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!
4670 comments
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/163
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/154
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/146
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/157
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/165
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/148
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/149
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/164
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/161
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/162
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/147
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/155
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/153
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/158
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/151
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/152
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/159
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/160
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/150
https://www.nexusmods.com/descenders/articles/156
https://pastelink.net/s91mogzy
https://wokwi.com/projects/408105662223177729
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/b7c7e7a5
https://dev.bukkit.org/paste/f8dba56a
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/acd2b53d
https://paiza.io/projects/o4gCaj2ikfRsRM4njVYjDA?language=php
https://hackmd.io/OMnDSrSgTPaiuk0p6LNw_A
https://jsfiddle.net/y2f85m6q/
https://telegra.ph/awstgr-09-04
https://p.ip.fi/z4Ut
https://paste.myst.rs/jblias8b
https://rift.curseforge.com/paste/8462862a
https://glot.io/snippets/gzmgtm42xz
https://paste.kodi.tv/aqudayekeg
https://www.honor.com/my/club/topicdetail/deadpool-rozsom%C3%A1k-teljesfilm-magyarul-2024-videa-hd/topicid-3618538695032832/
https://www.honor.com/my/club/topicdetail/deadpool-rozsom%C3%A1k-teljesfilm-magyarul-2024-videa-hd/topicid-3618539026415617/
https://www.honor.com/my/club/topicdetail/deadpool-rozsom%C3%A1k-teljesfilm-magyarul-2024-videa-hd/topicid-3618539454201857/
https://www.honor.com/my/club/topicdetail/alien-romulus-teljesfilm-magyarul-2024-videa-hd/topicid-3618542998224897/
https://www.honor.com/my/club/topicdetail/alien-romulus-teljesfilm-magyarul-2024-videa-hd/topicid-3618543839346688/
https://www.honor.com/my/club/topicdetail/alien-romulus-teljesfilm-magyarul-2024-videa-hd/topicid-3618544290136065/
https://pastelink.net/g3m5rt0r
https://wokwi.com/projects/408103728596142081
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/a1db7431
https://dev.bukkit.org/paste/f0f804ac
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/8da09b27
https://paiza.io/projects/-JG3nUbPpX5e00UqD_J3DQ?language=php
https://hackmd.io/joPhxmvQRa6FnCf6xnhCQw
https://jsfiddle.net/ong2bfm0/
https://telegra.ph/wr-09-04
https://p.ip.fi/miFR
https://paste.myst.rs/g0m41g7o
https://rift.curseforge.com/paste/74c7fdcc
https://glot.io/snippets/gzmfz9b2iz
https://paste.kodi.tv/igonagonaf
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618365834788865/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618368123174913/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618368477200384/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618368523337729/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618369129447425/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618369381072897/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618371176628224/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618371222798337/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618371761766400/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618371801219073/
https://ads4u2.com/vehicles/car-parts/awsrfe_i257416
https://ads4u2.com/classes/music-theatre-dance-classes/awseasrf_i257419
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/rfesd_i257422
https://ads4u2.com/vehicles/car-parts/asrfe_i257428
https://ads4u2.com/vehicles/car-parts/awsea_i257430
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/awsrfe_i257434
https://ads4u2.com/vehicles/motorcycles/fedgawsrfe_i257441
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/aesrtes_i257445
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/aqderw_i257448
https://ads4u2.com/vehicles/motorcycles/edtgre_i257453
https://pastelink.net/urpv6l8n
https://wokwi.com/projects/408028310830437377
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/94e39842
https://dev.bukkit.org/paste/20fff565
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/ee462f21
https://paiza.io/projects/Zcz0fW1FKq_dCdTplv_FmA?language=php
https://hackmd.io/fSqUIlK8QHyCb02eCLZSrw
https://jsfiddle.net/bcy8sLj5/
https://telegra.ph/aest-09-03
https://p.ip.fi/0ed8
https://paste.myst.rs/h482nove
https://rift.curseforge.com/paste/04270545
https://glot.io/snippets/gzlixt7w7d
https://paste.kodi.tv/jizehunomi
