11. Module reference: Envelope group
NORD MODULAR G2 V1.1
Page 142
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An envelope generator generates a control signal which varies over time. This control signal can be used
to control a filter or an amplifier, for example. The envelope starts when it receives a trig or gate signal
and it closes when the trig/gate signal switches back to zero. During the active stages, some envelopes can
be retriggered. The output control signal from an envelope is usually unipolar, with a range of 64 units
(+ or -), but can also be bipolar. All Nord Modular G2 envelope generators also feature a built-in envelope
controlled amplifter (known as VCA’s in analog synths). This makes it possible to patch in an oscillator
signal directly to the envelope generator and take out an amplified signal with the desired level “contour”.
• If the logic gate signal at the Gate input on an ADSR envelope generator switches to zero before the
envelope has completed one or more of the stages, the envelope will jump directly to the release stage.
• If an envelope is restarted before all the stages were completed, it will (by default) restart the attack
from the current envelope level of the release stage.
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This is the hard-wired gate signal “connection” with the keyboard. By activating the
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gate function, there is no need to patch a logic gate signal cable to the Gate input from the Gate
output of the Keyboard module. The LED lights up while the envelope is receiving a gate signal from the
keyboard or via
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A high logic signal appearing at this yellow input will start and can keep the envelope in an
open-gate state for as long as the Gate signal is high. The LED lights up while the envelope is
receiving a signal with a value greater than 0 units. If the Gate signal switches to 0 before the
envelope has completed one or more of the stages, the envelope will jump directly to the corresponding
level in the release stage.
Logic gate signal
Attack time
Decay time
Sustain level
Release time
The figure to the right de-
scribes the different seg-
ments of an ADSR
envelope. The sine wave
represents the audio signal
that is being controlled by
the built-in envelope con-
trolled amplifter.
The figure to the right de-
scribes the input gate sig-
nal that starts and holds
the envelope.
