Pedal stacking
Running two or more gain pedals in series so one pushes the next, producing a sound neither would make alone.
Because a gain pedal's output drives the input of the next one, the combination is not simply the sum of the two effects: the first pedal's character is imposed on the second's clipping behaviour. Placing a low-gain overdrive before a fuzz changes the fuzz completely, while reversing the order produces a very different result, and that is why players experiment with order as much as with settings. It is the cheapest way to expand the range of gain sounds a rig can produce.
Example: An overdrive pedal used to push a fuzz pedal into a thicker, more sustained distortion is an example of pedal stacking.
See also
Related
- PageOverdrive pedal
- PageChain order
- PageSignal chain
- Page18-volt operation
- PageAnalogue delay
- PageAuto-wah
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley