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ADSR Envelope Basic Principles
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Kaz
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Jan 20, 2005 17:59
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I really don't like being too specific in my threads and rather focus on general principles (so people can actually apply what I talk about to as many things as possible), so here we go, a beginner's guide for proper use of the ADSR envelope system. A lot of people overlook the ADSR envelopes, but really, before you start messing around with LFOs and Appregiators, you should keep in mind that good envelope work is just more important - if you apply envelopes correctly, you will get a very 'rich' sound, even when you don't spend time on automating and effect work, and rich basic sounds are a very good starting point.
Popular synthesizers have, for quite a few decades now, supported ADSR envelopes. From times when shaping the sound out of oscillators just ended up seeming like way too much work and overly technocratic. If anyone wants to know what I consider the best software in envelope creation is - Impulse Tracker still leaves very powerful and highly programmable softsynths like NI Reaktor 4 in the dust.
From this point, I'd recommend working with a software synthesizer while reading this, so you can see for yourself how the envelopes work and follow what I'm writing here on a more basic level.
ADSR stands for Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release, so an ADSR envelope is one that has these four parameters. Many other programs improvise on this (adding such options as 'hold' or 'curve' and so on), but the ADSR is the most basic.
Attack is the amount of time the envelop takes from reaching an amplitude of 0 to it's maximum amplitude. When the ADSR envelope is applied to volume, it's amplitude becomes the volume of the sound played. Set it to a low setting if you want a short sound, as too long a setting will make it never reach it's full volume that way, effectively making the envelope useless. Experiment with raising it a bit, as this sometimes helps to combine this with sounds that start at their maximum volume (snares for instance). You can sometimes find that adding a little attack here will enable you to work at higher volumes without changing the groove significantly. Sometimes a short attack can remove clicks from the sample. The length of the note changes nothing in the way this part of the envelope acts. You can only set the length (time) in this parameter.
A sound at 50% volume with an enveloped applied at 50% depth with an attack value of 200ms will take 200ms to go from 50% volume (50% + 0-50% more volume, starting at 0 when the evelope starts and 50% within 200ms). An attack value of 0 means that the envelope starts at 100% amplitude.
The most improtant part of the envelope is the sustain level. Set to 100%, and the decay setting becomes irrelevant, but we'll get back to that later. You can only set the level of the amplitude here, because as long as a note is pressed down, you will NOT pass the 'sustain' part of the envelope. The moment you let go of the note, then you move on to the 'release'.
Decay comes after the attack, and during this time, the amplitude of the envelope goes down, starting from 100% down to the level of the sustain, since the sustain comes directly after the decay, and you set it's level. So, a decay from 100% to 100% (incase of 100% sustain level) means that the decay doesn't exist (and therefor, you will notice the undying popularity of setting the decay to 1337ms length when sustain is at 100% in softsynth presets).
Now, the decay/sustain tweaking - the question here is 'rhythm' vs. 'fatness'. If you intend to compress/distort or whatever, then you may as well just set the sustain on the amplitude envelope to 100%. In other cases though, the longer the decay, the longer it takes for the amplitude to go down, and the LESS the beginning of the sound is accented (I know this is counter-intuitive, but the slower the levels change, the less you notice the differences). The more you lower your sustain, the more defined the decay becomes. The higher the sustain, the more 'smoothed out' the sound is.
Now, as for the release. This part is easy. The moment the not is not played anymore, the envelope IMMEDIATELY goes to the release. You set it to 100ms, then once the note is not clicked, it will take it exactly 100ms to lower it's amplitude from the level it ended with to 0. Long release values on volumes of sounds can sometimes create insane polyphony or just make everything sound murky. In either case, I'd recommend to work with long release values only in cases of long sounds (strings, effects, etc), otherwise long releases usually end up doing more harm than they enrich the sound with.
That's all there is to it. You can see that these envelopes are EVERYWHERE, sometimes with slightly different settings, but usually with the standard ADSR strucutre. The more you work with these, the more you get a touch for it.
A few basic pointers:
Applying envelopes can allow you to accent their beginning very well - if you think a melody or sample sounds too dull and doesn't help your beat the way you think it should, envelopes will often give you a solution. Experimenting around with these is just a very easy way to totally change the way your sounds act.
If you use envelopes for both volume and cutoff frequency, set the release on the cutoff envelope to be longer than that on the volume, this way you won't accidently set your cutoff as too low during the release of the note (a 90Hz hum in the end of every 500Hz-based note will just make things sound terrible in most cases).
The 'decay' on analog-wannabe sounds is what gives you the 'croak' in the beginning of the notes. The higher the resonance, the more defined the croak, but the less 'attached' it feels to the sound. This 'croak' is one of the main examples where hard work on software will still sound worse than a random setting on a real 303 - digital sound is just way too accurate to make an entire range of frequencies mesh together that nicely. On a totally different note, that's why a 303 has a very small range of sounds, is probably falling appart as it is over 20 years old, has no midi interface, has problems syncing to other synths, and is very bloody expensive.
