It's literally the exact same chip inside (JRC4558). The differences in tone would be human error. Edit: Oops, it's the 808 with the same chip. The ts9 uses an ever so slightly different chip (one resistor difference causing the mini to be ever so slightly quieter). Other than that ONE resister that doesn't change tone, just output, they are identical.
@@GogiRegion - "Human error".. other than the fact that the entire digital circuit board is covered with SMC (surface mounted) chips and the is not because it's analog. You're both waaay off.
Ts9 feels a little muddier to my ears and Mini seems to have more clarity in the higher end. Both sound great, but I think I enjoy the mini a bit more :)
The video is very well done, with a comparison between 2 versions of a tube screamer that needs no introduction. I am currently looking for one and I came across this beautiful video. And here I have just stated the problem... It's a video. A video transcribes an image, and a sound. The image is beautiful and we cannot discuss it for years without coming to an agreement. But the sound of the Tube Screamers is not easy to compare. The flow starts from the guitar goes through the TS then into the amp then and recaptured by a microphone, or sent to a mixer then to a computer which retransmits all that, in a smartphone and can be headphones of this or that model ... Sorry for the long perigration on the birth and journey of the sound stream, but it's just to say that it's very complicated to make a choice while watching a versus on YT. So I don't know which model is right for me. So for the first time (I usually avoid it because it's absolutely not an ecological approach) I'm going to order the 2 models, and I'll send back the model that suits me the least.
After watching this video several times, the mini has something special about the sound, I don't know what it is exactly but, I think I'm settled on the mini.
Original TS9 for me. It's kind hard to tell on youtube though. Some pedals/amps fatique your ears in real life when played at rehearsal/gig volumes. Both sound great though :) Thumbs up for the TS mini. Nice bright but full sounds.
Hard to choose because they're not better but different, Mini: Cleaner, More Transparent, Basically a ts 808 TS9: more Mid Range more gain, but apart from that, No one will tell a difference Me? I'd go with the mini 1 Smaller 2 Sounds Identical to the 808 (Perfect for the Old SRV Tones) 3 Price wise
The regular tube screamer has just a little more magic. Maybe it’s a more pronounced low mid hump. It just sounded a little more organic than the mini. But in a mix or a band situation I don’t think many would notice. Good comparison.
I just compared them side by side in a guitar store and went with the mini, for now at least. It seemed a little more clear and more based off the 808. But the Ts9 sounded more Tooooby. Kinda throaty. The mini just has clear and a slightly more crunch when cranked. They both have no bottom end if you use a Strat on the bridge pickup though haha. Great pedals so hopefully I got what I was looking for.
Great comparison video! I agree that the TS9 has more low end, seems a tiny tiny bit less gritty, but that seems less apparent when they are both dimed to max overdrive. Not sure either is 'better', perhaps the TS9 would make a better base tone, the Mini would make a better dirty boost... I'm deffo gonna get the new Ibanez mini analog delay though!
They sound almost exactly the same, however the size of the mini is very convenient, considering 3 of them are nearly the size of 1 large pedal, so if I am using 4 it is only slightly large than one 1 pedal.
When I first started comparing these , they both sounded very cool to me..😀 But then, over a couple of days, really getting into the sounds, I turned a corner where for me the TS9 became a strong preference. They definitely sound different.... no question. I’d be seriously bummed if someone said I had to use the mini.
Doubt that. My mini actually kicked off the TS9, after much use in studio and in love situations, the Mini just had a slightly better EQ. So there's that
TS9 sounds slightly better, but otherwise I’d be fine using the mini if I needed the pedalboard real estate. Just a little better thicker mids on the Ibanez TS9. I’m considering buying the mini after this... I own the Ibanez TS9 and really love the JHS Bonsai..... The tube screamer is my favorite distortion.
The mini sounds more like a TS9 than an 808 to my ears. I like both the TS9 and 808 better because they sound less compressed / more wholesome. I think the mini shines on low drive (~9 o’clock). That’s what I use mine for); but for high gain / more aggressive lead I am preferring the TS9 and 808
I agree close enough. Everyone talks about the mini being brighter/less warm. I'm mean who knows how this particular TS9 sounded like a 1983. I imagine when the components inside age and get used, it affects the overall tone overtime.
