Filter Envelope - Alesis QS6.1 Reference Manual

F
ILTER
The Filter Envelope function (press [100]) is crucial whenever you want the tonal
quality of a note to change over time, differently from its overall level. Example:
When you want the initial attack of a note to be bright, but want the sustaining part
to be filtered.
Note: Be sure to read the TIP in the Filter Envelope Trigger Mode section on page
132. It deals with getting the most natural interaction between the Sustain Pedal and
the Filter Envelope.
TIP:
For the most effective Filter Envelope sweeps, leave the Amplitude Envelope Sustain
level at maximum (99) and control the shape of the Sound entirely with the Filter
envelope (especially the Decay rate and Sustain level).
The following Filter Envelope variables will have effect only if the FILTER ENVELOPE
DEPTH (on Page 7 of the FILTER function) is set to a value other than 0, or Filter Envelope
is a source in the MOD function.
Also note that the Filter Envelope may have no effect if some other modulation source, or the
basic setting of the filter, has already pushed the filter cutoff frequency to its maximum.
Attack (00 to 99)
This is the amount of time the envelope will take until it reaches its maximum output
level. Setting the Attack to 0 will give a sharp edge to the sound (if the Delay is also
set to 0 in Filter Envelope Page 5 -- see next page); a setting of 99 will result in a much
slower attack, taking many seconds before the envelope gets to maximum.
Decay & Sustain (00 to 99)
As soon as the attack portion of the envelope finishes (when the level reaches
maximum), the envelope will decay (decrease in level). The level it reaches is set by
the Sustain control; how long it takes to get there is set by the Decay control. In the
special case where the Sustain level is all the way up (99), then there is no decrease
and the Decay time segment is bypassed. Depending on the setting of the Sustain
Decay control (see below), the envelope will either hold at the sustain level until you
release the note on the keyboard, or decay to 0 at the Sustain Decay rate (which is on
page 6 of the envelope function). You can create a long ÒplateauÓ at the start of a note
by setting the Sustain to 98 and the Decay to 99. This will cause the envelope to take
the maximum amount of time to get from peak level to a level of 98, before the
Sustain Decay portion of the envelope begins.
Release (00 to 99)
Eventually, you will let go of the note that youÕve been holding (either by releasing
the note on the keyboard, or releasing the sustain pedal if it was pressed). It is at this
point that the Release portion of the envelope takes effect. The Release is the time
that the envelope takes to get from the sustain level back down to nothing. Setting
the Release time to 0 is good for playing those short funky riffs that you hear on a
clavinet. Setting the Release time to 99 will make the envelope take a very long time
to reach zero level.
QS6.1 Reference Manual
E
NVELOPE
Editing Programs: Part 8
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Pages 2 & 3
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