ADSR Synth Envelopes, explained.

Range 0.001 s to 3 s

How long the sound takes to reach full level from the moment the note starts. Zero snaps in; longer fades in and the note starts to land behind the beat.

Range 0.001 s to 3 s

How long it takes to fall from that peak down to the sustain level. This is what shapes the body of a plucked or percussive sound.

Range 0 to 1

The level it holds at while the note is still held. A level, not a time — this is the one that decides whether a sound is a hit or a held note.

Range 0.001 s to 5 s

How long the tail takes to fade once the note ends. Long releases overlap into the next note and muddy a fast trance groove.

Amplitude envelope — A shape that hits and dies.

Attack

0.001 s

Decay

0.15 s

Sustain

0

Release

0.05 s

Attack at zero — the kick has to snap. Decay under 200 ms so the body of the hit fades quickly. Sustain at zero, because a kick is a hit not a held note. Release short too, so the next kick doesn't bleed into this one.

• Attack: As you push attack up, listen for the kick softening — the punch turns to a mushy thump, and the note starts landing behind the beat even when you played it on the grid.
• Decay: As decay grows, listen for the body of the kick hanging on — it starts to bleed into where the next kick should be.
• Sustain: As you raise sustain, listen for the kick turning into a low drone — the thud gets replaced by a sustained bass tone.
• Release: As release grows, listen for tails from each kick overlapping into the next — the low end starts to muddy up.

• Zero attack + short decay + zero sustain: The clean kick — hits hard, dies fast, nothing lingers. This is 90% of the kicks you'll ever set.
• Any attack + high sustain: A drone masquerading as a kick — the fundamental sustaining is what happens if you accidentally raise sustain on a kick preset.
• Long release + fast kick pattern: Muddy low end — every kick's tail bleeds into the next, the low end never gets to breathe.

Filter envelope — A tight click that closes down.

Attack

0.001 s

Decay

0.08 s

Sustain

0

Release

0.05 s

Filter cutoff

250 Hz

Resonance

1

Envelope amount

4

Cutoff low so the fundamental is warm. Env amount around 4 octaves so the envelope can lift the click up above. Attack at zero, short decay, zero sustain — the filter opens instantly for the click, then closes back down to the warm body. The click sits on top, the body sits underneath.

• Attack: As you push attack up, listen for the click softening — the kick loses its top-end snap and just thuds.
• Decay: As decay grows, listen for the click hanging on — kick reads brighter and less punchy, more like a tom or a shoutier acoustic-style hit.
• Sustain: Raise sustain and listen for the kick staying bright as long as the note is on — reads thin and buzzy instead of weighty.
• Release: As release grows, listen for the filter dragging open past the note — bright tail smears into the next kick.

• Low cutoff + high env amount + short decay + zero sustain: Click on top, warm body underneath — the modern trance/tech kick shape. The click lifts, the body stays warm below.
• High cutoff + low env amount: A bright buzzy kick with no dynamic movement — sounds synthetic and static. The envelope shape is doing almost nothing.
• Zero env amount + any envelope shape: A static kick tone — the whole envelope shape does literally nothing. If you're tweaking ADSR and hearing no change, this is why. Turn env amount up first.

Amplitude envelope — Instant on, held solid, tight off.

Attack

0.001 s

Decay

0.05 s

Sustain

1

Release

0.03 s

Attack at zero — the sub is a fundamental, no bloom. Sustain at 100%, because a peak-time sub holds the low end for the whole note. Decay hardly matters when sustain is full. Release short so the sub does not linger past the note into the next kick.

• Attack: As you push attack up, listen for the anchor arriving late — the sub blooms in slowly on each note, the low end feels weak at the start.
• Decay: With sustain at 100% this barely does anything. Drop sustain first, then decay shapes how fast the peak fades to the held level.
• Sustain: As you drop sustain, listen for the sub disappearing mid-note — the low end goes hollow between kicks, then reappears on the next hit.
• Release: As release grows, listen for the sub bleeding into where the next kick lands — the two fight in the low end and neither wins.

