Dynamics basics
Attack and release
The envelope describes how a sound starts, lives and fades.
A sound has an attack (the time to reach its peak level), then a sustain and a release (the time to fade out). A plucked string attacks fast and fades slowly; a synth pad may attack and fade slowly.
The envelope matters as much as timbre in recognising a sound: cut off a piano's attack and it becomes unrecognisable.
A compressor's settings use the same names: hearing a sound's attack and release prepares you to hear a compressor's.
Listen for
- The start of the sound: sharp and immediate, or gradual?
- The end of the sound: cut short, or lingering?
The classic mistake
Mistaking a long release for reverb: reverb adds a space, release extends the sound itself.
Put it into practice
Attack & Release · Discovery
Attack & ReleaseThe lesson is complete when the level is passed (35/50).