All experimentsSynth Adventures · Recipes · 5 min
Experiment #05
Glass pluck
Turn four envelope knobs into a plucked note.
Zero sustain and a short decay make every note die on its own — the envelope as instrument design.
Promise: “I can shape a note over time.”
Experiment #05
Glass pluck
Turn four envelope knobs into a plucked note.
- 1.Confirm SUSTAIN is at 0% and DECAY is short.
- 2.Tap a key once — the note should fall away even while you hold.
- 3.Lengthen DECAY a little for a softer pluck; shorten it for a click.
- 4.Raise SUSTAIN above 0% and hear the organ-like hold return.
You should hear…
A bright attack that dies on its own. Holding the key does not keep the note ringing.
Doesn’t sound right?
Notes hang forever? SUSTAIN is up. Notes vanish instantly? DECAY and RELEASE are both near zero.
Try it on your gear
- Hydrasynth DeluxeAmp ENV · set sustain to 0
- SH-01AENV · A D S R on the VCA
- TR-8SEach voice has its own decay — same idea, no sustain
Why it sounds like that
The amp envelope draws loudness over time. Zero sustain means “no body” — only the decay transient remains, which reads as a pluck or percussion hit.
Tags
- envelope
- pluck
- ADSR