• Zero attack + high sustain + short release: The peak-time sub — instant, full, tight. This is where a sub should live. Set it once, never touch again.
• Any attack + low sustain: A vanishing sub — pulses in then disappears. Only useful for stab-like sub hits, never for a held sub-bass line.
• High sustain + long release: The bleed-into-kick sub — creates a smeary low end that never lets the kick breathe. Common mistake, sounds like it should work, doesn't.

Filter envelope — Filter envelope is rarely useful here.

Attack

0.001 s

Decay

0.05 s

Sustain

1

Release

0.03 s

Filter cutoff

500 Hz

Resonance

0

Envelope amount

0

Honestly? Leave this one alone on a sub. A sub wants to be the pure clean low — any filter envelope movement risks killing the fundamental. If you must, keep env amount at zero, or set cutoff wide open and env amount to zero. The teaching moment for sub is: not every parameter is meant to be turned.

• Attack: With env amount at zero, no filter movement — the ADSR is doing nothing. That's the point on a sub.
• Decay: Same — env amount at zero means the filter is static. Learn to accept: on a sub you set env amount to zero and walk away.
• Sustain: Same — the sub wants a full-range fundamental untouched by a filter envelope. This is a hands-off situation.
• Release: Same — no effect. Turn env amount up on any other channel to actually hear these controls work.

• Zero env amount + wide-open cutoff: The sub as it should be — stable, unmoving, the foundation of the low end. This is the answer. Set and forget.
• Any env amount + high resonance: Warning territory — the filter envelope will start to wobble the sub's fundamental. The low end goes lumpy and inconsistent. Avoid.
• Low cutoff + any env amount: You just killed the sub — the fundamental drops below the cutoff and the entire low end disappears. Instant "why is my mix empty?" moment.

Amplitude envelope — Fast in, held with a touch of movement.

Attack

0.005 s

Decay

0.08 s

Sustain

0.8

Release

0.05 s

Attack fast so each note bites in. Short decay down to a firm sustain — the drop from peak gives the note punch without killing its body. Sustain around 70–90% so the note has weight for its full length. Release short so it stops when the note stops.

• Attack: As you push attack up, listen for the bite going off each note — the bass reads spongy instead of aggressive, loses its peak-time energy.
• Decay: As decay grows, listen for the peak lingering — each note reads louder at its start than it should, the pattern feels uneven.
• Sustain: Drop sustain and listen for notes weakening after their peak — some notes read loud, others thin, the bassline sounds lumpy.
• Release: As release grows, listen for notes ringing into the next one — the pattern smears and loses definition, especially on 16ths.

• Fast attack + medium decay + full sustain: The classic peak-time bass — bites in, holds strong, whole note has weight. Trance bassline default.
• Fast attack + short decay + low sustain: A percussive bass — hits and drops back to almost nothing. Useful for hoover-style stabs and rhythmic bass patterns, wrong for a driving line.
• Any attack + long release: The bass that never stops — every note bleeds into the next, the pattern loses all its bounce. Feels wet and out of control.

Filter envelope — Movement — the bass opens up on each hit.

Attack

0.001 s

Decay

0.12 s

Sustain

0.25

Release

0.08 s

Filter cutoff

200 Hz

Resonance

3

Envelope amount

4

This is where the filter envelope earns its keep on a bass. Cutoff moderate so the base tone is warm but audible. Env amount around 4 octaves for a proper sweep. Attack at zero — bite instantly. Short decay so the sweep opens then closes back down. Sustain low so the note settles back to its warm base. The result is a bass that moves on every hit instead of sitting flat.

• Attack: As you push attack up, listen for the bite softening on each note — the bass reads mellow instead of aggressive, loses peak-time energy.
• Decay: As decay grows, listen for the brightness holding — the bass reads open and buzzy through the whole note, no dynamic drop.
• Sustain: Drop sustain and listen for the bass closing back to a warm hold between hits — that dynamic movement is what makes it feel alive instead of static.
• Release: As release grows, listen for the filter tail carrying brightness past each note — the pattern smears at the tail, especially on 16ths.