The ts9 sounds a tad bit beefier and thicker with a bit more low end. I'm trying to decide if the ts9 is worth the extra $$$. The both sound the same except that the ts9 has a bit more beef/bottom to it.
To my ears the Mini is just a bit crispier and more likely to cut thru the mix. Other than that I don't hear any major differences. I'll go Mini both for the sound and the pedalboard real estate.
thanks! Closer then the 808 and mini, in that video the old808 was much more mellow. This is damned close. Probably due to the Opamp and perhaps the tiny dfferences in values of parts in ts9 vs ts808(saying that the mini has ts9 values). You really can tell the different of opamps in the TS circuit. (hell I've build a tubescreamer that switches between 6 opamps) Most other parts have little impact (unless we're talking symmetrical vs asymetrical clipping or changing values/adding pots as variable resistors). My guess, old ts808 have original now leaky 'lytic caps and that small cap in the clipping section, the mini has not. that could mellow it out a bit and make the values drift as I'm sure the values of the parts are identical. So to me seems the Tubescreamer mini is a mini-TS9 (to be clear ts808 vs ts9 differences is 2 resistor changes in the output section of the ts9 giving it more drive, aswell as different diodes in the clipping section making it less mellow that's it.) edit: the ts9 does have a tad more bass thou, this should be because of a larger input cap letting more bass thru the circuit, It could also well be because of use of Film-capacitors in the circuit while the mini probably utilizes tantalum and ceramic caps only ( to fit the circuitboard. ) this should give the mini more "bite" and the ts9 more bass or a wider bandwidth. But theese are smaaall differences. *listening on High-end Naim and Tannoy setup
Sounds identical at the higher gain settings. But there's an audible difference at lower gain, especially at almost zero gain. TS9 is a tad beefier and dare I say it, "tubey-er".
Hello, I have a question,,,,Do you notice that the mini have more treble than the other? The tone knobs don´t sound the same putting in the same position
very close, but something is missing in the distortion value... seems like the 83 is a bit crunchy and yet clear, the mini sounds like it's got a blanket covering it, know what I mean? Like the Mini is lacking some clarity? Response to the guitar seems a bit nicer on the 83, which kinda sucks because I'd love to be able to buy this mini and get the classic tone almost perfectly... but almost is about what you'd be getting. Still it's close.
The only way i can eplain it is the mini sounds like a TS9 thats been mastered. Its sounds more distorted and a little more in ur face. Im not sure if the mids seem bigger too.
There are two different resistor values at the end of the output buffer. Other than that the two circuits are identical. An 808 has a tiny fraction of a percent lower output than a ts9 as a result. In a blind test you will never hear the difference, especially if the person playing doesn't know which one they are playing at a given interval. The problem with tests like these is that: A. You see which pedal is on to begin with, so your mind alters your perception. B. The player sees which pedal is on, so their mind adjusts their playing style to meet their expectations. Ever take a sip of a glass of water when you thought it would be coke and tasted coke for a split second? That's because your brain is a big fat liar.
DamageIncM Look at the circuit diagrams for yourself. There's no difference that would have any affect on the things you think you hear. The Tube Screamer mini actually has an identical circuit to the TS-9... The TS Mini IS a TS-9. The only difference you would hear would be due to random variations in the components that make up each pedal. That means that no two TS-9's are going to sound exactly the same, but they will sound just as close to a TS-Mini as they do to each other (Because it's the same circuit.) I'm inclined to say you are experiencing confirmation bias.
you can't hear the difference between opamps. if one was super noisy, you might hear a little hiss, but there is no op amp in production that doesn't feature a flat EQ. It would completely defeat the purpose of using an op amp if it altered the tone of the pedal. look up op-amp debunking, it's just as much bs as tone wood is for solid body guitars. And almost all of them do use a 4558 variant.
