Tune the decay

Pluck · Lesson 2 of 3 · PK2

Exercise Balance amp + filter decay, add velocity response.

Result A playable, dynamic pluck.

The 2nd step of the pluck track in PatchPond's subtractive synthesis curriculum. The snap is the filter envelope — and this lesson is where you put earlier concepts into practice without introducing anything new.

▸Built on

Reuses 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. Full definition →

First taught in BS2 Shape the note

Reuses Filter envelope (env → cutoff)

A second robot — separate from the volume one — pushing the filter knob up and down for every note you play.

The filter envelope is a second ADSR — separate from the amplitude envelope — that moves the filter cutoff over time. Full definition →

First taught in PK1 Snap the filter

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 →

▸In this track

PK1 Snap the filterPK2 Tune the decayPK3 Echo

Previous ← PK1 Snap the filter

Next PK3 Echo →