What is the difference between Overdrive and Distortion? - ProProfs Discuss
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What is the difference between Overdrive and Distortion?

Asked by Marlon , Last updated: Mar 26, 2024

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3 Answers

M. Delilah

M. Delilah

M. Delilah
M. Delilah

Answered Jun 26, 2020

Overdrive and distortion are important words used in the music world; they are used to create a sound effect on a guitar. Overdrive is the reaction you get from a tube amp of a guitar. This occurs when the guitarist applies too much force on a tube amp, which makes the amplifier send an overdriven tone. An overdrive tone is an advantage to the musicians that play rock, country, or blues music.

There are different types of overdrive pedals, such as Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive, Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer, TC Electronic MojoMojo Overdrive, Electro-Harmonix English Muffin and others. Distortion is transformed your tone to a new one; it is not determined on how hard or how much force you put in playing the guitar the sound is created because the distortion panel is a hard-clipping device.

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A. Boaz

A. Boaz

I have compassion for Automobiles and I dig the fast pace while I ride or drive.

A. Boaz
A. Boaz, Mechanical Engineer, Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, Atlanta, Georgia

Answered Jun 11, 2020

Overdrive and distortion are two words common within the music community. It is when a guitarist creates a sound effect while playing his instrument. It is an important technique to put into practice. Overdrive delivers soft and comfortable to listen to the sound. If you listen to how a tube amp is tuned, that is similar to the sound overdrive creates.

Distortion, on the other hand, has a plethora of effects on the sound of a guitar. It can produce an impression that is static, but still bright. It is also a sound that is frequently used in hard rock or rock music. There are two types of distortion, and this includes digital and analog. With digital distortion, the sound, which is made, has a hoarse tone, while analog is more of a classic tone.

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C. Lucan

C. Lucan

I'm a freelance Copywriter and well that explains everything!

C. Lucan
C. Lucan, Copywriter, Literature Major, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Answered Jun 05, 2020

Overdrive and distortion are two different terms that anyone that aspires to be a good guitarist must understand. These two terms, more or less, refer to the effects you make or can make with your guitar. You can best understand the difference between them practically by engaging yourself in some personal rehearsals, as one sound more like adding, and the other like distractions from the overall major tone. It may not be that easy to theoretically differentiate between the two sound effects, but the overdrive seems to produce a warm and smooth, and a bit distorted sound.

The sound produced by the overriding effect looks so similar to the cranking up of a tube amp. Conversely, there are varieties of effects that can be produced by the guitar with the distortion effect. It can produce a seemingly whole sound of a metal band or a fuzz-like effect. The two major types of distortion are digital and analog distortion.

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