In psytrance, anything other than the minimal setting of attack on the kick, usually a sustain of 100%, and a release of 0 is usually frowned upon.
Most software today allows you to apply an envelope to the volume and usually to the cutoff frequency of it's filter/s. Linplug's Albino and RGC Audio's z3ta+ show a very intuitive design on how to use ADSR envelopes, where you can apply envelopes to more or less everything, a very easy way to make a simple sound suddenly become not boring or thin anymore.
I'll give the most important principle of them all as last: Envelopes save time. 20 seconds of tweaking an envelope will usually give your sound a lot more character, and as always, starting out with good sounds before you apply effects means that after effects they'll probably sound even better. It takes very little time to learn this, and you will probably never be able to fully master the amount of tweaks possible with these things.
Beast - Trouble (Psilocybin Remix) shows how automating the attack (!) on the envelope set to control the cutoff of the bassline creates one of the most original soundscapes ever, in case you were wondering how the f*ck did someone make that bassline so oozing and organic.
As usual, I CAN NOT STRESS ENOUGH THAT THESE ARE NOT RULES CARVED IN FIRE NOR STONE. You can totally ignore any of the ideas I gave here, as long as it sounds good then it's working like it should. When it sounds best, don't let anything (even the basic and quite reasonable tips I give here) change your mind. After experimenting a bit with this, you will develop a clearer intuition towards the usage of envelopes and LFOs, as both contain some similar principles of work.
That's the basics, have fun!  http://www.myspace.com/Hooloovoo222 |
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Surrender
IsraTrance Team
Started Topics :
506
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5388
Posted : Jan 20, 2005 18:45
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s0ft
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
42
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825
Posted : Jan 20, 2005 19:03
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not bad. it was an interesting read. i really like these types of articals/tutorials. i'd like to know more of the science and technology behind synths and thier functions. i have been looking for something like this. very nice mr. kaz. |
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martyn
IsraTrance Junior Member
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40
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389
Posted : Jan 20, 2005 20:53
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Anak
Anakoluth
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108
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2395
Posted : Jan 20, 2005 21:14
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Wanka Tanka
Started Topics :
4
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156
Posted : Jan 24, 2005 00:05
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I think this thread really useful for me it should be inna faq session !
thanhx a lot Kaz |
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Elad
Tsabeat/Sattel Battle
Started Topics :
158
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5306
Posted : Jan 24, 2005 05:59
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Trip-
IsraTrance Team
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101
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3239
Posted : Jan 24, 2005 13:21
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tsabeat correct!
just that Release is activated when a MIDI Note Off occurs.
Crackling universes dive into their own neverending crackle...
AgalactiA |
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sy000321
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
46
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1142
Posted : Jan 24, 2005 13:26
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things start to get trickyer when you apply the envelope to a filter of an oscillator :/
or if you use anything with 8 stage envelopes, for instance... |
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Yuli
Retired
Started Topics :
40
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1660
Posted : Jan 24, 2005 13:34
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Quote:
| That's the basics, have fun! |
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Very good one Kaz. That is a good tutoring.
What I like in the fact of those basics, is that in every stage u come back to the ADSR or to the EQuing basics etc... ADSR on filter is amazing tool, it is wonderfull how many bubble sounds u can get using it 
Keep it up Kaz
A man with a "master plan" is often a woman |
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XrTC
Started Topics :
7
Posts :
720
Posted : Jan 24, 2005 14:04
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yep u got it right tsabeat.
i just want to clear up (for beginners) something that can be frustrating in the beginning:
Attack, Decay and Release are all parametres having to do with TIME (or how long). Sustain on the other hand is a parametre having to do with AMOUNT (or how much).
although it is easy to understand how an envelope works on Volume, it can be tricky when having to do with Cutoff or Resonance or Pitch. that's why i think remembering the above can be really helpful.
good job kaz 
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Respect is earned, not demanded...
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http://www.myspace.com/xrtcmusic
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Yellow Warrior
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
35
Posts :
898
Posted : Jan 24, 2005 18:37
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Thank You Kaz Baba!
This is some really good stuff.
As a beginner i (and am sure many others)found it hard to undestand what they meant and how to use these knobs but now it will be so much easier.
It will also surely give us different ideas and thus making learning more enjoyable and more resourceful as far as usage of time goes.
I really hope we could get more tutorials like these focussing on the little things.
When i say little things i mean the essestials one would need to know to help them slowly make progress onto the more complicated stuff in music production.
Thank You once again Kaz and if any of you guys are bored and want to help, PLEASE feel Free!
Peace.
Rather than feeling that you're about to have the rug pulled from under you, let me teach you how to dance on a flying carpet |
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cheers