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COMPUTER MUSIC JULY 2005 EXPERT ADVICE
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Stuck on the subject of envelopes
or looking for the low-down on
LFOs? Youve come to the right place
Envelope SOS
Q
Not to sound like a
complete dunderhead,
but I am utterly lost when
it comes to envelopes. All those
acronyms! ADSR, AHDSR,
DADSR? What does it all mean?
And what can I do with it? Give
me a hand here!
Rich Aponte,
Kansas City, USA
A
First, lets cover the basics.
An envelope generator is the
primary synthesis tool used
to govern how a synthesized sound
behaves over time. More often than
not, an instrument will have at least
one or two envelope generators.
One is nearly always dedicated
to modulating the amplitude of
a patch, while theres often an
envelope for controlling how the
filter behaves too. On simpler
instruments, a single envelope
might be used for both.
The four-stage type of envelope
generator known as an ADSR is
the most commonly used, going all
the way back to the early modular
analogue devices of the 1960s
(although the legendary Minimoogs
envelopes had only three stages).
The four-stage envelope consists of
Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release
stages, hence the cryptic acronym.
Lets take an amplitude envelope
as our example. The Attack stage
determines how long itll take the
sound to reach full volume when
the note is triggered. The Decay
stage controls how long it will
take the sound to settle down
to its Sustain level. As the name
implies, the Sustain level is the
volume youll hear until the note
is released. Finally, the Release
segment governs how long the
sound will take to fade into silence
once the note is released. Not too
hard, once you understand what
the abbreviations stand for!
As you noted, there are other
abbreviations: a DADSR envelope
generator has a Delay segment
just before the Attack segment
kicks in, whilst the AHDSR variety
has an additional Hold segment
after the Attack that holds the
maximum level for a given time
before the Decay begins.
Q&AFOCUS
Envelopes and LFOs
STEP BY STEP Basic ADSR envelopes
3
Play a note and hold it. Can you hear how the sound
gradually settles into the volume set with the Sustain
parameter? Adjust the Decay and play another note.
Can you hear the results? Finally, take a look at the
Release slider. Its all the way down, and this makes the
sound cut off as soon as you release the note. Give the
Release segment a little boost, and play a note. It will now
fade out gradually.
2
Now, bring the Attack slider all the way down again.
Lets take a look at the Decay and Sustain
parameters. Bring the Decay up to 40%. The Decay
determines how long itll take for the sound to fade to its
sustain segment from its loudest peak after the Attack. You
cant hear it unless you also reduce the Sustain (because
in its default setting, it sustains at maximum volume). >>
1
Open up the CM-101 synthesizer (on the DVD) in your
host sequencer. You can use the initialised sound for
our example. Play a note and hold it for a second or
two. Take a look at the Amp envelope, and note the
position of the sliders. The Attack slider is all the way
down push it up a bit and play another note. Notice how
the sound now fades in? >>
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Q&A focus Envelopes and LFOs
Flipping
mental
Q
Im a Reason user, and I
am trying to get my head
around basic synthesizer
programming using the
Subtractor device. Im a little
confused by the button with
the inverted envelope symbol.
How does such a thing affect
my sound?
B G Griffen, Brighton
A
An inverted (or negative)
envelope does exactly what
it sounds like it does. It
flips the envelope in question. Say
you have an envelope with a short
attack and a long decay: clicking
the inverted envelope button on
your Subtractor patch will result in
an envelope with a long attack
stage and a short decay. Inverted
envelopes were very popular on
hardware synthesizers possessing
only a single envelope that was
shared between the amplifier and
the filter. By applying an inverted
envelope to the filter cutoff in
controlled amounts, you could
stretch the sound design
possibilities of an inherently limited
design. Still, such a feature has
uses in less compromised designs,
too. For instance, you might apply a
positive envelope to the filter cutoff,
while using an inversion of the
same envelope to modulate the
resonance. There are lots of
possibilities, so dont be afraid to
experiment a bit.
Fever pitch
Q
OK, so I understand that
an envelope might be
used to control volume
and filter frequencies, and I use
those all the time. However,
I see that some synthesizers
allow you to modulate things
like pitch. Why would I want
to do that? I thought that one
of the benefits of software
synthesizers is that they stay in
tune! Maybe you can give me an
example of what sort of sound
would use this ability.
