Modular Synth Envelopes

Adding envelope modules to your Eurorack modular synthesizer can expand the control you have over your oscillator or overall combination of sounds. An envelope is comprised of four key components, attack, decay, sustain and release, commonly referred to as ADSR.

Attack is how long it takes for the peak transient to be hit in the oscillator. Increasing the attack will make a swelling or rising effect. This is great for soft airy pads, rise and fall hits, as well as crescendo horn type sounds.

Decay is the length it takes the sound to descend from its maximum level to its sustain level. This is a great way to cause some chaotic effects in the oscillator when hitting the keys or input source at full velocity.

Sustain is engaged after the decay stage is complete. Sustain is held until the envelope receives a note off command from the keyboard, or the gate ends. For something like a pad or synth lead, you will want to have increased sustain so the pad will not end in the middle of the performance.

Release is how long it takes the sound to descend from its current sustain velocity to zero after the signal stops generating a new input, or the gate is turned off. This is a great way to add sustain to notes, similar to an expression sustain pedal on a keyboard or live piano.

In most modular synths, you can assign envelope filters to multiple stages of the Eurorack, including the amplifier section, filter section and more. This allows infinite expansion to the sound and endless possibilities of sound design within the modular unit.

Any questions regarding the right envelope filters for your setup, be sure to contact your sales rep at Vintage King.