FM | KNOWLEDGE
UNDERSTANDING: Distortion
Distortion is one of the most common effect types, but it comes in a host of shapes and sizes. Let’s examine some of the science behind it…
Distortion, originally considered an undesirable side effect of overloading audio equipment, has become a key element of countless genres of modern music. The history of distortion truly begins in the ’50s when rock ‘n’ roll pioneers started deliberately applying distortion as an effect. By the late ’60s, distortion was established as part of the musical lexicon, leading to the rise of dedicated overdrive pedals, fuzzboxes and distortion units, so you could get sizzling distorted tones without relying solely on amp distortion.
VALVE DISTORTION
Distortion can be introduced by a number of elements of your signal chain, including speakers, transformers and various smaller electronic components. However, the sound we now usually know as overdrive or mild distortion mainly originates from overloading valve (aka tube) amps. As valve amps are pushed closer to their limits, they start to behave in a less linear way, and so the signal is compressed.