Alchemy AHDSR envelopes in MainStage

Modulation components are shown only in advanced view. Click the Advanced button to switch to advanced view.

The AHDSR module provides an envelope generator with attack, hold, decay, sustain, and release stages. The A, H, D, and R times can be set independently. You can set the level of the S stage which is maintained until a MIDI note off message is received.

The AHDSR display shows a graph of envelope generator output. The ruler along the top shows the time, calibrated in seconds or in beats when Sync is activated. The envelope appears as series of points joined by lines or curves representing the different envelope segments.

You can set AHDSR values with the controls outlined in this section or by dragging points on the envelope graphic.

You can adjust the curvature of segments between points. Drag the line between points upward to make a segment progressively more convex; drag it downward to make a segment progressively more concave. Convex, linear, and concave envelope segments produce characteristically different effects. Option-click the line to reset a segment to a linear slope.

Envelope controls

Current AHDSR pop-up menu and field: Access each AHDSR control panel by selecting a number from the pop-up menu or with the Previous and Next arrows. Alchemy provides up to 16 envelopes—one by default, but more if you create them when assigning modulators.
File button: Open a pop-up menu with a number of envelope handling commands.
- Preset submenu: Choose a preset envelope shape. This can be used as is, or as a starting point for your own envelope shapes.
- Save: Save the current envelope. A dialog opens in which you can name and save the envelope file (*.ahd). The new envelope name appears at the bottom of the Preset submenu.
- Copy/Paste: Use these commands to copy settings between envelopes.
- Clear: Initialize the AHDSR.
- Randomize: Create a random envelope shape. This can be used as is, or as a starting point for your own envelope shapes.
Trigger pop-up menu: Choose On to retrigger the envelope (start from zero) with each new played note. Off triggers the envelope for the first note only. Voice On/FX Off modulates voice parameters only, not effects. The envelope retriggers only for notes received after all other notes have been released.
Note: Settings from earlier application versions may not behave as expected because of the additional trigger option. Change to VoiceOn/FX Off to match the former version behavior, then resave the setting.
Sync button: Turn on to synchronize the envelope with the project tempo. Adjustment of AHDR knobs snaps the envelope to bars and beats. Turn off to set envelope stage times freely.
Envelope display: The AHDSR display shows an editable graph of envelope generator output.
Attack knob: Set the time required to reach the peak amplitude level after a note is played. Adjustable from 0.00 seconds to 20.00 seconds.
Hold knob: Determine the time that the peak amplitude level is held before the decay stage of the envelope begins. Adjustable from 0.00 seconds to 20.00 seconds.
Decay knob: Set the time required for the peak amplitude to fall to the sustain level. Adjustable from 0.00 seconds to 20.00 seconds.
Sustain knob: Set the envelope sustain level as a percentage of peak amplitude. Adjustable from 0% to 100%.
Release knob: Set the time required for the signal amplitude to fall from the sustain level to zero, after the key has been released. Adjustable from 0.00 seconds to 20.00 seconds.
Tip: Where possible, try to use the minimum required envelope release times in order to reduce voice overlap, because this helps to reduce CPU load.

Download the guides:

MainStage User Guide: PDF

MainStage Instruments: PDF

MainStage Effects: PDF

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