• Low cutoff + high env amount + fast decay + low sustain: A moving bass — opens dramatically on each hit, settles to warm hold. Classic peak-time. This is the shape to learn.
• Medium cutoff + medium env amount + full sustain: A bright but static bass — sits at one brightness. Boring in isolation, actually glues well in a busy mix.
• High resonance + short decay + low sustain: A reese-style wah — the resonance makes the movement dramatic on every note. Signature Maddix-lane trance/tech-trance sound.

Amplitude envelope — Fast enough to cut, held for the melody.

Attack

0.008 s

Decay

0.15 s

Sustain

0.85

Release

0.15 s

Attack short but not zero — a tiny slope softens the top of the transient so the lead sounds musical instead of clicky. Sustain high, because the lead is a held sung line. Release medium — long enough that legato notes glue together, short enough that it does not smear when you play staccato.

• Attack: As you push attack up, listen for the timing feeling late — even played on the grid, notes read as if they're trailing behind the beat because they take too long to reach peak volume.
• Decay: As decay grows, listen for the front of each note reading louder than the sustain — the melody's dynamic gets uneven, some notes fake-forward.
• Sustain: Drop sustain and listen for the lead fading through each note — the phrase loses power halfway, melodies feel unfinished.
• Release: As release grows, listen for legato glue — notes overlap and tie together. Push too far and the melody smears into a wash.

• Small attack + high sustain + short release: A tight staccato lead — every note lands crisp, ends crisp. Good for rhythmic melodic patterns and stab-based lines.
• Zero attack + high sustain + medium release: A legato lead — the release ties consecutive notes together into a proper melody. This is where playable lead lines live.
• Long attack + high sustain + long release: A pad-lead hybrid — the lead blooms in, hangs, fades. Big-track energy, breakdown material. Not something you play fast phrases on.

Filter envelope — Bite at the start, warmth on the hold.

Attack

0.001 s

Decay

0.12 s

Sustain

0.6

Release

0.15 s

Filter cutoff

900 Hz

Resonance

1.5

Envelope amount

2.5

Filter cutoff high so the lead is bright by default. Env amount 2–3 octaves for a subtle move rather than a dramatic sweep. Attack instant — you want the bite on the transient. Fast decay to a mid-high sustain so each note starts a hair brighter than it settles. Release medium so the tail closes gently rather than clinically.

• Attack: As you push attack up, listen for the lead softening its articulation — each note reads as a fade-in instead of a proper entry.
• Decay: As decay grows, listen for the brightness lasting deeper into the note — lead reads shrill, static, without dynamic between attack and sustain.
• Sustain: Drop sustain and listen for the lead settling to a warm held tone — the bright-to-warm dynamic is where the whole character lives.
• Release: As release grows, listen for the release tail catching the next note — legato phrases glue at the filter as well as at the amp.

• High cutoff + low env amount + zero attack: A subtle, present lead — mostly static brightness, gentle filter movement at the top of each note. Reliable, mix-safe.
• Medium cutoff + high env amount + slow decay: A sweeping trance lead — every note opens up dramatically then settles. Classic anthemic supersaw shape. Big-track material.
• Low cutoff + high env amount + high resonance: A resonant whining lead — polarising, sits between trance lead and hardstyle screech. Great for aggressive tech-trance, wrong for melodic uplifting.

Amplitude envelope — The envelope IS the sound.

Attack

0.001 s

Decay

0.12 s

Sustain

0

Release

0.2 s

This is the one where the envelope defines the whole character. Attack at zero — instant. Decay short, under 150 ms — the note falls quickly. Sustain at zero — the sound has to disappear even while the key is held. Release medium so the tail rings out and glues the pattern together.

• Attack: As you push attack up, listen for the pluck losing its point — the hit softens, the note pushes back behind the beat, and the whole thing stops sounding plucked.
• Decay: As decay grows, listen for the note holding on — it stops sounding plucked and starts sounding like a synth stab.
• Sustain: Sustain is the pluck's whole character. Raise it and listen for the pluck refusing to die while you hold — it turns into a held note, ruining the point.
• Release: As release grows, listen for tails lingering — the pluck pattern turns into a wash of overlapping tails. A touch is good, too much is smear.

