Can you Use Overdrive and Distortion Together?

So this leads us to the big question, can you use overdrive and distortion together, and what happens to the sound when you do?

Yes, overdrive and distortion can be used together, this is known as gain-stacking (adding more than one pedal that adds gain). However, you need to properly dial in your controls to make the tone actually sound different. If you use both together and have your distortion too high, it’ll usually just mask the overdrive effect.聽

Different overdrive and distortion pedals affect the tone in different ways. They are well known for doing the following:

The first one is obvious. If you add both a distortion and overdrive pedal, then you’ll increase the amount of gain. You can alter the level of each pedal to get a mix between the distortion and overdrive. This is good if you’re using a particularly heavy distortion pedal and a fairly subtle overdrive pedal, as combining the two will give you more versatility in the amount of gain you’ll get.

Secondly, both pedals will add compression. As I mentioned, distortion and overdrive both have different effects on how clipped your signal is. Again, using both together will affect how clipped the sound is and give you more versatility.

It’s also really important to remember that distortion and overdrive pedals don’t just alter the level of gain and compression, but they also affect the EQ (equaliser).聽

This refers to the balance of treble, bass and mid frequencies you’ll hear. Treble increases the clarity and adds a sharpness. Mid frequencies are vital at making sure your sound carries (super important if you play in a band). Bass frequencies will give your tone more warm and depth.

Depending on exactly which pedals you’re using, the EQ will also be altered. Using both pedals will again give you more tonal possibilities.聽