User Guide

22
CHAPTER 4
Introduction
lower the level, the shorter the
RELEASE phase. If you dialed in a
brief DECAY or SUSTAIN - TIME phase
and it ended while you held the
key down then of course there will
not be an audible RELEASE phase.
The next phase of the amplifier
envelope is determined by the SUS-
TAI N - TIME pot: If the pot is set to
the center position (12 o’clock) indi-
cated by the mathematical infinity
symbol, then the SUSTAIN level
remains constant through to the
end of the note.
If you turn it counter-clockwise to
the left (towards FALL), then the
level drops off at an increasing rate
towards the minimum level much
in the manner you just experi-
enced with the DECAY pot; If you
turn the pot clockwise to the right
(towards RISE), the level rises at an
increasing rate to maximum and
remains there until you release the
key.
The amplifier envelope can be
described as a variable curve
which, depending on the type and
duration of attack, hold and
release data, automatically influ-
ences an imaginary volume pot
(turns it up or down). At the begin-
ning of the note, ATTAC K controls
the rise or rate of increase to the
maximum level. Once the maxi-
mum level is achieved, DECAY
determines the fall or rate of
decrease to the SUSTAIN value,
which is infinitely variable
between the minimum and maxi-
mum levels. The amplifier enve-
lope may remain at this value until
the end of the note, fall towards
the minimum level as determined
by the variable TIME value, or even
rise again towards the maximum
level. After the end of the note,
RELEASE controls the fall or rate of
decrease to the minimum level.
Consequently, the control pots
labeled ATTAC K , DECAY , TIME and
RELEASE control a speed or rate,
where as SUSTAIN actually con-
trols a level.