Overdrive, Distortion - what is the difference?

[Rocker]

Simple question, what is the difference between an overdrive pedal and a distortion pedal [sound wise]?

Thanks.

[Not_the_DJ]

I'm not sure it is a simple question...but the last time it was asked a wise man posted this:

To me, "overdrive" is a softer type of clipping that usually includes some sort of compression and increases midrange at the expense of bass and treble - a bit like an overdriven valve amp. The classic example is the "Tube Screamer type" circuit which uses diode clipping in a feedback loop. "Distortion" is a harder type of clipping that is usually less compressed in terms of gain but more brick-wall-limited in terms of volume, and usually doesn't much change the frequency response (which can actually sound like bass and treble boost, since clipping naturally widens the frequency range, especially at the top end). The classic example is the "Rat type" circuit which uses diode clipping to ground.

In both types the hardness of the clipping is affected by the type of diodes and by the rest of the circuit, and it's certainly possible to have clipping-to-ground circuits that sound like overdrive. (And maybe clipping-in-loop circuits that sound like distortion, although I can't think of any.) If anything I think that the sound of a cranked *big* amp is more closely simulated by distortion-type pedals than overdrive-type ones. A cranked small amp sounds more like an overdrive pedal.

[Bidley]

How I see it, is that overdrive is softer and often used to compliment existing distortion or amp break-up. Distortion is a whole sound that you transplant over a clean amp.

[Dave_Mc]

^ in certain instances i might even prefer a distortion over a dirty amp to an overdrive- if the amp is fairly low gain, an od might not boost it enough (nor have a hard enough edge).

I'm not sure it is a simple question...but the last time it was asked a wise man posted this:

+1 to that

[stickyfiddle]

I'm not exactly sure, but I'm quite certain the answer is a Proco Rat

[ICBM]

I'm not exactly sure, but I'm quite certain the answer is a Proco Rat

It does actually prove the point that the difference is as much in how you use it as the actual circuit. The Rat can do both, very well, depending on how you set it.

[stickyfiddle]

It does actually prove the point that the difference is as much in how you use it as the actual circuit. The Rat can do both, very well, depending on how you set it.

That's why I'll never let myself sell mine. Used it in my last band as a full-on fuzzy distortion, and in my current one as a drive. Either way it's brilliant

[Dave_Mc]

It does actually prove the point that the difference is as much in how you use it as the actual circuit. The Rat can do both, very well, depending on how you set it.

yeah i picked up that mooer clone of one recently and it's sweet.

that being said, it's about the only distortion i've tried which does that range of tones (it can do a sort-of fuzz, too, which i'm sure you already know ). EDIT: I mean "bog standard distortion"- i.e. not ones which are "cheating" with switchable clipping either to ground or at the feedback loop of the opamp. Obviously ones like that can do both od and distortion, but that's because they reconfigure the circuit to do it.

any idea why that is? i would say it seems to be a lot more compressed than most distortions, almost more like an od. But the diodes go to ground on it... i think i read somewhere that it also overloads the jfet (it is a jfet, isn't it?) that comes after the op-amp to make it clip too... is that right?

that being said when you switch to turbo mode (which i'm guessing switches in clipping leds rather than the normal rat's diodes) it gets a lot less compressed so maybe it is just the diodes which are causing that compression...

I'm kinda in over my head here, lol.

[matone]

This has been an expensive thread to read ! Ended up looking at distortion pedals on evilbay and bought a Fulltone GT 500.........
I`ll be able to experiment on the topic at length now.......damn the gas !

[daveyh]

For me, distortion does it's thing with a clean amp and O/D works with an amp starting to break up. Different uses as opposed to different actual sounds.