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80 QuadraSynth Reference Manual
Amp Envelope (Page 1)
The Amp Envelope is crucial for all sounds because it sets the basic characteristics of
the note--whether it attacks quickly or slowly, sustains or decays. Some Programs
may leave the Amp Envelope in a sustaining mode, and provide attack and decay
using the Filter Envelope; the effect is slightly different. Unlike Pitch and Filter
Envelope, the Amp Envelope is always fully active (there is no second-page to the
AMP function adjusting how much envelope is applied to the amp).
Attack (00 to 99)
This is the amount of time the envelope will take until it reaches its maximum output
level. Setting the Attack to 0 will give a sharp edge to the sound (if the Delay is also
set to 0 in AENV Page 2--see below); a setting of 99 will result in a much slower
attack, taking many seconds before the envelope gets to maximum.
Decay & Sustain (00 to 99)
As soon as the attack portion of the envelope finishes (when the level reaches
maximum), the envelope will decay (decrease in level). The level it reaches is set by
the Sustain control; how long it takes to get there is set by the Decay control. In the
special case where the Sustain level is all the way up (99), then there is no decrease
and the Decay time segment is bypassed. Whatever level the sustain is set to is the
level that the decay section of the envelope will head for. Depending on the setting of
the Sustain Decay control (see below), the envelope will either hold at the sustain
level until you release the note on the keyboard, or decay to 0 at the Sustain Decay
rate (which is on page 2 of the envelope). You can create a long "plateau" at the start
of a note by setting the Sustain to 98 and the Decay to 99. This will cause the
envelope to take the maximum amount of time to get from peak level to a level of 98,
before the Sustain Release portion of the envelope begins.
Release (00 to 99)
Eventually, you will let go of the note that youÕve been holding (either by releasing
the note on the keyboard, or releasing the sustain pedal if it was pressed). It is at this
point that the Release portion of the envelope takes effect. The Release is the time
that the envelope takes to get from the sustain level back down to nothing. Setting
the Release time to 0 is good for playing those short funky riffs that you hear on a
clavinet. Setting the Release time to 99 will take the envelope a very long time to
reach zero level.
Amp Envelope (Page 2)
Delay (00 to 99)
This is the amount of time that the envelope will wait before doing anything; very
useful if you want to affect one element of a sound sometime after the sound starts.
When the Delay is set to 0, the envelope attacks right away, without any delay. Play
some notes while turning up the delay and see that the time between playing the
note and hearing the effect of the Pitch Envelope gets progressively longer as the
Delay control is turned up.