User Manual

NORD STAGE Eighty Eight V1.1x 6. The Instruments: The Synth section
Page 39
A
MP
E
NVELOPE
An amplifier is most often used at the final stage of a synth signal chain, to control volume.
By modulating the amplifier with an envelope, the sound can be given its basic “shape”. In
fact, the “volume shape” is one of the most important factors to how we identify the sound.
By setting up a proper volume envelope you can make a sound “soft”, “hard”, “plucked”
“static” etc. The Amp Envelope has basic Attack and Decay/Release parameters.
A
TTACK
The A
TTACK
knob is used to adjust how long it should take for the sound to reach from zero
to full amplitude after a key has been pressed. With long Attack settings the sound will grad-
ually “fade in”.
E
NV
V
EL
If you press S
HIFT
and turn the A
TTACK knob so that the ENV VEL
indicator lights up,
the amount of Amp Envelope applied will be velocity controlled (i.e. how hard or soft you play).
D
ECAY
/R
ELEASE
When the attack phase is over, the envelope drops back to zero level. Use the D
ECAY knob to set the time
this should take.
Instead of having a Decay time, you can switch to have a Release time instead (see figures below). When
you press a key, the Attack phase proceeds as usual. When the Attack phase is over the envelope remains
on the maximum level for as long as you hold down the key. When you release the key, the Release phase
starts where the level falls back to zero.
Hold down S
HIFT
and turn the D
ECAY knob so that the lower LED in the Env Mode section lights up to
select Release time instead of Decay. Hold down S
HIFT
and turn the A
TTACK
knob to revert to Decay
time. If you hold down S
HIFT and turn the knob so that both LED’s light up, you will get a alternative
decay mode with a short release.
In Attack/Release mode, the signal from the Amp
Envelope behaves basically like this