I know this comment is from 4 years ago, but I hope you can read it sometime. I was impressed that the "drinking water and thinking it's coke and then it tastes like coke" thing was just a silly thing I used to do as a kid sometimes. That really resonated with me so I can confirm that what I'm listening to on this video is not a hearing problem or my lack of experience on detecting slight differences in sound. I mean, they sound basically the same to me, but I was in doubt of buying the mini version because I've read and told the TS9 is actually an analog pedal, and these mini versions we have today are all digital. So is the TS9 analog and the conversion to digital is so good that human ear can't tell the difference? I'm seriously asking this. Maybe for a lot of people it's a dumb question, but I'm about to get one of these pedals and I'm not sure whether to pay half the price for the mini version or save more money and try to get the TS9 (which is hard to find available nowadays by the way).
They are different pedals so why somebody would set them the same makes no sense. You can 100% get the mini to sound exactly like the TS9 by adjusting the settings accordingly.
The ts9 vs the mini is a better comparison than the ts8 which have a much brighter sound to my ears and i like the ts9 better. The ts9 still wins in my opinion, to me the sound is bigger/richer
Great Video! In a live setting, won't be much of a difference heard if any. Now, in the studio, Id take the TS-9 any day of the week for obvious reasons. However, the mini is modeled after an 808, so an 808 vs Mini video may be more useful for comparison.
I'm listening while scrolling the comments. Really, once your lost in all those "the big is warmer" comments and can't actually remember which pedal did start the A vs B sequence, then you can tell that all this "warmer" "fatter" is bullshit.
At teatime, nobody who is listening to a CD will say "hey dude this is the TS mini"...moreover if someone use the Mooer version nobody cares about that xD just try to deal the best tone for your ears using the common sense. Cheers!
Uh..it appears that you are setting the Level on the Ts9 the same as the overdrive on the Mini and vice versa. The "Level" knob on the mini in the small black knob on the upper right. Do you have these confused???
they sound the exact same, anyone who pays big money for an old one that will probably fail sooner due to it's age is fooled thinking theirs some magic in that chip they are always talking about.
I guess if you’re a tone snob you’d say the 1983 TS9 is better but in reality, with a band setting, you would never know which is on. Either way, they sound the same without high quality headphones and HiFi quality microphones and mic placement but seriously who has time to do all that? Just plug in and play, enjoy.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Sounds pretty much the same. The differences will not be heard by mere mortals so they do not matter. TS Mini for the win!
It's literally the exact same chip inside (JRC4558). The differences in tone would be human error.
Edit: Oops, it's the 808 with the same chip. The ts9 uses an ever so slightly different chip (one resistor difference causing the mini to be ever so slightly quieter). Other than that ONE resister that doesn't change tone, just output, they are identical.
@@GogiRegion - "Human error".. other than the fact that the entire digital circuit board is covered with SMC (surface mounted) chips and the is not because it's analog. You're both waaay off.
They sound completely different? The TS9 clearly had more mid, bass and crunch. The mini is brighter.
and ts minimore hongkyer
i love the green one
Hahahaha
To my ear the Mini sounds clearer, cleaner, more refined, more precise. I’ll take the Mini.
The mini somewhat sounds "smaller"
Ts 9 sounds fuller i guess
Ada bang iga
Ts9 feels a little muddier to my ears and Mini seems to have more clarity in the higher end. Both sound great, but I think I enjoy the mini a bit more :)
The video is very well done, with a comparison between 2 versions of a tube screamer that needs no introduction. I am currently looking for one and I came across this beautiful video. And here I have just stated the problem... It's a video. A video transcribes an image, and a sound. The image is beautiful and we cannot discuss it for years without coming to an agreement. But the sound of the Tube Screamers is not easy to compare. The flow starts from the guitar goes through the TS then into the amp then and recaptured by a microphone, or sent to a mixer then to a computer which retransmits all that, in a smartphone and can be headphones of this or that model ... Sorry for the long perigration on the birth and journey of the sound stream, but it's just to say that it's very complicated to make a choice while watching a versus on YT. So I don't know which model is right for me. So for the first time (I usually avoid it because it's absolutely not an ecological approach) I'm going to order the 2 models, and I'll send back the model that suits me the least.
After watching this video several times, the mini has something special about the sound, I don't know what it is exactly but, I think I'm settled on the mini.
The Mini sounds like it's missing a bit of bass.
