Envelopes

On the Edit page, you can edit the pitch (P), filter (F), amp (A), and user (U) envelopes. Each of these is a multi-segment envelope with up to 128 nodes. The nodes specify the overall shape of the envelope. The amp, filter, and pitch envelopes are pre-assigned to the amplitude, the filter cutoff frequency, and the pitch of the layer. The user envelope is freely assignable.

All envelopes can be used as sources in the modulation matrix.

  • Click P to display the parameters of the pitch envelope.

    The pitch envelope modulates the pitch over time. The pitch envelope is bipolar, which means it allows for negative and positive values to bend the pitch.

  • Click F to display the parameters of the filter envelope.

    The filter envelope controls the cutoff frequency to shape the harmonic content over time.

  • Click A to display the parameters of the amplifier envelope.

    The amplifier envelope shapes the volume over time.

  • Click U to display the parameters of the freely assignable user envelope.

    The user envelope is bipolar, which means it allows for negative and positive values, for example, to modulate the pan from left to right.

Mode

Determines how the envelope is played back when it is triggered.

  • Select Sustain to play the envelope from the first node to the sustain node. The sustain level is held for as long as you play the note. When you release the note, the envelope continues with the stages following the sustain. This mode is ideal for looped samples.

  • Select Loop to play back the envelope from the first node to the loop nodes. Then, the loop is repeated for as long as the key is held. When you release the note, the envelope continues playing the stages that follow the sustain. This mode is ideal for adding motion to the sustain of the envelope.

  • Select One Shot to play the envelope from the first to the last node, even if you release the key. The envelope has no sustain stage. This mode is ideal for drum samples.

  • Select Sample Loop to preserve the natural attack of the sample. The decay of the envelope does not start until the sample has reached the sample loop start.

    If you set the second node to the maximum level and use the following nodes to shape the decay during the loop phase of the sample, the envelope only affects the loop phase. The attack of the envelope is still executed.

    Note

    Sample Loop mode is only available for sample layers.

Sync

Allows you to synchronize the envelopes to the tempo of your host application.

Snap

If Snap is activated and you change the position of nodes, they snap to the nodes of the guide envelope that is shown in the background.

Note

Pitch envelope nodes also snap to semitone positions.

Fill

Allows you to add multiple envelope nodes after the selected nodes.

Fixed

  • If Fixed is activated and you move selected nodes on the time axis, only the selected nodes are moved.

  • If Fixed is deactivated, all nodes that follow the edited nodes are also moved.

Env Node

Displays the focused envelope node.

Time

Specifies the period of time between two nodes. Depending on the Sync mode, the Time parameter is displayed in milliseconds and seconds, or in fractions of beats.

Curve

Allows you to adjust the curvature of the envelope curve between two nodes from linear to logarithmic or exponential behavior.

Level

Specifies the amplitude of the envelope at the position set by the Time parameter.

Level Velocity Curve

You can select the curve type to specify how the incoming velocity translates to the level of the envelope. The characteristic of each curve is displayed by a small icon.

Level Velocity (Vel>Lev)

Determines how the velocity affects the level of the envelope.

The level of the envelope depends on two factors: the setting of this parameter and how hard you hit a key. Positive values increase the level of the envelope the harder you hit a key. Negative values decrease the level of the envelope the harder you hit a key.

Time Velocity (Vel>Time)

Adjusts the influence of velocity on the phases of the envelope. Positive values decrease the length of the phases for higher velocity values. Negative values increase the length of the phases for higher velocity values.

Segments

Here, you can select which phases of the envelope are affected by the Time Velocity parameter.

  • Attack – The velocity affects the attack only.

  • Attack + Decay – The velocity affects all phases until the sustain.

  • Decay – The velocity affects all phases until the sustain but without the attack.

  • Attack + Release – The velocity affects the attack and the release phases.

  • All – The velocity affects all phases.

Time Key Follow, Center Key, and KeyF Rel (Key Follow Release)

With the Time Key Follow and KeyF Rel parameters, you can scale the envelope phases across the keyboard.

  • Time Key Follow scales all times before the sustain node.

  • KeyF Rel scales all times after the sustain node, that is, the release phase of the envelope.

The value that you specify for Center Key is used as the central position for the Time Key Follow and KeyF Rel functions.

The envelope phases depend on the keyboard range in which the note is played and on the corresponding Time Key Follow setting:

  • Positive values decrease the phase lengths for notes above and increase the phase lengths for notes below the set Center Key, that is, the envelope becomes faster the higher the note you play.

  • Negative values increase the phase lengths for notes above and decrease the phase lengths for notes below the Center Key, that is, the envelope becomes slower the higher the note you play.