Manny Cusimano, NY
A
The pitch envelope is one of
the most under-appreciated
parameters available to
programmers. Many synthesists
seem hesitant to compromise the
perfect pitch guaranteed by our
modern software synthesizers.
Sure, you want your sound to stay
relatively in tune (depending, of
course, upon the sound), unless
you tell it not to. However, in most
natural sounds, the pitch will
actually fluctuate or change for a
time until it reaches its steady state
or sustain level. A violin is a good
example of a sound that bends
gradually into the desired pitch. The
same is true for the human voice.
These sounds start off close to the
proper pitch, and gradually glide
into tune as the performer finds his
or her pitch.
You can also use a very fast
pitch envelope to simulate acoustic
drum sounds. Pitch envelopes can
also be used to create synthetic
sounds. The popular Hoover patch
first heard among the presets of
the venerable Roland Alpha Juno
is a good example of this. Dont be
afraid to play with that pitch! Your
patches will sound a whole lot
better for the effort.
Attack of the
ROMplers
Q
I have a dilemma. I
thought I understood the
basics about envelope
generators, yet when I try to
adjust the attack segment of a
certain commercial ROMpler, it
seems to have no effect except
at extremely long settings. I
thought it might be a bug in the
software, but it doesnt happen
for every sound. Am I doing
something wrong?
Alaister Campbell, Glasgow
A
We think we know the
ROMpler youre describing,
and its fuelled by a
huge library of sounds sampled
from some classic hardware
synthesizers. Often, the sound
designers behind such products
prefer to capture the specific
qualities and response of a given
hardware device in the sample
itself. Unfortunately, this means
that a timbre with a long attack will
always have a long attack. Messing
with the ROMplers Attack settings
will not change that fact. The
benefit is that you get the nuances
of a rare and expensive bit of
vintage kit. Personally, we think the
benefits outweigh the limitations in
this case.
Rest assured, its probably not
a bug, nor is there anything wrong
with your understanding of your
envelope generators, its simply the
product of a difficult choice thats
been made by the developer of the
product in question.
Old timer
Q
I want to create that old
sound of tinkling
electronics. Its hard to
explain, but it was used a lot on
Brain Salad Surgery by
Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Am I
showing my age? I asked this
question on an online forum,
and was told that I could do it
with an LFO, but I have no idea
how to do it. I tried it with the
CM-101 (thanks, by the way!),
but all I could get was a sort of
tremolo sound
Christopher Whittier, London
A
Oh yes, the classic sample
and hold effect. The term is
somewhat misleading to
present-day synthesists, since the
word sample has come to mean
something else entirely. Back in the
days of Emos massive modular
system, a sample and hold module
was used to sample an incoming
voltage and hold it. This would then
be used to modulate another
parameter, such as oscillator pitch
or filtered white noise. The Moog
wasnt the only game in town,
however. The classic Synthi series
from EMS made the effect available
to Eno and Pink Floyd, and the ARP
2600 was a champion of sample
and hold burblings. Arturias
software emulation of the 2600 is
no less so.
However, as your online counsel
pointed out, some LFOs can be
used to perform the same task,
assuming that they have a random
waveform setting. Try using such a
waveform to modulate a filters
cutoff frequency, while pumping
some white noise through the filter.
Youll get good results with a
resonant lowpass filter, though you
might want to try a high-pass type
as well. Youll have to experiment
with the LFO rate to achieve the
desired effect. You might also find
that running the whole lot through
a simulated tape-delay effect will
help add that retro touch.
1The sample and
hold technique
originally seen
on the massive
modular synths
of old can be
simulated with a
properly-fitted LFO,
such as the one on
Steinbergs a1
AN INVERTED ENVELOPE FLIPS
THE ENVELOPE IN QUESTION
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Q&A focus Envelopes and LFOs
properties of additive synthesis.
Some additive instruments allow
the user to save the resultant
harmonics and envelopes
individually. That means that one
sounds behaviour over time can
be superimposed on another
sounds harmonic content. Its
complex stuff, but always
interesting and very powerful.
