Let's talk about ADSR · One-Week Song Club

Brian Botkiller

Oct 22 in Production Techniques

Let's talk about ADSR

ADSR is a very important part of music production.

It applies not only to Electronic Music but to all instruments we play, including our voice.

ADSR stands for:

Attack: How quickly a note is heard when it is struck, played, sung, etc.

Decay: How long it takes for that note or sound to reach its max intensity.

Sustain: How long that note or sound is heard after Attack and Decay.

Release: How quickly that sound goes away after following Attack, Decay, and Sustain.

Typically, ADSR is referenced for synthesizers and keyboards, where these settings are quickly adjusted for sound design purposes.

However, ADSR applies to any instrument that we play.

If you strike a single guitar string:

The ATTACK of your finger or the pick hitting the string triggers the DECAY of the vibration of the string, with a sound being created by that action. The amount of time the string vibrates relates to the SUSTAIN. The RELEASE will denote how quickly the sound of that string having been struck will go away.

When using digital instruments, such as synthesizers, ADSR is very important for sound design purposes. It allows us to change a single struck note from a harsh attack (such as hammering on a key) to a slow, swelling "pad" sound which builds up (a combination of the Attack and Decay) and can continue for quite some time (the Sustain and Release).

You'll find that once you know what ADSR is, you'll start to recognize it in nearly every sound. You'll also likely see these controls in many virtual synthesizers, keyboards, and other instruments.

Have you utilized ADSR in your music production?

2 comments