fourbanger_82
New member
whats the difference between gain, distortion and overdrive?
Gain, Distortion, and Overdrive?
- Thread starter fourbanger_82
- Start date
echofinger
New member
Re: Gain, Distortion, and Overdrive?
At great risk to my unknown reputation on these boards. I will give this a go, though all three words are rather subjective, and open to different interpretation.
From dictionary.com:
Gain: An increase in signal power, voltage, or current by an amplifier, expressed as the ratio of output to input. Also called amplification.
Distortion: An undesired change in the waveform of a signal.
A consequence of such a change, especially a lack of fidelity in reception or reproduction.
Overdrive: To drive (a vehicle) too far or too long.
To push (oneself) too far, as in the performance of tasks.
From my informal guitarists dictionary however, this is how I see it.
Gain is volume. Volume is gain.
Distortion is what you hear if you overdrive an amp.
Overdrive is pushing an amp with the pre-amp or an outboard electronic device. A tube screamer or anything that boosts your guitar signal before it gets to your pre-amp.
At great risk to my unknown reputation on these boards. I will give this a go, though all three words are rather subjective, and open to different interpretation.
From dictionary.com:
Gain: An increase in signal power, voltage, or current by an amplifier, expressed as the ratio of output to input. Also called amplification.
Distortion: An undesired change in the waveform of a signal.
A consequence of such a change, especially a lack of fidelity in reception or reproduction.
Overdrive: To drive (a vehicle) too far or too long.
To push (oneself) too far, as in the performance of tasks.
From my informal guitarists dictionary however, this is how I see it.
Gain is volume. Volume is gain.
Distortion is what you hear if you overdrive an amp.
Overdrive is pushing an amp with the pre-amp or an outboard electronic device. A tube screamer or anything that boosts your guitar signal before it gets to your pre-amp.
iDunnoMang
New member
Re: Gain, Distortion, and Overdrive?
Gain is volume. Volume is gain."
If thats true, why does my marshall mg15dfx have both a Gain and a Volume knob?
Gain is just distortion. Overdrive is exactly that, overdrive. its when you push your amp past its headroom and what you hear is that- overdrive.
Gain is volume. Volume is gain."
If thats true, why does my marshall mg15dfx have both a Gain and a Volume knob?
Gain is just distortion. Overdrive is exactly that, overdrive. its when you push your amp past its headroom and what you hear is that- overdrive.
echofinger
New member
Re: Gain, Distortion, and Overdrive?
lol
I would submit that your Marshall is mislabeled, and the Gain knob should be labeled pre-amp.
::shrugs::
lol
I would submit that your Marshall is mislabeled, and the Gain knob should be labeled pre-amp.
::shrugs::
iDunnoMang
New member
Re: Gain, Distortion, and Overdrive?
the weird thing is, it adds volume when it is cranked as well.
Maybe its distortion AND volume?
the weird thing is, it adds volume when it is cranked as well.
Maybe its distortion AND volume?
drew_half_empty
Looking for Real Life
Re: Gain, Distortion, and Overdrive?
lets see
gain is the ammount of distortion/overdrive
a cranked tube amp seems to be the general idea of overdrive tones. OVERDRIVEN tube amp
distortion is more of a thick, raunchy sound
it all has to do with how the signal is clipped, as in the shape & how hard the clipping is
lets see
gain is the ammount of distortion/overdrive
a cranked tube amp seems to be the general idea of overdrive tones. OVERDRIVEN tube amp
distortion is more of a thick, raunchy sound
it all has to do with how the signal is clipped, as in the shape & how hard the clipping is
Xeromus
Tone Ninja
Re: Gain, Distortion, and Overdrive?
This will be referenced in the way it should be, in tube amps, which is how distortion, gain channels, etc came to be in the first place.
First off, Distortion in the first few generations of tube amps was completely unwanted. It would only arise when someone would turn the volume on their amp loud enough to make the tubes start to "clip" the signal. Also, some people resorted to slashing their speakers for a dirty sound.
on amps, gain is a way of making your tubes overloaded or sound overloaded without raising the volume, getting them to that gain stage where they begin to clip the signal.
overdrive is a boost to your signal.
In pedal terms, a distortion pedal will give you a distorted tone on a clean channel, and on a gain channel it would be over the top
an overdrive pedal on a clean channel will give you a clean boost and/or rough up the signal a little to get a smooth cleaner type of distortion, on a gain channel it will boost your amps natural distortion.
I know my descriptions are quick and dirty, and I can do better, but I need to study music theory for a final tomorrow. One of the amp gurus will chime in here eventually.
This will be referenced in the way it should be, in tube amps, which is how distortion, gain channels, etc came to be in the first place.
First off, Distortion in the first few generations of tube amps was completely unwanted. It would only arise when someone would turn the volume on their amp loud enough to make the tubes start to "clip" the signal. Also, some people resorted to slashing their speakers for a dirty sound.
on amps, gain is a way of making your tubes overloaded or sound overloaded without raising the volume, getting them to that gain stage where they begin to clip the signal.
overdrive is a boost to your signal.
In pedal terms, a distortion pedal will give you a distorted tone on a clean channel, and on a gain channel it would be over the top
an overdrive pedal on a clean channel will give you a clean boost and/or rough up the signal a little to get a smooth cleaner type of distortion, on a gain channel it will boost your amps natural distortion.
I know my descriptions are quick and dirty, and I can do better, but I need to study music theory for a final tomorrow. One of the amp gurus will chime in here eventually.
dogcityrocker
New member
Re: Gain, Distortion, and Overdrive?
My 2C
In the early days, when you whipper snappers were undeveloped sperms, there was no "distortion" per say. What you got was called overdrive, where the tubes were overloaded to the point where the sound coming out of the amp began to break up. This typically happens when the volume is very high.
Well, one day someone decided they loved that sound, but didnt want to play their amp with the volume at 10. So, they developed an effect to replicate the sound at any volume. The sound from this effect was dubbed "distortion". It was mankinds attempt to replicte the natural sound of a tube amp breaking up. The sound was never really nailed, but took on a flavor of its own.
The "overdrive" effect, in which many of the original designs used tubes inside the effect box, was an attempt to create a more natural overdriven tube amp sound.
Sounds are so hard to describe with words, but typically (and this varies model to model) distortions are a bit "fuzzy" sounding, whereas overdrives are more "raspy". Best thing to do is test drive the two creations and see which one bests suits you. I use both, selecting the appropriate one for the song Im playing.
My 2C
In the early days, when you whipper snappers were undeveloped sperms, there was no "distortion" per say. What you got was called overdrive, where the tubes were overloaded to the point where the sound coming out of the amp began to break up. This typically happens when the volume is very high.
Well, one day someone decided they loved that sound, but didnt want to play their amp with the volume at 10. So, they developed an effect to replicate the sound at any volume. The sound from this effect was dubbed "distortion". It was mankinds attempt to replicte the natural sound of a tube amp breaking up. The sound was never really nailed, but took on a flavor of its own.
The "overdrive" effect, in which many of the original designs used tubes inside the effect box, was an attempt to create a more natural overdriven tube amp sound.
Sounds are so hard to describe with words, but typically (and this varies model to model) distortions are a bit "fuzzy" sounding, whereas overdrives are more "raspy". Best thing to do is test drive the two creations and see which one bests suits you. I use both, selecting the appropriate one for the song Im playing.