Pretty in sync
Q
Is there a way of
calculating the frequency
an LFO should be set at
to sync it with tempo? Obviously
this is when the source doesnt
have a tempo sync button.
Marc Lee, Brighton
A
Indeed there is, and its
pretty easy to figure out. First,
remember that Hertz is
simply the word used to describe
cycles per second. One Hertz is a
single cycle every second.
Therefore, if youre trying to sync an
LFO to the quarter notes of a song
in 4/4 time at 60bpm, a value of
1Hz will do the trick. Double that
number for the more common
120bpm. In other words, dividing
the tempo of a track by 60 will
result in the Hz required for quarter
notes. Doubling that figure will
result in an eighth note, and so on.
Envelope me
Q
Can you guys explain
Vector Envelope to me?
I understand how a
normal envelope works, but Ive
seen the term Vector Envelope
used occasionally, and wonder
what Im missing.
Oliver X, GB
A
Stemming from the
technology created by
Sequential Circuits for their
Prophet VS, and later appearing on
Korgs popular Wavestation
instruments, vector synthesis made
use of a joystick to mix and
crossfade between four different
sounds. This movement might be
recorded or plotted out in
advance on something like a
diamond-shaped vector grid. The
user could place different sounds
on each point of the grid (along
both the X and Y axes). The path
that would be traced across this
X/Y pad was called you guessed
it the vector envelope.
There are many instruments
today that make use of the same
sort of thing, including, obviously,
the software incarnation of Korgs
classic Wavestation. Youll also find
an X/Y grid on both Camel Audios
Cameleon and VirSyns Cube. One
of our favourite (and sadly under-
appreciated) synths to make use of
the technology is Muons awesome
virtual analogue, Electron.
Sound control
Q
I want to use the
envelope of one sound to
control the qualities of
another. Is this possible? If so,
are there any specific
synthesizers that can do it?
Lee Lewis, USA
A
You might be surprised to
find out that you probably
already have a number of
instruments in your arsenal that
can perform this very function. A
common variation on the theme is
that old favourite, the envelope
follower. This is an effect processor
that tracks the dynamics of one
signal and uses it to modulate
either the cutoff frequency or
amplitude of another.
Another approach is used by
the ubiquitous vocoder effect. This
device analyses the dynamic
amplitude of a given set of
frequencies (called bands) of an
input (the modulator), and applies it
to another signal (the carrier).
Native Instruments Vokator plug is
probably the most feature-packed
vocoder on the market these days,
and very good it is too. It allows you
to use a live audio input or a
recorded audio file as the
modulator, while the carrier can be
one of any number of sounds,
including those generated from the
onboard synthesizer. If your needs
are a little less elaborate, youll find
our very own CM Vocoder in the
library section of your cover DVD.
Resynthesis is one of the most
interesting techniques currently
available for imparting one sounds
envelopes onto another. It can be
found on many of todays additive
synthesizers, such as VirSyns Cube,
Camel Audios Cameleon and
DiscoDSPs Vertigo. Basically, the
idea behind additive resynthesis is
that every sound can be broken
down into a myriad of sine waves,
each with its own specific
amplitude and pitch envelopes.
Many additive synths have the
ability to analyse a sound and work
out how to recreate it using the
ITS COMPLEX STUFF, BUT
INTERESTING AND POWERFUL
STEP BY STEP Vector envelopes
3
Take a look at the vector envelope (called MIXENV in
Wavestation-speak). As you can see, its fairly busy.
Play a two-note chord and hold it. Listen to how the
sound crossfades from one wave to another. When youre
familiar with it, click and drag the points in the mix
envelope to create a new envelope. Remember that the
points on the X and Y axis match the four corners of the
joystick controller.
2
As you can see, the sound is made up of three
layered patches. Each of those patches can consist
of up to four different waveforms or wavesequences.
No wonder its a lush instrument! The topmost patch in the
list is called Vectorism, and is made up of four layers
mixed with a complex vector envelope. Select and solo that
patch and click the Patch button. >>
1
The Korg Wavestation was the undisputed king of
vector synthesis in the 90s, and Korgs own virtual
version might just be able to claim the crown of the
current crop. Its combination of wavesequencing and
vector control makes it one of the most evocative synths
on the market. Here, were calling up the Pinger preset. We
need to click the Edit button to access the individual
patch layers. >>
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Q&A focus Envelopes and LFOs
Do remember that therell be some
fluctuation not every BPM
counter matches every other, but it
should get you pretty close.