Original TS9 for me. It's kind hard to tell on youtube though. Some pedals/amps fatique your ears in real life when played at rehearsal/gig volumes. Both sound great though :) Thumbs up for the TS mini. Nice bright but full sounds.
between at 3:20 and 3:36 , i made up my mind.. ts9 is better
It does sound that as he drove them harder the TS9 began to sound better. But, at lower drive levels they really sound almost identical.
Hard to choose because they're not better but different, Mini: Cleaner, More Transparent, Basically a ts 808
TS9: more Mid Range more gain, but apart from that, No one will tell a difference
Me? I'd go with the mini
1 Smaller
2 Sounds Identical to the 808 (Perfect for the Old SRV Tones)
3 Price wise
I want the mini just because I don't want to have an oversized pedalboard that can hold 20 pedals, and only carry five oversized ones.
The regular tube screamer has just a little more magic. Maybe it’s a more pronounced low mid hump. It just sounded a little more organic than the mini. But in a mix or a band situation I don’t think many would notice. Good comparison.
I just compared them side by side in a guitar store and went with the mini, for now at least. It seemed a little more clear and more based off the 808. But the Ts9 sounded more Tooooby. Kinda throaty. The mini just has clear and a slightly more crunch when cranked. They both have no bottom end if you use a Strat on the bridge pickup though haha. Great pedals so hopefully I got what I was looking for.
Mini sounds way better in real life huh
Great shootout video, thanks. The bigger ts9 has a more complex less compressed tone than the mini.
Great comparison video! I agree that the TS9 has more low end, seems a tiny tiny bit less gritty, but that seems less apparent when they are both dimed to max overdrive. Not sure either is 'better', perhaps the TS9 would make a better base tone, the Mini would make a better dirty boost... I'm deffo gonna get the new Ibanez mini analog delay though!
They sound almost exactly the same, however the size of the mini is very convenient, considering 3 of them are nearly the size of 1 large pedal, so if I am using 4 it is only slightly large than one 1 pedal.
Mini sounds a bit brighter
And cleaner
not as fat and less bottom end
When I first started comparing these , they both sounded very cool to me..😀 But then, over a couple of days, really getting into the sounds, I turned a corner where for me the TS9 became a strong preference. They definitely sound different.... no question. I’d be seriously bummed if someone said I had to use the mini.
Doubt that. My mini actually kicked off the TS9, after much use in studio and in love situations, the Mini just had a slightly better EQ. So there's that
Really need to hear it versus a current production TS9.
TS9 sounds slightly better, but otherwise I’d be fine using the mini if I needed the pedalboard real estate. Just a little better thicker mids on the Ibanez TS9.
I’m considering buying the mini after this... I own the Ibanez TS9 and really love the JHS Bonsai..... The tube screamer is my favorite distortion.
The mini sounds more like a TS9 than an 808 to my ears.
I like both the TS9 and 808 better because they sound less compressed / more wholesome.
I think the mini shines on low drive (~9 o’clock). That’s what I use mine for); but for high gain / more aggressive lead I am preferring the TS9 and 808
I agree close enough. Everyone talks about the mini being brighter/less warm. I'm mean who knows how this particular TS9 sounded like a 1983. I imagine when the components inside age and get used, it affects the overall tone overtime.
The Original 9 doesn't sound warmer to me, just more hollow & "sloppy".
Which one gets more volume?
The ts9 sounds a tad bit beefier and thicker with a bit more low end. I'm trying to decide if the ts9 is worth the extra $$$. The both sound the same except that the ts9 has a bit more beef/bottom to it.
To my ears the Mini is just a bit crispier and more likely to cut thru the mix.
Other than that I don't hear any major differences.
I'll go Mini both for the sound and the pedalboard real estate.
thanks!
Closer then the 808 and mini, in that video the old808 was much more mellow. This is damned close. Probably due to the Opamp and perhaps the tiny dfferences in values of parts in ts9 vs ts808(saying that the mini has ts9 values). You really can tell the different of opamps in the TS circuit. (hell I've build a tubescreamer that switches between 6 opamps) Most other parts have little impact (unless we're talking symmetrical vs asymetrical clipping or changing values/adding pots as variable resistors).