• Zero attack + short decay + zero sustain: The classic pluck bloom — hits and dies while your finger is still down. This is the definition of a pluck, learn this shape.
• Fast attack + short decay + zero sustain + medium release: A playable pluck — each hit is still percussive but the tail links notes into a proper melodic pattern.
• Slow attack + zero sustain: A pluck that never speaks — the attack takes so long that by the time the note is loud, the sustain has already dropped to zero. Silent-ish. Avoid unless you want a whisper.

Filter envelope — The filter envelope IS the pluck.

Attack

0.001 s

Decay

0.12 s

Sustain

0

Release

0.15 s

Filter cutoff

150 Hz

Resonance

3

Envelope amount

5

This is the canonical filter envelope patch. Cutoff low so the base tone is dark. Env amount 5+ octaves so the envelope can open the filter dramatically. Attack at zero — instant bright. Decay short, 100–150 ms — the filter closes down fast. Sustain at zero — the sound goes dark even while held. Release medium so the tail carries a little brightness on the way out.

• Attack: As you push attack up, listen for the pluck losing its instant bright bite — it starts to sound like a filter sweep instead of a pluck.
• Decay: As decay grows, listen for the brightness holding too long — the pluck stops sounding plucked and starts sounding like a lead.
• Sustain: Raise sustain and listen for the pluck refusing to close down — it turns into a bright held tone instead of dying while your finger's down.
• Release: As release grows, listen for the bright tail ringing out — good for pluck patterns that need connective tissue between notes.

• Low cutoff + high env amount + short decay + zero sustain: The definitive pluck. Instant open, close hard, dark hold. Do not compromise on any of these four — the shape is the sound.
• Higher cutoff + low env amount: A stab that's already bright — the filter envelope barely does anything because the sound is already open. Useful when the pluck IS the tone you want, no movement needed.
• Long decay + zero sustain: A dragging pluck — the filter closes slowly over the note. Nice for slower half-time patterns, awful for 16ths.

Amplitude envelope — Bloom in, held soft, fade out slow.

Attack

0.4 s

Decay

0.5 s

Sustain

1

Release

0.8 s

This is where preset users get confused when a pad "sounds wrong" and they cannot say why. Long attack — 200 ms or more — so the chord blooms in gradually. Sustain high, near 100%, because a pad IS the sustain. Release long, half a second or more, so chord changes crossfade instead of chopping.

• Attack: As you push attack up, listen for chord changes turning from events into washes — each new chord blooms in instead of hitting.
• Decay: At full sustain this is nearly invisible. Drop sustain and it becomes audible — a quiet dip after the peak that shapes how the pad "arrives".
• Sustain: Drop sustain and listen for the pad weakening through each chord — long notes fade away in the middle, the wash disappears.
• Release: As release grows, listen for chords crossfading into each other — the pad becomes one continuous evolving wash instead of a sequence of held notes.

• Long attack + high sustain + long release: The archetypal pad — blooms in, holds, fades. This is the shape. When a preset "sounds wrong" for a pad, it's usually because one of these three is off.
• Fast attack + high sustain + long release: A pad with attitude — hits immediately, holds full, still fades gracefully on chord changes. Good for pads that need to lock onto a rhythm.
• Any attack + zero release: A stabby pad — chords chop hard instead of flowing. Useful for atmospheric stab sections, but stop calling this a pad — it's something else.

Filter envelope — Slow bloom in brightness.

Attack

0.5 s

Decay

0.5 s

Sustain

0.85

Release

1 s

Filter cutoff

400 Hz

Resonance

0.5

Envelope amount

2.5

Filter cutoff moderate — the pad starts on the warm side. Env amount 2–3 octaves for a gentle bloom. Attack long, 400 ms or more, so the pad opens up gradually. High sustain so the pad reads as full-bright while held. Long release so the brightness fades slowly on chord changes.

