Song Editor and Synth Basics: The ADSR Enevelope

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When you first use a synth, whether it be a software or hardware synth, you might load up a sound and then think, "That's boring!"

Every synthesized sound starts that way. You need to learn to manipulate simple waveforms in order to make them more interesting. This might mean layering them on top of each other, or it might mean adding effects. The best way to start playing with these sounds, however, is to manipulate the ADSR envelope.

The ADSR dials on a soft synth
ADSR, as you can see, stands for Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release. They're self-descriptive of what they do to a sound, but can be a little confusing at first. Here's a breakdown of what they do exactly.

Attack


If you hit a note with the attack time down, the sound will start immediately, without any buildup. Raise the attack time and hit the note again, and you'll hear the volume of the note go more slowly upwards. This can have a much bigger impact than you might think. Raise the attack high, and the note will sound very soft and mellow. Take it all the way down and the note will hit immediately.

Basically, the attack time determines how long it takes for the note to reach full volume.

Decay


Decay works with the subsequent sustain level. The decay is how much time it takes to get to the sustained level. The decay itself isn't a volume level, but rather a timed setting for the next volume level.

Sustain


After the attack and decay have gone through, the sustain level is the volume the note will reach while the key is being held down. It will stay at this level until you release the note. This can be 'turned off' by reducing it down to zero, making the note go quiet after it reaches its maximum attack level.

Release


The release determines how long the note will play after you release the key. This can make for an interesting effect if you make the release time high. Raise the release and play a few notes, one by one, and you'll hear a very nice effect as each note rings on for a few seconds.

These four envelope properties can really change the way your music sounds. They're often the first thing to change when you start making sounds for your songs. Nearly every song editor has the ADSR envelope in some form or another.

There's no wrong way to change these settings around, so go nuts whenever you can. You'll eventually find something you like.

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