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11. Envelopes
For each of the three envelopes, set the attack time and slope (Atk),
the decay time and slope (Dcy), the sustain time and level (Sust), and
the release time and slope (Rel).
The sustain time parameter determines the length of the sustain stage
of the envelope. If you are familiar with analog synths, this parameter
may surprise you, since a traditional synth will remain in the sustain
stage as long as you have the note held down. The MINIAK provides
this behavior, of course – simply set this parameter to "hold", and your
note will be sustained until your finger gets tired. But many physical
instruments do not work like this. A piano, for example, exhibits a
distinct attack and decay as the hammer strikes the string, but the
string does not then ring forever—the volume slowly diminishes until
the string is silent. The MINIAK allows you to model this behavior by
specifying a sustain time. This is the amount of time it takes for the
envelope level to drop from the sustain level to zero. Once the
envelope has sustained to zero, the envelope has completed and will
remain at zero. When the amp envelope has sustained to zero, that
means the entire note has completed and will no longer use one of the
synth's voices.
The sustain level parameter specifies the level that the sound settles
into as the envelope completes its decay and moves into the sustain
stage. At 100%, decay becomes inaudible. At 0%, the decay
becomes complete, resulting in silence. Generally, values in the
middle of the range are most useful.
For the filter and pitch/mod envelopes, this parameter can be negative. Since the subsequent envelope
stages always head back towards zero, a negative sustain level will give you an envelope that zigs high,
zags low, and ends up somewhere in the middle.
Here are the additional envelope parameters:
Velocity (Keyboard Velocity Tracking): This parameter determines the extent to which the
note velocity, or how hard you hit the key, affects the envelope. When set to 0%, the envelope
always comes out full-strength, regardless of how lightly you hit the key. When set to 100%, the
amplitude of the envelope directly matches the velocity, and very light keystrokes will result in
very weak envelopes. Parameter values in the middle scale accordingly.
In all cases, a hard keystroke produces a strong envelope. This parameter just lets you choose
the envelope strength for weak keystrokes.
Reset
on every note
Whenever you press a key, the envelope starts at the beginning.
unless legato
If you play one note while holding down another, the new note's envelope starts at the
current position of the held note.
Freerun: This parameter determines the how the envelope treats its sustain portion. If set to off,
then the envelope transitions from the attack stage to the decay stage to the sustain stage, as
long as you are holding the key down. As soon as you take your finger off the key, the envelope
will move into the release stage.
Envelope type
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