Built in overdrive channel: Built in effects?

[bachfantasia]

If an amplifier has a built in overdrive, is it considered to have built in effects? Furthermore, is there a difference between built in overdrive and obtaining overdrive by simply turning up the volume? I might be confused here, but it's my understanding that overdrive can simply be achieved by turning up the volume. If the latter is the case, does this apply to my original question, or is there another option where an amp as a separate "overdrive" knob or channel that makes the amp considered to have built in overdrive?


Example: The Ampeg BA-115 is described as having a "Bass Scrambler™ overdrive delivers SVT grind". Would one then say the amplifier has built in effects?

Thank you.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I think that there's a fine line between an overdrive stage and a distortion effect. It comes down to how you want to define the sub-sections within the amp.

Effects are added either by being patched serially into the signal chain, or they are mixed into the signal chain in parallel. They are something extra that processes the signal to produce a desired effect. That term effect keeps coming up. So does that mean that a tone control is an effect. Normally, no. Taken to an extreme setting, some might call that tone setting an effect. It depends on who you ask.

Some amps have what is called cascading stages that produce compression and overdrive. Basically they add additional stages to overdrive, or boost the level, of the stages that follow. All the stages are driven together to produce the distortion. Turning up the volume to obtain an overdriven sound is inherent to the basic amp design. I don't consider a cascading stage an effect.

An overdrive circuit has an input and an output. Feed it a clean signal and the output will be distorted. It is a self contained circuit, intended to produce distortion. What I call an effect.

The Bass Scrambler in the BA series is inserted into the signal stage and can be turned on and off. It is a separate sub circuit in the amp intended to add an effect to the sound. If they didn't market it as a scrambler circuit, they could have called it grind or harmonics and people would call it a tone setting. But the scrambler is more than just a gain stage. I call that an effect.

 

[bongomania]

Also, there are hundreds of different "effects" out there, so even if an amp does have the one specific effect of a distortion with its own switch or knob, it only has "built in distortion", not "built in effects". If an amp is advertised as having "effects", it better have more than one.

An overdrive or distortion effect is achieved by boosting the input signal going into a set of components that "clip" the signal (cut off its wave peaks). Turning up the input gain on an amp will usually make it distort at some point. But whether that distortion sounds good, or sounds like the distortion you wanted to hear, is a different story. Most solid-state amps sound terrible when you make their input distort. That's where it's nice to have an effect that is designed to distort in a really pleasing way.

 

[SirMjac28]

I totally agree with the two gentleman above me.

 

[bachfantasia]

Thanks everyone.