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Table Of Contents
Setting Envelope 1 Decay or Release in the ES2
ENV 1 can be set to act as an envelope generator with either of the following: an Attack
time and Decay time parameter or an Attack time and Release time parameter.
Click here to switch
between Decay and
Release modes.
To switch between Attack/Decay and Attack/Release modes
µ
Click the D or the R above the right ENV 1 slider. The button label will change to reflect
the mode that is activated.
In Attack/Decay mode: The level will fall to zero after the attack phase has completed,
whether or not the note is sustained. It will decay at the same speed—even if you
release the key. The decay time is set with the D (Decay time) slider.
In Attack/Release mode: The envelope level remains at its maximum after the attack
phase is over, while the key remains depressed. Following the release of the key, the
level decreases over the time period defined by the R (Release time) slider.
Emulating Classic Polysynth Filter Behavior in the ES2
Early analog polysynths passed all voices through a single lowpass filter. This design
decision was primarily due to cost factors. The best-known examples of these polyphonic
instruments were the Moog Polymoog, the Yamaha SK20, and the Korg Poly-800. The
sole lowpass filter of such instruments is controlled by a single envelope generator. To
simulate this behavior in the ES2, use the Mono or Retrigger modes.
Modulation of the Cutoff 2 target with a percussive source, such as ENV 1, which is set
to Retrig will have a percussive filter effect every time you play another key, if you play
and sustain a bass note. The newly struck key is also shaped by the same filter. Playing
a sound set up in this way feels like you’re playing a polyphonic synthesizer with one
filter. This is despite the fact that the ES2’s filters remain polyphonic and can be
simultaneously modulated by different polyphonic sources.
As a further tip, you can also simulate the percussion of a Hammond organ by using
the Mono or Retrigger modes.
Getting to Know ENV 2 and ENV 3 in the ES2
The feature sets of ENV 2 and ENV 3 are identical, but it is always the task of ENV 3 to
define the level of each note—to modulate the dynamic stage, in other words.
86 Chapter 5 ES2