A circuit, usually triggered by pressing a key on a keyboard, that generates a changing voltage with respect to time. This voltage typically controls a VCF or VCA. An AHDSR, ADSR, TVA are types of Envelope Generators. See ADSR.
The envelope of a sound can be explained as a variation that occurs to it over time. How a sound starts, continues, and disappears in terms of pitch, harmonic content, and loudness is a function of its envelope. An envelope generator is a circuit or algorithm found in most synthesizers that provide a means to apply these kinds of changes to a sound over time.
a kind of oscillator whose waveform is a piecewise polynomial and/or exponential function
a multi-staged controller routed to the control voltage input of a module
A set of controls within an electronic keyboard that allow you to alter the volume, timbre, and/or pitch of a sound over time, as it is being played. Typical controls allow you to set the attack time, decay time, sustain level, and release rate. (See "Attack," "Decay," "Sustain" and "Release")
A device that generates an envelope. Also known as a contour generator or transient generator, because the envelope is a contour (shape) that is used to create some of the transient (changing) characteristics of the sound. See ADSR, envelope.
a device or process in a synthesizer or other sound generator that creates a time varying signal used to control some aspect of the sound.
Portion of the Commodore 128 that produces specific envelopes (attack, decay, sustain, release) for musical notes. See Waveform.
