Explained : Compressor should go before overdrive, or after overdrive?
Should compressor go before overdrive, or after overdrive? I saw many of this questions on Internet.
There is no correct answer for this, and many videos and forums explain the difference with excellent demos. In this article I will explain from more technical point of view by using some oscilloscope screenshots.
What is compressor, what is overdrive?
Before we check graphs, I want to explain what the compressor is and what the overdrive is. Basically compressor compresses the signal when input signal reaches threshold and more. Overdrive pedals do very similar thing. Actually, overdrive can be described as boost + high compression ratio compressor. So there is no wonder the fact that overdrive hides compressor result. If you give extreme gain to overdrive, there is no difference to add compressor (In perfect world. In real world, there are another factor like tone circuit gonna change the tone, so there is the difference).
1. Compressor AFTER overdrive
Here is real screenshot of oscilloscope. Blue is the result of big signal, and yellow is the result of small signal. All input signal is sine wave.
As you see, big signal is clipped by overdrive, and compressor doesn't do much for the big signal. For small signal, compressor enhance the volume. In result, this configuration keeps your picking nuance, but equalizes the volume. Other words, when you play weaker note, you will hear tone difference (less distortion), but volume will be kept.
2. Compressor BEFORE overdrive
Let's move on next. This graph shows the result of Compressor before overdrive configuration. Difference of big and small signal is much less than first configuration because compressor equalizes the volume to overdrive. This will hide signal size difference and the signal will be more equally clipped by overdrive section. Your playing will be more equalized and tone will be constant regardless how hard you pick the string. This configuration is suitable when you prefer more consistent tone and volume.
I hope this article helps to understand the difference!
4494 comments
https://www.strava.com/athletes/145539290/posts/32290301
https://www.strava.com/athletes/145539290/posts/32290307
https://www.strava.com/athletes/145539290/posts/32290310
https://www.strava.com/athletes/145539290/posts/32290313
https://www.strava.com/athletes/145539290/posts/32290318
https://www.strava.com/athletes/147188846/posts/32290334
https://www.strava.com/athletes/147188846/posts/32290339
https://www.strava.com/athletes/147188846/posts/32290345
https://www.strava.com/athletes/147188846/posts/32290351
https://www.strava.com/athletes/147188846/posts/32290354
https://pastelink.net/5i6wu330
https://wokwi.com/projects/409031586379214849
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/6d4a940e
https://dev.bukkit.org/paste/30dd349f
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/ad5a46de
https://paiza.io/projects/wdbIZexZeM0jv6zQLOmGRw?language=php
https://hackmd.io/JBFvMJ38QQu8ZTc_pjp5gQ
https://jsfiddle.net/hzdj7nwL/
https://telegra.ph/qawerw-09-14
https://p.ip.fi/QHc9
https://paste.myst.rs/bs0qzg2y
https://rift.curseforge.com/paste/0508b7eb
https://glot.io/snippets/gzxqhe1rur
https://paste.kodi.tv/getuwuxuyo
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146754788/posts/32258543
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146754788/posts/32259976
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146754788/posts/32260049
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146754788/posts/32260107
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146754788/posts/32260129
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146754788/posts/32260157
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146153918/posts/32260640
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146153918/posts/32260660
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146153918/posts/32260690
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146153918/posts/32260703
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146153918/posts/32263550
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146153918/posts/32263589
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146153918/posts/32263609
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146153918/posts/32263669
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146153918/posts/32263707
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146153918/posts/32263717
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146754788/posts/32126118
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146754788/posts/32169272
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146754788/posts/32164741
https://www.strava.com/clubs/1295390/posts/32263353
https://www.strava.com/clubs/1295390/posts/32263414
https://www.strava.com/clubs/1295390/posts/32263458
https://www.facebook.com/Cuevana3VerNoHablesConExtranosLatino1080i/
https://nastyx542.outgrow.us/nohablesconextranos-peliculas-latino
https://nastyx542.outgrow.us/ver-no-hables-con-extranos-online
https://nastyx542.outgrow.us/pelisflix-ver-speak-no-evil-pelicula-1080i
https://nastyx542.outgrow.us/tranformersone-pelicula-espanol
https://nastyx542.outgrow.us/cuevana3vertransformersonepeliculas
https://nastyx542.outgrow.us/pelisflix-transformers-one-pelicula-gratis