• Attack: As you push attack up, listen for the pad opening more gradually — the bloom in brightness stretches over hundreds of milliseconds.
• Decay: At high sustain this is nearly invisible. Drop sustain first, then decay shapes the "arrival" character — a quick dip after the peak.
• Sustain: Drop sustain and listen for the pad closing back down while held — dark, atmospheric, the pad recedes even while your finger is down.
• Release: As release grows, listen for chord changes crossfading in brightness — the pad becomes one continuous evolving wash of colour.

• Medium cutoff + medium env amount + slow attack + high sustain: The archetypal opening pad — blooms in brightness, holds. The trance-drop pad, big-moment material.
• High cutoff + zero env amount + long amp attack: A bright pad that blooms only in volume. The filter is static (already open), amp envelope does the swell. Common with airy atmospheric pads.
• Low cutoff + high env amount + slow attack: A dramatic filter bloom — pad opens up slowly over the whole intro. Big drop-approach moment — the filter is doing storytelling work.

Amplitude envelope — Instant on, held to your groove.

Attack

0.001 s

Decay

0.05 s

Sustain

1

Release

0.05 s

The amp envelope on a 303 line is honestly the boring one — the character lives in the filter envelope. Attack instant, sustain high, so the note lives at full volume the whole time it is on. Release depends on the pattern: short for staccato 16ths, medium for held slides.

• Attack: As you push attack up, listen for the bite going off the pattern — the 303 loses its bounce and starts sounding delayed.
• Decay: At full sustain the decay is nearly silent. Drop sustain first, then decay shapes the front of each note as it settles.
• Sustain: Drop sustain and listen for each note fading mid-hit — the pattern loses its drive and reads as inconsistent.
• Release: As release grows, listen for notes smearing into each other — the choppy 16th-note feel that makes a 303 line propulsive disappears.

• Zero attack + high sustain + short release: The classic held 303 — the amp just enables the note, the filter envelope does everything. This is the standard, use as default.
• Zero attack + high sustain + long release: A slippery 303 — notes slide into each other. Suits acid lines with actual slides (accent + glide), sits weird on choppy patterns.
• Fast attack + short decay + low sustain: A percussive acid — the amp shape starts doing filter-envelope work. Overkill unless you've turned the filter envelope off; usually redundant.

Filter envelope — THE filter envelope. This is the whole sound.

Attack

0.001 s

Decay

0.2 s

Sustain

0.1

Release

0.05 s

Filter cutoff

120 Hz

Resonance

6

Envelope amount

5

This is the sound the filter envelope was invented for. Cutoff low — the base tone is closed and dark. Resonance high, 6 or above — the classic 303 growl. Env amount 5 octaves so the envelope wah is dramatic. Attack instant, decay controls how fast the wah closes, sustain low so the filter closes right back down. Release short so each note is punchy on the grid. Note: the original TB-303 has a single filter DECAY parameter, no ADSR — its decay does everything Attack + Decay + Release do here. The four sliders let you shape the same character with more control.

• Attack: As you push attack up, listen for the wah landing late — the classic 303 articulation goes off, the pattern loses its snap.
• Decay: As decay grows, listen for the wah dragging out — the 303 sounds sludgy and drunk instead of snappy and tight.
• Sustain: Raise sustain and listen for the filter refusing to close between hits — you lose the squelch that defines acid, it turns into a resonant lead.
• Release: As release grows, listen for the filter tail smearing notes — the choppy 16th-note feel that makes a 303 line propulsive disappears.

• Low cutoff + high resonance + high env amount + fast decay + low sustain + short release: The 303. Every parameter working together. This is not an assembly of choices — it's a single lock. Learn to hear each piece, but treat the whole as the sound.
• Higher cutoff + lower env amount: A tamer acid — usable in a mix without dominating. Sacrifices character for space. Sometimes the right call in a busy drop.
• Medium sustain + long release: A wet slippery acid — for lines with actual slides (accent + glide). Sounds wrong on staccato patterns, right on legato ones.