Review: Nano Operation Overlord by Electro-Harmonix

Electro-Harmonix offers a Nano version of their Operation Overlord pedal—how does it fare in comparison to its big brother?

Long Island City-based Electro-Harmonix already have so many overdrive and distortion pedals available that it wouldn’t be hard to miss one or two, especially among the onslaught of gear news that we are all subjected to these days. So you’d be forgiven if you missed the fact that they quietly released a Nano version of their versatile Operation Overlord pedal back in late 2019.

While not as well-known as some of its more famous siblings, the Operation Overlord offered something most overdrive pedals in the Electro-Harmonix family didn’t—stereo ins and outs, paired with a signal path with a separate dry volume control for mixing back in your original signal. Stereo ins and outs meant that the Operation Overlord found its way onto pedalboards and keyboard rigs. Now that the Nano version of the pedal is out, will this smaller footprint make it more appealing to an even broader range of studio engineers and players?

Features

If you’re familiar with the Nano range from Electro-Harmonix, then you already know the chassis size, which are fairly slim compared to pedals from other brands. Despite this small stature, Electro-Harmonix have managed to cram six knobs, one three-way switch, and an extra Boost button on the front panel. The Nano Operation Overlord also comes with a 9v power supply, which is a nice feature.

Both the Nano and original Operation Overlord pedals feature an overdrive circuit that utilizes JFET gain staging for a range of crunch, from mild to maximum. As mentioned, the original Operation Overlord is unique in the sense that it’s a true stereo distortion pedal, making it suitable for not just guitars and bass but all manner of keyboards and drum machines as well. The Nano only has a mono input. The original version of the pedal also featured a second footswitch to activate its Boost circuit, which increases the gain staging for extra saturation. On the Nano version, that switch has been relegated to a small button on the top left of the face of the pedal. However, it can be accessed via a 1/4” footswitch jack—any momentary footswitch will toggle it on or off.

The Nano Operation Overlord utilizes both an overall volume control and a dry volume knob, allowing you to mix back in your original signal as desired. There is also a three-position switch that allows you to adjust the overall input level, from low to normal to high, making adjusting gain staging when switching instrument sources very easy.

Both versions of the Operation Overlord—regular and Nano sizes—have a three-band active EQ circuit, with knobs for adjusting the bass, mid, and treble portions of your signal. Unlike other pedals that boast similar designs, these work best when turned all the way up and then dialed back to your liking, as opposed to setting them all at noon.

In Use

If you’re reading this review, there’s a good chance you’ll be putting guitar through the Nano Operation Overlord at some point. And it certainly offers a huge variety of tonal options when used with guitar, all the way from barely-there overdrive to thick, searing fuzz. The range is very, very wide, especially when using the extra Boost circuit.

Because of this, small knob adjustments can make a huge difference, and the knobs are all fairly interactive. Though the EQ circuit is after the overdrive, adjusting the tonal shaping is unsurprisingly going to have massive effects on your overall tone, so it’s worth experimenting and seeing what works with your setup.

Using just a bit of gain with the Boost switch off resulted in some nice “clean boost” tones that respond well to changes in picking attack. In general, the Operation Overlord works very well with dynamics and cleans up drastically with changes of your volume knob. It’s worth experimenting with different guitars and pickups, as single coils and humbuckers react quite differently to the Operation Overlord. Used with humbuckers and the Boost switch set to on, and you are quickly in Thin Lizzy-crunch territory.

Using the Nano Operation Overlord with keyboard or bass sources is where the need for the separate dry volume really becomes apparent, as engaging the pedal does lead to some low-end loss. Leaving the Dry knob set around 80-90% and then increasing the gain between the 35-50% region, while using the Volume knob to match signal levels, is a good way to maintain the attack and front-end of your instrument while still adding a bit of grit around the edges.

Using the Overlord in such a way can add subtle claws to a Wurlitzer, or give a lead synth sound that extra bite needed to cut through the mix. It’s helpful to monitor that Mid knob closely however, as increasing the gain can make certain sounds on the Overlord very mid-forward.

Putting the Nano Overlord through its paces makes you really appreciate the fact that Electro-Harmonix included a soft footswitch to engage the pedal. Many will be using the Overlord in tabletop rigs, and a soft button footswitch is greatly preferred. The ability to turn on the extra Boost circuit through either the small button on the face of the pedal or via a footswitch (not included) greatly increases usability as well.

To Be Critical

The variety of tones and input sources means there’s already a lot to like about the Nano Operation Overlord. However, this variety means that the pedal itself doesn’t necessarily have a very unique overdrive character that is going to draw attention to itself. Similar to a basketball’s team 5th man, it just gets the job done without much fanfare.

One minor quibble we had was that on the Nano version of the pedal, the knobs are very close together and it’s very easy to accidentally move an adjacent knob. The knobs also have quite a lot of resistance, and grabbing onto them isn’t the easiest due to their lack of texture. Be prepared for some precise finger movements!

Also, as mentioned, there was some noticeable bass loss when engaging the Nano Operation Overlord. Whether this is going to be a deterrent for you depends on the source material and the context. It probably isn’t the most well-equipped pedal for handling incredibly low synth bass, for instance.

Summing it Up

Electro-Harmonix know a thing or two about their customer base. If you were seeking some variant of fuzz, you’d be more likely to reach for one of their Big Muff versions, including the recently released “Triangle” Big Muff that we’ll be reviewing in the future. Or if you’re looking for something on the lighter side of the overdrive scale, EHX’s Crayon or Soul Food pedals might be slightly better suited, albeit offering less tonal control.

But the Nano Operation Overlord does things those overdrive pedals can’t—allow you to mix back in your dry signal to taste, all while offering two stages of gain with a massive range. So while the Operation Overlord might not have as distinctive of a tonal voice, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s any less useful; in fact its range is one of its greatest attributes.

The Nano Operation Overlord offers an affordable alternative ($89.40 street price) to those seeking a subtle way to introduce variable levels of grit into your setup, whatever shape it may take. In that respect, the Nano Operation Overlord is highly recommended, especially if you aren’t too concerned with losing a touch of sub frequencies.

Leo Maymind is a producer, DJ, and writer living in Los Angeles, CA. He is obsessed with sound, and you can reach him at lmaymind@gmail.com.

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