I'd rather control it w/out a noise suppressor. So for now, I'm happy.

Thank you all for your suggestions and help. I'll report back as soon as i pick up the TS808 and give it a shot.

One factor that I'm nervous about is the Mid bump that you mentioned is evident in the TS9. I feel like the Mesa's need that and I feel like it's a benefit of the TS9 that I'll miss. Boosting the mids in the input signal and taking it back out in the tone stack is an old trick that I learned back when I owned a Mark IV (boost the mids in the tone stack and take the mids back out in the 5-band EQ). Is this something I should worry about? Does the TS/Maxon 808 lack that same mid-spike?

 

[tunedown]

I would say there is something wrong with the TS9 if you are getting squealing because I never get squealing on mine unless I have a bad pickup. Since you are only getting squealing on the TS9 and not the 808 I am going to assume it is the TS9 that is having a problem.

by "squealing" I meant feedback. There is nothing wrong with the other TS9 pedal. I use a very hot passive pickup, I play in close proximity to my cabinet, and I had the level on the pedal as high as I could get it before my feedback became a "problem" that i couldn't control with my hands.

I still feedback with the TS808. I on turn the level up as high as I can stand it and I've been told to max the level on the pedal, but with these settings I couldn't possibly turn the pedal up past 12 oclock:

Master vol: 9 oclock
Channel vol: 11 oclock
Gain: 10 oclock

Should I start trading pedal level for gain and see if I can get the pedal up to "Maxed"?

 

[Chris McKinley]

tunedown,

Start with the level knob at or near full on the pedal, and the gain at zero. Adjust your amp to the volume level you like with it. You may find that that's the sound you need right there, but if you still need more gain, start gradually adjusting it upward on the pedal. You will almost never go past 9:00 to 10:00 gain on the pedal doing it that way, and there are lots of guys who leave the gain completely off on their Tubescreamers. Also, if you're standing right up on top of your cab such that it produces proximity feedback, you're too close. Back away where you can get a more accurate hearing of what you actually sound like. At least 5 feet away and offset to the side by about 45 degrees.

 

[tunedown]

Do yourself a favor and get rid of the 5150 cabinet, one of the cheapest made cabinets out there! A friend has one and the tolex is coming off the bottem and I was really shocked to see that the whole cabinet was made from thin plywood or some kind of compressed board which would explain why it is so thin.

Honestly out of all the cabinets I have I think the boogie cabs with there V30's are just a perfect match made in heaven and i dont mind lugging around the extra 30 pounds.

Believe it or not, it sounds good. like I wrote before, "Tight and Punchy, but they still "breathe" a little".

Also, the wood used to build a 5150 cabinet is similar (if not the same) birch as a Marshall 4x12. (obviously, it depends on vintage but "for the most part"). The 5150's wood construction is just thicker/denser. If I'm not mistaken it's 9/16" birch ply. A Marshall isn't as dense (3/4" I think) and a Mesa/Boogie is better and denser (better wood and it's 5/8").

So this:

And the cabs themselves are a good mid ground between a Marshall and a Mesa. Tight and Punchy, but they still "breathe" a little. Also lighter and less expensive (to replace) then a Mesa so it's easier to drag all over the west coast (and care less if it gets destroyed or stolen).

Is what I'm after and the 5150 cab suits my needs to a T. But when I can afford it and won't be touring with it, I'll definitely pick up a standard mesa/boogie cabinet with v30s.

Special note: I'm not droppin' $500-$650 on a Mesa cab so I can tear and scuff it dragging it into someone's basement or play a hole in the wall venue where I'm not mic'd and you can barely discern the fine differences in cabinet construction. I'm not playing arena's here people

 

[tunedown]

tunedown,

Start with the level knob at or near full on the pedal, and the gain at zero. Adjust your amp to the volume level you like with it. You may find that that's the sound you need right there, but if you still need more gain, start gradually adjusting it upward on the pedal. You will almost never go past 9:00 to 10:00 gain on the pedal doing it that way, and there are lots of guys who leave the gain completely off on their Tubescreamers. Also, if you're standing right up on top of your cab such that it produces proximity feedback, you're too close. Back away where you can get a more accurate hearing of what you actually sound like. At least 5 feet away and offset to the side by about 45 degrees.