My guess, old ts808 have original now leaky 'lytic caps and that small cap in the clipping section, the mini has not. that could mellow it out a bit and make the values drift as I'm sure the values of the parts are identical.
So to me seems the Tubescreamer mini is a mini-TS9
(to be clear ts808 vs ts9 differences is 2 resistor changes in the output section of the ts9 giving it more drive, aswell as different diodes in the clipping section making it less mellow that's it.)
edit: the ts9 does have a tad more bass thou, this should be because of a larger input cap letting more bass thru the circuit, It could also well be because of use of Film-capacitors in the circuit while the mini probably utilizes tantalum and ceramic caps only ( to fit the circuitboard. ) this should give the mini more "bite" and the ts9 more bass or a wider bandwidth. But theese are smaaall differences.
*listening on High-end Naim and Tannoy setup
NowPleaseNot Great post... I thought the mini was modeled after the 808 rather then the TS9(?). Nonetheless .. I've got a 'mini' in queue :)
The TS mini sounds more "transparent" to me, less of that mid-hump !
Sounds identical at the higher gain settings. But there's an audible difference at lower gain, especially at almost zero gain. TS9 is a tad beefier and dare I say it, "tubey-er".
As a boost pedal for metal the ts9 is better cuz it has more mids and you want the mids to boost th amp, but overall they sound the same
Hello, I have a question,,,,Do you notice that the mini have more treble than the other? The tone knobs don´t sound the same putting in the same position
In real life I like the sound of the mini more
I though the TS9 was a bit dirtier sounding. Might be good for blues but the mini should be good as a clean boost for metal amping.
very close, but something is missing in the distortion value... seems like the 83 is a bit crunchy and yet clear, the mini sounds like it's got a blanket covering it, know what I mean? Like the Mini is lacking some clarity? Response to the guitar seems a bit nicer on the 83, which kinda sucks because I'd love to be able to buy this mini and get the classic tone almost perfectly... but almost is about what you'd be getting. Still it's close.
i heard that grid slammer by mesa boogie also a "tube screamer" ... have you tried it?
The only way i can eplain it is the mini sounds like a TS9 thats been mastered. Its sounds more distorted and a little more in ur face. Im not sure if the mids seem bigger too.
There are two different resistor values at the end of the output buffer. Other than that the two circuits are identical. An 808 has a tiny fraction of a percent lower output than a ts9 as a result. In a blind test you will never hear the difference, especially if the person playing doesn't know which one they are playing at a given interval. The problem with tests like these is that: A. You see which pedal is on to begin with, so your mind alters your perception. B. The player sees which pedal is on, so their mind adjusts their playing style to meet their expectations.
Ever take a sip of a glass of water when you thought it would be coke and tasted coke for a split second? That's because your brain is a big fat liar.
DamageIncM Look at the circuit diagrams for yourself. There's no difference that would have any affect on the things you think you hear. The Tube Screamer mini actually has an identical circuit to the TS-9... The TS Mini IS a TS-9.
The only difference you would hear would be due to random variations in the components that make up each pedal. That means that no two TS-9's are going to sound exactly the same, but they will sound just as close to a TS-Mini as they do to each other (Because it's the same circuit.)
I'm inclined to say you are experiencing confirmation bias.
Dude you a psychology student or something? You're sounding like myself when I talk about these kinds of things
you can't hear the difference between opamps. if one was super noisy, you might hear a little hiss, but there is no op amp in production that doesn't feature a flat EQ. It would completely defeat the purpose of using an op amp if it altered the tone of the pedal. look up op-amp debunking, it's just as much bs as tone wood is for solid body guitars.
And almost all of them do use a 4558 variant.
I know this comment is from 4 years ago, but I hope you can read it sometime. I was impressed that the "drinking water and thinking it's coke and then it tastes like coke" thing was just a silly thing I used to do as a kid sometimes. That really resonated with me so I can confirm that what I'm listening to on this video is not a hearing problem or my lack of experience on detecting slight differences in sound. I mean, they sound basically the same to me, but I was in doubt of buying the mini version because I've read and told the TS9 is actually an analog pedal, and these mini versions we have today are all digital. So is the TS9 analog and the conversion to digital is so good that human ear can't tell the difference? I'm seriously asking this. Maybe for a lot of people it's a dumb question, but I'm about to get one of these pedals and I'm not sure whether to pay half the price for the mini version or save more money and try to get the TS9 (which is hard to find available nowadays by the way).
yaguarete79 The only difference is a resistor. Otherwise, the circuits are identical.
