ADSR Envelope

ADSR Envelope

An envelope shapes how a sound starts and ends. ADSR stands for:

• Attack - how fast it reaches full volume.
• Decay - how fast it falls.
• Sustain - the level it holds.
• Release - how fast it fades to silence.

Set an envelope

Try different values and notice how the sound's shape changes.

Bouncy plucks

A quick attack with a fast decay makes a "plucky" sound:

Long, swelled notes

A slow attack swells the note in:

The four numbers

adsr(attack, decay, sustain, release)

• attack - rise time (0 = instant).
• decay - fall to sustain.
• sustain - held level.
• release - fade at the end.

TL;DR

• adsr(a, d, s, r) shapes the sound's loudness over time.
• Fast attack = punchy; slow attack = swelling.
• Fast decay = plucky; slow release = ringing.