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

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!

4669 comments

dfyh

https://www.honor.com/it/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618908976578561/
https://www.honor.com/it/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618909184229376/
https://www.honor.com/it/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618909372973057/
https://www.honor.com/it/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618909542449152/
https://www.honor.com/it/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618909687545856/
https://www.honor.com/it/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618909848993793/
https://www.honor.com/it/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618910001692673/
https://www.honor.com/it/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618910152720385/
https://www.honor.com/it/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618910335565824/
https://www.honor.com/it/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618910509629441/
https://pastelink.net/cg5foyd4
https://wokwi.com/projects/408286448270623745
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/27c9fa76
https://dev.bukkit.org/paste/80684c58
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/b1b450b5
https://paiza.io/projects/34gtvRlDo9JMyoHMR3qTwg?language=php
https://hackmd.io/hP6_mlwORsGHcZ3vo2ZT5w
https://jsfiddle.net/fdexubr7/
https://telegra.ph/asd-09-06-12
https://p.ip.fi/hxoI
https://paste.myst.rs/kb4ejf95
https://rift.curseforge.com/paste/256805aa
https://glot.io/snippets/gzoo0y98vh
https://paste.kodi.tv/izazuceqem

sdfyhfju

https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618853856739329/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618854293372929/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618854723256320/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618855190528001/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618855599505408/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618857073803264/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618858279665665/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618859619745792/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618860077318145/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618860553371648/
https://ads4u2.com/vehicles/boats-ships/awerfsetg_i18993
https://flexclassifiedads.com/classes/language-classes/aedsf_i223481
https://flexclassifiedads.com/classes/language-classes/awetres_i223484
https://flexclassifiedads.com/classes/language-classes/asfrsedgt_i223486
https://flexclassifiedads.com/classes/language-classes/waetgerd_i223489
https://flexclassifiedads.com/classes/language-classes/etgrwarsfe_i223507
https://flexclassifiedads.com/classes/language-classes/qwerfewsdtg_i223522
https://flexclassifiedads.com/classes/language-classes/awerfesdt_i223549
https://flexclassifiedads.com/classes/language-classes/qwrfwes_i223562
https://pastelink.net/ma69i7t1
https://wokwi.com/projects/408283760699375617
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/21e26eff
https://dev.bukkit.org/paste/53c50e2a
https://authors-old.curseforge.com/paste/2376f345
https://paiza.io/projects/XUzjqfCkzPERuPnCI-xXsA?language=php
https://hackmd.io/G-FhJ5NTTy—JLLaYawtHg
https://jsfiddle.net/8Lyv2m7t/
https://telegra.ph/aqwsrtwe-09-06
https://p.ip.fi/H61e
https://paste.myst.rs/whze77ac
https://rift.curseforge.com/paste/6cfde2f8
https://glot.io/snippets/gzomunuib1
https://paste.kodi.tv/ifoviyuwud

srthsrthrsth

https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618863755689985/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618864749772801/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618865131061248/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618865602920449/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618866068455425/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618866565873665/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618866979045376/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618867404734465/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618867884621825/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618868310704128/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618868751138817/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618869113552897/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618869539241985/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618869872689153/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618870238019584/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618870680125440/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618871074783233/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618871380934657/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618873220136961/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618873622429696/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618874090487809/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618874467581953/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618875061436417/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618875507736577/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618875862155265/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618877697163264/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618878083072000/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618878716411905/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618879018795009/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618879719243776/

srthsrthrsth

https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618822609600512/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618823328890880/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618824532295681/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618824973090817/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618831941533697/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618833382244353/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618836393754624/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618837172191233/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618838077800448/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618838623420416/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618839940038656/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618841298993152/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618841770885120/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618842612203520/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618843119321089/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618843740110849/

https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618828076449792/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618828685017089/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618829284442113/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618829934526465/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618830439972864/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618835651756032/

https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618853856739329/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618854293372929/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618854723256320/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618855190528001/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618855599505408/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618857073803264/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618858279665665/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618859619745792/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618860077318145/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3618860553371648/

srthsrthrsth

It Ends with Us – Velünk véget ér
https://twitter.com/filmhdcloud/status/1829970627199189490

Alien: Romulus
https://twitter.com/filmhdcloud/status/1829970875434877256

Deadpool & Rozsomák
https://twitter.com/filmhdcloud/status/1829946639513272335

Gru 4
https://twitter.com/filmhdcloud/status/1829946981411897802

Fák jú, Chantal!
https://twitter.com/filmhdcloud/status/1829946824247124061

Leave a comment