Mini has better note definition. Sounds more open, less Fizzy and compressed.
Close enough ;)
I got some pretty good Altec's here & cranked em up &,,,, I really can't tell a lot of difference.
I bet that other than Vintage Wah's and Vintage Fuzz's no pedal generates more corksniffing and hair splitting than the Tube Screamer :p
Should i get that mini or save up to get a Fulltone OCD?
BASbeeznutz they are completely different pedals .. a Fulldrive is more Tube Screamer type sound
Mini sounds much better!!! YAY!
Can’t hear no difference. Love them both
Ts9 tak tergantikan
What amp you use ?
They are different pedals so why somebody would set them the same makes no sense. You can 100% get the mini to sound exactly like the TS9 by adjusting the settings accordingly.
the 1983 TS9 is full sounding beast the mini is thinner
The ts9 vs the mini is a better comparison than the ts8 which have a much brighter sound to my ears and i like the ts9 better. The ts9 still wins in my opinion, to me the sound is bigger/richer
Great Video! In a live setting, won't be much of a difference heard if any. Now, in the studio, Id take the TS-9 any day of the week for obvious reasons. However, the mini is modeled after an 808, so an 808 vs Mini video may be more useful for comparison.
This 1983 TS9 is specially Gread Sound!
It's weird but I found quite brighter the mini version.
I'm listening while scrolling the comments. Really, once your lost in all those "the big is warmer" comments and can't actually remember which pedal did start the A vs B sequence, then you can tell that all this "warmer" "fatter" is bullshit.
Just FYI the tonal difference between these two is the same from two models of the same line
Ts9 got the "low" and powerfull
So I gotta say really nice noodling man.
Mini sounds fuller and more tube-like.
Perfect vid....thanks
It may be heresy, but I actually prefer the tighter, more focussed tone of the Mini!
If there's a difference I didn't hear it, and if there is it wouldn't/shouldn't be enough to stop someone from buying the mini.
At teatime, nobody who is listening to a CD will say "hey dude this is the TS mini"...moreover if someone use the Mooer version nobody cares about that xD just try to deal the best tone for your ears using the common sense. Cheers!
Cris Epuyao listening to a CD at teatime of guys playing tubescreamer?? It’s not 1994
Mini more brighter than Biggy not too Skinny..
Mini has less bass n less harmonics, if u hv electronic knowledge u can mod it well to sounds warmer
The mini sounds exactly the same. That puts an end to the high-price hype.
I like ts9.
Pop noise on the mini switch (as mine does, btw...)
Team Mini here...
Mini has True bypass if you need that
I prefer, mini
Uh..it appears that you are setting the Level on the Ts9 the same as the overdrive on the Mini and vice versa. The "Level" knob on the mini in the small black knob on the upper right. Do you have these confused???
Mini is more crisp!
Sounds exactly the same
Whatever I can find cheaper ftw!
they sound the exact same, anyone who pays big money for an old one that will probably fail sooner due to it's age is fooled thinking theirs some magic in that chip they are always talking about.
Good tone with small body.
I guess if you’re a tone snob you’d say the 1983 TS9 is better but in reality, with a band setting, you would never know which is on. Either way, they sound the same without high quality headphones and HiFi quality microphones and mic placement but seriously who has time to do all that? Just plug in and play, enjoy.
i like better the mini tube screamer ... to me sounds more transparent ....
Ts9 is better.
Sounds green…
TS9 is more middy.
tiene un poco mas de medios y tiene mas cuerpo el ts9 pero la verdad es que la diferencia es casi nada jajaja
boss sd1 blows them both away
The same sound.
Mini sounds little bit weak
ciaooo
Mini loses clarity and gets muddy when played multiple strings
sounds exactly the same