[sdiy] Question about Envelopes

[Chromatest J. Pantsmaker]

I know this is probably a silly question, but....

I'm getting my fiance into synths and I was going over her new synth with
her, explaining what a VCO is, VCF, etc...

Then I get to the EG (ADSR) and she asks me why it is called an envelope
generator?

I said because it generates envelopes.

That wasn't good enough for her, and I don't have a better answer.  I've
been playing with and working on synths for decades, even took a synthesis
class in college (they had the biggest Roland System 100M, I tell ya), but
I don't know why they call it an envelope.  Google searches have not been
helpful.

Silly question, but can anybody explain?

-c
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://synth-diy.org/pipermail/synth-diy/attachments/20171129/b3cf9e1f/attachment.htm>