What’s an ADSR envelope generator? If you are a big music hacker, you probably know. If you are like the rest of us, you might need to read [Mich’s] post to find out that it is an attack-decay-sustain-release (ADSR) envelope generator. Still confused? It is a circuit used in music synthesis. You can see a demo of the device in the video below.
Before the Altair–which was sort of the first hobbyist computer you could actually buy–electronics magazines were full of music synthesizer projects that had a lot in common with the analog computers of old. A lot of people took that very seriously and then computers took over the collective consciousness and we found musical hackers started working with (digital) computer-based synthesizers. But the old analog synth designs just won’t die. [Mich’s] ADSR is based on an ancient design, and the amount of information and additions he provides makes it worth a read, even if you don’t fancy building one.
In particular, [Mich] found the original circuit had some issues and–after building the circuit once–did the work it took to fix the problems. He’s documented what he found and how he fixed it in great detail. He also explains a lot of terminology and even how basic elements like a flip flop made of NOR gates works.
If you do decide to duplicate the unit, the PCB layout is online. There’s also advice about tweaking circuit values for your particular setup.
Hackaday is no stranger to synthesizer projects. We’ve seen everything from the tiny to the gigantic. You can surely find something to fit your musical appetites in that range.
Requesting a new Logic Noise article using this :)
Music hacker? Really!?._.
Every time I start one of these vids I think to myself “will this be the time the guy actually produces something pleasant to listen to in the demo”. But, nope, never happens.
Nice one!
Great work Mich, and thanks for sharing your work in such a detailed writeup of the circuit and construction details! The sequenced LEDs on the faders showing progress through the envelope is a really nice touch. I look forward to more entries on this budding blog.
It must have already been posted in another article, but for anyone interested in sound synthesis, go read “Synth Secrets” by Gordon Reid.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160403115835/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/allsynthsecrets.htm
Very cool…I came across this doing some pre-research for the Sound Of Music show I’m seeing in Charlotte this November. Interesting alternative take on the production. The Belk Theater is putting on some performances in November of this year (2017) of the Sound of Music if anyone lives near there in Charlotte:
https://seatnerds.com/charlotte/the-belk-theater/
Should be fun!