Kick Lab 05 · 12 min
Envelope Lab
Move attack, decay, sustain and release while the envelope and audio update as one model.
Controlled experiment
Change one cause. Hear the result.
Before moving a control, predict what will change. Use the play controls to compare at a comfortable level.
Audio starts only when you press a play button.
Move one control and listen for the relationship.
Attention guide
Listen for these three things.
- 1Separation between body and tail
- 2Clicks caused by an abrupt ending
- 3How pitch movement changes perceived punch
Guided practice
Three experiments worth doing.
Do them in order. Reveal “What to notice” only after you have described the result in your own words.
- 01
Same length, different contour
Compare high Sustain with short Release against low Sustain with long Release.
What to notice
Similar duration can contain very different energy distributions.
- 02
Pitch is part of envelope
Move Pitch decay from 20 to 180 ms.
What to notice
A longer pitch fall becomes a more obvious tonal gesture and can occupy more melodic space.
- 03
Make room deliberately
Play a fast pattern mentally, then shorten Release until the next imagined bass note has space.
What to notice
Envelope decisions belong to the rhythm, not the waveform in isolation.
Check your model
Which control most directly changes the level held after the initial decay?
Choose the answer that explains the cause, not merely the symptom.
Close the loop
Can you explain the result without the controls?
If you can name the cause, the audible change and the musical tradeoff, the concept is ready to transfer into your own session.