Instruments and Effects

Chapter 21 ES2 289
 In Retrig mode, the envelope will be triggered by any key you strike, no matter
whether other notes are sustained or not. Every sustained note is affected by the
retriggered envelope.
The design of early analog polysynths led to polyphonic instruments where all voices
passed through a single lowpass filter. This design was primarily due to cost factors. The
best known example of these polyphonic instruments were the Moog Polymoog, the
Yamaha SK20, and Korg Poly 800. The sole lowpass filter of such instruments is
controlled by a single envelope generator. To simulate this behavior, use the Mono or
Retrigger modes.
Say you’ve modulated the Cutoff 2 target with a percussive source, such as ENV1, which
is set to Retrig. If you play and sustain a bass note, this note will receive a percussive
filter effect every time you hit another key. 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.
∏ Tip: If you want to simulate the percussion of a Hammond Organ, you will also need to
use the Mono or Retrigger modes.
Decay/Release
ENV 1 can be set to act as an envelope generator with an Attack time and Decay time
parameter or with an Attack time and Release time parameter.
Switching between both modes is achieved by clicking on the D or the R above the
right ENV 1 slider.
 In its Attack/Decay mode, the level will fall to zero after the attack phase has
completed, no matter whether you sustain the note or not. It will decay at the same
speed even if you release the key. The decay time is set with the Decay time slider,
abbreviated as D.
 In its Attack/Release mode, the envelope level remains at its maximum after the
attack phase is over, as long as the key remains depressed. Following the release of
the key, its level decreases over the time set with the R slider—the abbreviation for
Release time.
Attack Time and Attack Via Vel
The Attack time slider is divided into two halves. The lower half defines the attack time
when the keys are struck hard (at maximum velocity). The upper half defines the attack
time at minimum velocity.
You can grab the area between the two slider halves with the mouse and drag both
halves simultaneously. If this area is to small to be grabbed with the mouse, just click in
a free part of the slider track, and move the mouse up or down to move the area.