Absynth Envelopes Explained

For anyone just getting started with this incredibly deep synth, the Absynth envelopes can seem a bit daunting and perhaps even perplexing. And for many people who have used this synth for a while, it may seem like the true potential of the flexible envelope system continues to elude them. Well, this insightful tutorial will hopefully put an end to much of the worry and confusion surrounding one of the greatest features that helps to set it apart from many other great synths out there. The fact that you can assign an envelope to just about anything you’d like makes it pretty cool, but the ability to create as many custom breakpoints as you want makes it even better. Add to that the ability to incorporate LFOs directly into an envelope’s curves and you begin to unleash a whole new world of opportunities and possibilities. And, of course, the ability to UNDO and REDO means that you can freely experiment without the worry of losing something special.

This lesson in Absynth envelopes keeps it pretty basic, making it more accessible to new users. Though it does do a good job of showing in real-time the changes to the delivery and development of sounds at changes are being made to the envelopes. And showing how an envelope that is assigned to the amp parameter of an oscillator differs from an envelope assigned to control the frequency parameter of a filter. Both are exactly the same, from the perspective of envelope functionality, but the results are very different because of what they are controlling elsewhere in the synth.

Once you begin to truly grasp the concept of attack, decay, sustain and release and how Absynth envelopes support the use of additional breakpoints you will start to take your sounds and synthesis skills to a whole new level. It is well worth spending a bunch of time setting up envelopes of varying shapes and sizes that affect just the amp or pitch of an oscillator. This is the easiest way to help you gain deeper understanding of the mechanics involved. Then you can progress to more advanced modulation assignments like filter frequency or any of the countless other possibilities available in Absynth.

Cheers,
OhmLab