How to Set ADSR To Behave Like Envelope To Set Up A Volume Ducker?

[Luca9583]

Hi all


I've set up a volume ducker that works as follows:

Input 3 is the main signal path with a Vol Block in line.
Input 1 is the trigger for the ducker

The ducker is achieved by modifying the Vol Block (for In 3) with Envelope (and Input 1 as the Envelope Source).



I've dimed the low cut and high cut in Envelope to get it to behave the way i want (depending on high or low strings)..so far so good.

How can i now set up a second ducker using another Vol Block modified by ADSR (with Input 2 as source) to duck Input 1 whenever Input 2 has signal? I want it to behave the same way but can't get the ADSR settings to work. Any idea what rough settings i should use?

 

[Luca9583]

Any ideas guys? I'm sure it can be done with a simple combination of settings.

 

[Bakerman]

Use "sustain" mode with sustain level at 100%, retrig = on, set threshold so ADSR triggers above desired level. Try starting with all times fairly low like 20-40 ms and see how adjustments from there sound. (Decay time shouldn't really matter and can stay low, even just 1 ms.)

For something that's less of an on/off switch, you can route an inverted (use a filter block) copy of the In 1 signal through a gate using In 2 as sidechain, and sum the gate output with the original In 1 signal.

 

[Luca9583]

Use "sustain" mode with sustain level at 100%, retrig = on, set threshold so ADSR triggers above desired level. Try starting with all times fairly low like 20-40 ms and see how adjustments from there sound. (Decay time shouldn't really matter and can stay low, even just 1 ms.)

For something that's less of an on/off switch, you can route an inverted (use a filter block) copy of the In 1 signal through a gate using In 2 as sidechain, and sum the gate output with the original In 1 signal.

Brilliant..i'll try this out asap. Thanks so much.

 

[GlennO]

Alternatively, simply use a compressor sidechained to input 2. That's probably the more common way to do ducking.

 

[Bakerman]

Alternatively, simply use a compressor sidechained to input 2. That's probably the more common way to do ducking.

That's true, although I was thinking Luca9583 might want a steeper ducking slope. The envelope example in post #1 will go from 100% to 0 volume over something like 5 dB of level change in the detected signal. A compressor would at most (infinite ratio) lower output by 1 dB per dB 1 increase of sidechain level, but you could put two compressors in series to make that ratio as high as 2:1.

 

[GlennO]

True, and maybe he wants some envelope behavior, like a decay. I just thought I'd mention a compressor as an alternative in case he's simply trying to do the conventional use case of "make A quieter when there is signal at B".

 

[Luca9583]

Use "sustain" mode with sustain level at 100%, retrig = on, set threshold so ADSR triggers above desired level. Try starting with all times fairly low like 20-40 ms and see how adjustments from there sound. (Decay time shouldn't really matter and can stay low, even just 1 ms.)

For something that's less of an on/off switch, you can route an inverted (use a filter block) copy of the In 1 signal through a gate using In 2 as sidechain, and sum the gate output with the original In 1 signal.

Perfect..it works really well. Thanks very much again @Bakerman!

That's true, although I was thinking Luca9583 might want a steeper ducking slope. The envelope example in post #1 will go from 100% to 0 volume over something like 5 dB of level change in the detected signal. A compressor would at most (infinite ratio) lower output by 1 dB per dB 1 increase of sidechain level, but you could put two compressors in series to make that ratio as high as 2:1.

True, and maybe he wants some envelope behavior, like a decay. I just thought I'd mention a compressor as an alternative in case he's simply trying to do the conventional use case of "make A quieter when there is signal at B".

Yeah thanks a lot @GlennO the compressor method is very cool but i needed a very fast (silence or 100% on) setting so the ADSR method did the trick.

If Inputs 3 or 4 could be assigned to ADSR 2 in a future firmware update, that would effectively allow a third envelope controller into the mix...