Of course, for the most part,
todays synths offer sync functions,
but there are still some that will
require you to set the LFO using the
above method. Unfortunately, a very
few instruments will use an
arbitrary measurement that
corresponds to neither (something
like values between 1 and 127, or
1 and 100). For those, youll have to
rely solely upon your ears.
We had a quick look online,
and found a handy chart that maps
out the relationship between Hertz
and BPM, as well as milliseconds:
www.wiseguysynth.com/larry/
convert/bpm_table.htm. That
ones getting taped to the wall!
Give us a wave
Q
OK, so Ive played with
the various available
LFO waveforms, and I
want more. Is it possible to
create custom waveforms for
use in an LFO?
Walter Gardjieff,
British Columbia
A
In our opinion, this function
should exist on every soft
synth that claims any sort of
complexity. Such things were never
available on hardware devices (with
the exception of high-end things
like Symbolic Sounds Kyma), but
are relatively simple to implement
in software. Oddly, it seems to be a
capability reserved for a few lesser-
known or independently produced
instruments, like the mighty z3ta+.
Steinbergs Plex also included
user-definable (and syncable) LFOs,
and the very same LFO turned up
on the later, and more impressive,
Xphraze. Mind you, much the same
sort of results can be had with the
multi-stage envelopes that appear
on instruments such as HALion or
Absynth, assuming that selected
stages can be looped.
The LFO-down
Q
Can you give me a very
basic explanation of what
an LFO is? I know it is
some kind of special oscillator,
but it doesnt make any sound,
does it?
Gregory Moorhead,
Portland, USA
A
Well, Greg, you hit it pretty
much right on the head. An
LFO (or Low Frequency
Oscillator) is simply an oscillator
that runs at a very slow rate. So
slow, in fact that you cant usually
hear it. Still, it makes an excellent
modulation source for rhythmic
treatments, such as vibrato. A
typical LFO will have a handful of
waveforms, each one affecting the
destination differently. A sine wave
will give smooth, even modulations,
while a square wave will result in
sharp, rhythmic pulsations.
Sometimes, the rate of an LFO
can be increased to produce an
audio signal. Conversely, a standard
oscillator might have a low setting
that will allow it to function as an
LFO. The Minimoog is just such an
instrument. Its third oscillator can
be used either as an audible
sound source, or as an LFO. These
days, the two are usually treated as
separate entities, however. cm
1Though older computer musicians will remember Digidesigns Turbosynth for its multi-
stage envelopes, it was NIs wondrous Absynth that brought them back into fashion
STEP BY STEP Custom LFO shapes
3
Finally, lets draw in a complicated waveform. This is
done by dragging and clicking with the mouse in the
waveform display window in the LFO section. Play and
hold a chord while doing it. As you can see, weve drawn in
an LFO waveform that cannot be mistaken for any of the
factory shapes. Play with the LFO rate until you can plainly
hear the effect of your waveform.
2
Next, turn the Rate knob until you reach a value of,
oh, maybe 1.48s. This will be slow enough to clearly
hear the effect of your custom LFO waveform. Play a
chord while simultaneously increasing the LFO Depth
parameter. Youll hear the mix changing in a smooth, steady
rhythm, along with the pan position. This is because the
selected LFO waveform is a sinusoidal shape. >>
1
Sadly, not nearly enough synthesizers allow users to
customise their own LFO shapes. However, Xphraze,
Steinbergs joint effort with reFX and Wizoo, will allow
you to draw LFO waveforms with your mouse. Here, weve
called up the lush pad sound Awakening from the factory
presets. LFO 1 is assigned to panning and the Vector Mix
parameter. If youve not already done so, click on the 1
button at the top of the LFO section. >>
COMING SOON:
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS KONTAKT
In issue 90, our experts will be solving your
Kontakt and Kontakt 2 problems. Mail your
questions on NIs mighty soft sampler, no
matter how basic or advanced, to
ronan.macdonald@futurenet.co.uk.
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