Interesting. Thank you for your input. I'm going to do this tonight and see where it gets me. (but I'm writing my current settings down, in case I can't get it where I want it and I have to go back to what worked.) I probably won't ever adjust the "overdrive" knob on the TS808 above ZERO though. Originally I enjoyed how it "darkened" my tone, but now it's sort of more like "Metaling" up my tone and I'm growing to like the pedal as transparent as possible. y'know... as just a boost.

A special note about hardcore/punk. A few weeks ago I played a show at a venue where I was literally leaning against a wall (so my drummer didn't hit me in the face with his back swing) and my left elbow was between 6 and 18 inches from my amp. This was because we were playing on the floor (nothing new) in a (I'm not kidding) 10ft by 10ft staging area. 5-Piece band. Most of the time I don't have the option to attain an "optimum listening/playing environment" These are not complaints, I'm just trying to paint an accurate picture of my average musical environment.

 

[siggy14]

Trust me, the bottem of the cab is not made of birch and I highly doubt the rest of it is either. What i saw on that cabinet was nothing I would sink money into. But if it suits your needs go for it.

Do yourself a favor and get rid of the 5150 cabinet, one of the cheapest made cabinets out there! A friend has one and the tolex is coming off the bottem and I was really shocked to see that the whole cabinet was made from thin plywood or some kind of compressed board which would explain why it is so thin.

Honestly out of all the cabinets I have I think the boogie cabs with there V30's are just a perfect match made in heaven and i dont mind lugging around the extra 30 pounds.

Believe it or not, it sounds good. like I wrote before, "Tight and Punchy, but they still "breathe" a little".

Also, the wood used to build a 5150 cabinet is similar (if not the same) birch as a Marshall 4x12. (obviously, it depends on vintage but "for the most part"). The 5150's wood construction is just thicker/denser. If I'm not mistaken it's 9/16" birch ply. A Marshall isn't as dense (3/4" I think) and a Mesa/Boogie is better and denser (better wood and it's 5/8").

So this:

And the cabs themselves are a good mid ground between a Marshall and a Mesa. Tight and Punchy, but they still "breathe" a little. Also lighter and less expensive (to replace) then a Mesa so it's easier to drag all over the west coast (and care less if it gets destroyed or stolen).

Is what I'm after and the 5150 cab suits my needs to a T. But when I can afford it and won't be touring with it, I'll definitely pick up a standard mesa/boogie cabinet with v30s.

Special note: I'm not droppin' $500-$650 on a Mesa cab so I can tear and scuff it dragging it into someone's basement or play a hole in the wall venue where I'm not mic'd and you can barely discern the fine differences in cabinet construction. I'm not playing arena's here people

 

[tunedown]

Trust me, the bottem of the cab is not made of birch and I highly doubt the rest of it is either. What i saw on that cabinet was nothing I would sink money into. But if it suits your needs go for it.

Thank you.

 

[Chris McKinley]

tunedown,

Even if you have to end up playing inside your cab, don't set your sound by standing so close to it. Back away and get to an angle so you can hear how you'll actually sound to your audience. After setting it that way, then you can get as close as you like, assuming you don't care about hearing loss. :mrgreen:

 

[tunedown]

tunedown,

Even if you have to end up playing inside your cab, don't set your sound by standing so close to it. Back away and get to an angle so you can hear how you'll actually sound to your audience. After setting it that way, then you can get as close as you like, assuming you don't care about hearing loss. :mrgreen:

Good advice. I stand back a few steps and check the sound at a number of angles (off center). I'm good in that regard. I feel like using the word "squealing" (even sarcastically) wasn't a good one. I will stick to traditional terms from now on.