[sdiy] Dealing with velocity sensitivity / scaling on envelopes

[Oakley Sound]

 > Not if you're designing polyphonic multitimbral voice-stealing
analogue synths

I'll concede that multitimbral synths that are sharing the same voicing 
electronics across multiple timbres will have to reset the envelopes to 
zero. But then they also have to reprogram every other parameter too. I 
don't envy anyone who has to do this in analogue hardware. The old way 
of dealing with this was to limit the number of voices in each timbre 
and have the note stealing going on within that particular timbre only.

As it is I was talking about monophonic lines, as was I think the 
original poster, but I can see that the same situation must be dealt 
with when a note is stolen in a polyphonic system. That though is a 
situation which is never perfect and one must accept that there will be 
consequences - the minimum being that some release tails are over ridden.

In a monophonic system and a mono-timbral polyphonic system I can't see 
myself ever using a RTZ envelope. And, as you've all probably figured, I 
certainly wish that it wasn't the default behaviour on so many synths.

I do think allowing velocity to control all the parameters of an ADSR 
including the final output level is a very useful thing. Playing style 
and patch parameters will determine whether any rapid change in ADSR 
output level will be problem. With a staccato playing style with a fast 
release time envelope level modulation by velocity becomes a very useful 
tool.

Tony

www.oakleysound.com