Shape the note

Bass · Lesson 2 of 4 · BS2

Exercise Dial punch vs sustain on the amplitude ADSR.
Result A plucky vs held bass.

The 2nd step of the bass track in PatchPond's subtractive synthesis curriculum. Foundations; the filter is the star — and this lesson is where you meet amplitude adsr for the first time.

What you'll learn

Teaches Amplitude ADSR

A volume fader being moved by a robot every time you play a note — and you are programming the robot.

The amplitude envelope is the volume contour of a note from press to release. Four stages: Attack (how long to reach full volume after a key is pressed), Decay (how long to fall from peak to the sustained level), Sustain (the held volume while the key is still pressed), Release (how long the sound fades after the key is let go). Read more →

Built on

Think of waveforms as raw lumber — different grain, different density, before any cuts are made.

An oscillator is the source of the sound. Full definition →

First taught in BS1 Pick a wave

Build this lesson live in the PatchPond studio. Web MIDI in, on-screen keyboard otherwise. The patch you make here loads back into iOS later on — same patch format.

Open in studio →