https://www.bitsdujour.com/profiles/O03Msk
https://muckrack.com/bae-barbara/bio
https://heylink.me/oiasudd
https://taplink.cc/oiuodhfi
https://hackmd.io/@megacinemaxhd/SJydcdfpR
https://matters.town/a/nqam2yijsb80
https://paste.ee/p/9KRz2
https://jsfiddle.net/cindyyuvia/60vm1zL2/
https://jsitor.com/zObJukCevl
https://wokwi.com/projects/409013046488752129
https://pastelink.net/tnxh8w6f
https://glot.io/snippets/gzxid6dm56
https://paste.feed-the-beast.com/view/1868a771
https://onlinegdb.com/rY31Rxax5
https://paiza.io/projects/OamPC_kugL7QJMsV9168Cg
https://rextester.com/QHQ39120
https://output.jsbin.com/bubafan
https://pastebin.com/w0RkzfDY
https://bitbin.it/wEsl5Anq/
https://paste.intergen.online/view/263a1534
https://snippet.host/bagonu
https://rentry.co/7g6y7nph
https://yamcode.com/nxcbvxmnvb
https://justpaste.it/fxolv
https://homment.com/HzeyNEfJAxuFXREMxrTa
https://www.etextpad.com/o7gslgqeh9
https://dictanote.co/n/1067055/
http://ofbiz.116.s1.nabble.com/zdfzsdfsdf-tt4793212.html
https://healingxchange.ning.com/forum/topics/xvcznbvcxnzb
https://rom.curseforge.com/paste/238ced2f
https://wow.curseforge.com/paste/749190bb
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/94629e6b
https://rift.curseforge.com/paste/069994b9
https://dev.bukkit.org/paste/1b3941cc
https://www.wowace.com/paste/eb85cf2b
https://paste.laravel.io/0f397acf-f525-42db-bd09-350499dfa518
https://graph.org/xcvxcvfdg-09-14
https://telegra.ph/dfsdf-09-14
https://postheaven.net/vkq7vy4ek0
https://writeablog.net/1vz7sq0qqu
https://tempel.in/view/SeqpOf
https://postheaven.net/osdtqu1dou
https://github.com/CINEBLOGO/SENDERA/discussions/1
https://github.com/CINEBLOGO/SENDERA/discussions/2
https://github.com/CINEBLOGO/SENDERA/discussions/3
https://github.com/CINEBLOGO/SENDERA/discussions/4
https://github.com/CINEBLOGO/SENDERA/discussions/5
https://github.com/PANGGONANHUFE/BACHANCINE/discussions/1
https://github.com/PANGGONANHUFE/BACHANCINE/discussions/2
https://github.com/PANGGONANHUFE/BACHANCINE/discussions/3
https://github.com/PANGGONANHUFE/BACHANCINE/discussions/4
https://github.com/PANGGONANHUFE/BACHANCINE/discussions/5
https://pastelink.net/vbqsr1yi
https://wokwi.com/projects/409027140774277121
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/79496a30
https://dev.bukkit.org/paste/a475b353
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/55f6a5bb
https://paiza.io/projects/ITTOXa8khyiDgD4H0IWdWw?language=php
https://hackmd.io/bYR93bqWTaOGGgVWlu44nw
https://jsfiddle.net/9ywatbez/
https://telegra.ph/awste-09-14
https://p.ip.fi/Wjjj
https://paste.myst.rs/aq0wcrf7
https://rift.curseforge.com/paste/474d42aa
https://glot.io/snippets/gzxoj409p0
https://paste.kodi.tv/epicawoqec
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3620352530186240/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3620357194285056/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3620357529829377/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3620358070861826/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3620360188985345/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3620360486387713/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3620361042526208/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3620364095979520/
https://pastelink.net/reuph4sq
https://wokwi.com/projects/376455861429986305
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/6afe00cc
https://dev.bukkit.org/paste/cd6d142b
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/cf2e18ae
https://paiza.io/projects/VGO7pakatshhBXAP96UaLA?language=php
https://hackmd.io/zsDfisp6T7ilZzm4m3AJnQ
https://jsfiddle.net/7hycd9r4/
https://telegra.ph/qwe5t-09-14
https://p.ip.fi/IBD2
https://paste.myst.rs/8clwo62w
https://rift.curseforge.com/paste/520b9684
https://glot.io/snippets/gzxo66ksbz
https://paste.kodi.tv/dohivutiqi
https://github.com/FILMOVOD/VOIR-Le-Comte-de-Monte-Cristo-2024-Stream-ng-VF-FR-F-lms-en-France
https://github.com/FILMOVOD/VOiR-FiLMs-Le-Comte-de-Monte-Cristo-Streaming-VF-FR-Complet-et-VOSTFR
https://github.com/FILMOVOD/-FILMs—VOIR-Le-Comte-de-Monte-Cristo-Streaming-VF-FR-Complet-et-VOSTFR
https://github.com/FILMOVOD/VOIR-Le-Comte-de-Monte-Cristo-2024-Streaming-VF-FR-Gratuit-et-VOSTFR
https://github.com/FILMOVOD/VOIR-FILMs-Le-Comte-de-Monte-Cristo-2024-Streaming-en-VF-VOSTFR-Gratuit-HD
https://github.com/FILMOVOD/REGARDER—-Le-Comte-de-Monte-Cristo-2024-Film-complet-en-ligne-VF-FR-et-gratuit
https://github.com/FILMOVOD/VO-R-F-LMs-Le-Comte-de-Monte-Cristo-2024-Stream-ng-en-VF-VOSTFR-Gratu-t
https://github.com/FILMOVOD/-Streaming-VF-Le-Comte-de-Monte-Cristo-2024-Film-Complet-et-VOSTFR-HD
https://github.com/FILMOVOD/Le-Comte-de-Monte-Cristo-sur-Cineinc-voir-les-films-en-streaming
https://github.com/FILMOVOD/VOIR-Le-Comte-de-Monte-Cristo-2024-EN-STREAMING-VF-en-Streaming-VF-VOSTFR
https://pastelink.net/drhh3c6u
https://wokwi.com/projects/409017035971654657
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/0c9b5e1e
https://dev.bukkit.org/paste/16594510
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/7954fbd3
https://paiza.io/projects/XPocZFO35wLvmY3PjB_jaQ?language=php
https://hackmd.io/MaYLPiNOTMuQqqGOL6TlsA
https://jsfiddle.net/poz93jgn/
https://telegra.ph/AWSRTFSE-09-14
https://p.ip.fi/WoTa
https://paste.myst.rs/kqjsirpk
https://rift.curseforge.com/paste/f235f086
https://glot.io/snippets/gzxk3t4hh3
https://paste.kodi.tv/ehugecefij