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618372070047745/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618372103208960/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618374060212225/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618374108446720/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618378543562753/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618378581278721/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618378975936512/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618379053137920/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618379445305345/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618380286263297/
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/rfsedxtgrd_i257484
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/awsfresd_i257501
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/aswrfesd_i257506
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/awsrfe_i257508
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/awsrfe_i257529
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/awsre_i257534
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/aswrfe_i257550
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/esdasw_i257552
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/adfasfrtsed_i257557
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/azsfr_i257559
https://pastelink.net/0zxlmt25
https://wokwi.com/projects/408030109139587073
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/a0cf991a
https://dev.bukkit.org/paste/54e3cf43
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/6814f73e
https://paiza.io/projects/p8JIY3Pm567ZftbsCPnqTQ?language=php
https://hackmd.io/V8NPcS1nTJqVUW9fczLZOA
https://jsfiddle.net/0c15qs8z/
https://telegra.ph/AWRFSE-09-03
https://p.ip.fi/0H8b
https://paste.myst.rs/f0zlk9l1
https://rift.curseforge.com/paste/bc87ba46
https://glot.io/snippets/gzljq5fjot
https://paste.kodi.tv/esehigabog
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/deadpool-ve-wolverine-2024-filmleri-izle-1080p-filmi-izle-t%C3%BCrk%C3%A7e/topicid-3617866438311936/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3617922622685185/
https://ads4u2.com/real-estate/rooms-for-rent-shared/asfgesd_i255969
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/awet4er_i256020
https://pastelink.net/74gk9ggz
https://wokwi.com/projects/408011009813831681
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/9039a992
https://dev.bukkit.org/paste/431646dc
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/2062c3f1
https://paiza.io/projects/A6dPp8WKYWsihZOJCYh1TQ?language=php
https://hackmd.io/Dcgo-S3cTX2EuNnvKHMCyw
https://jsfiddle.net/vn95rcy0/
https://telegra.ph/warfsed-09-03
https://p.ip.fi/nhAu
https://paste.myst.rs/ekt6guki
https://rift.curseforge.com/paste/963e2e17
https://glot.io/snippets/gzlbef245i
https://paste.kodi.tv/itoyekiyoh
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/qwaertwe_i255705
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/sdtgrd_i255688
https://pastelink.net/xy098cl9
https://wokwi.com/projects/408009359844591617
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/72ef17cc
https://dev.bukkit.org/paste/b70ba003
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/b3a6dbc1
https://paiza.io/projects/1NLoyvCILdI1YvaOvbTq9Q?language=php
https://hackmd.io/cUg4cr_MR86-6IpkSPtFgA
https://jsfiddle.net/re5bL647/
https://telegra.ph/ASFrse-09-03
https://p.ip.fi/aT35
https://paste.myst.rs/2s6iagw3
https://rift.curseforge.com/paste/b5805074
https://glot.io/snippets/gzlamrbv25
https://paste.kodi.tv/qohudekomu
https://pastelink.net/c5osf8w1
https://wokwi.com/projects/408011242617688065
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/1f4dccf5
https://dev.bukkit.org/paste/4b66f1ae
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/9d4369f8
https://paiza.io/projects/V3ZOjRx1RzOl4QjiCsGYng?language=php
https://hackmd.io/uo-cEYXISE6nmhzQFnnDVQ
https://jsfiddle.net/fxbe68dh/
https://telegra.ph/qwaerw-09-03
https://p.ip.fi/FtKv
https://paste.myst.rs/au3u6arf
https://rift.curseforge.com/paste/dc4d93e5
https://glot.io/snippets/gzlbgfcfts
https://paste.kodi.tv/izeyubelin
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/deadpool-ve-wolverine-2024-filmleri-izle-1080p-filmi-izle-t%C3%BCrk%C3%A7e/topicid-3617866438311936/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3617922622685185/
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/qwaertwe_i255705
https://ads4u2.com/classes/language-classes/sdtgrd_i255688
https://pastelink.net/xy098cl9
https://wokwi.com/projects/408009359844591617
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/72ef17cc
https://dev.bukkit.org/paste/b70ba003
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/b3a6dbc1
https://paiza.io/projects/1NLoyvCILdI1YvaOvbTq9Q?language=php
https://hackmd.io/cUg4cr_MR86-6IpkSPtFgA
https://jsfiddle.net/re5bL647/
https://telegra.ph/ASFrse-09-03
https://p.ip.fi/aT35
https://paste.myst.rs/2s6iagw3
https://rift.curseforge.com/paste/b5805074
https://glot.io/snippets/gzlamrbv25
https://paste.kodi.tv/qohudekomu