Simple Explanation

Distortion that happens when a signal going into a device is too strong for it to handle cleanly.

Concise Technical Definition

A type of distortion that occurs when an input signal exceeds the voltage-handling capacity of a device’s input stage, resulting in waveform clipping.

Layman-Friendly Analogy

Like shouting directly into someone’s ear—it overwhelms them and turns your voice into noise.

Industry Usage Summary

Common in mixers, preamps, or A/D converters when signal levels are too high; not controlled by the volume knob, but can be managed with input attenuators or gain structure correction.

Engineering Shortcut

Input too hot = clipped waveform; fixed by attenuation.

Full Technical Explanation

Input Overload Distortion occurs when the input signal level exceeds the design limits of a device’s input circuitry—such as a preamplifier, mixer, or analog-to-digital converter. This causes the signal to be clipped or altered at the input stage before it even reaches volume control or processing circuits. Because it happens at the input, adjusting the output volume does not correct it. The result is harsh, non-musical distortion and potential loss of signal integrity. This issue is typically resolved by using an input attenuator or by properly managing gain staging to ensure that signal levels remain within acceptable input range thresholds.