Envelope generator

An envelope generator is a device that produces an envelope voltage. When it controls a VCA these together form an envelope shaper.

AD envelope generator
The envelope generator is usually triggered by a gate signal from the keyboard.

Usage
For shorter envelopes at higher pitch, as happens in acoustic instruments, a master CV is taken from the same voltage as used for VCO pitch.

Kits

 * MFOS ADSR Envelope Generator
 * MFOS Dual Attack Release Envelope Generator
 * Serge Extended ADSR Envelope Generator

Schematics
Readily available analogue IC and discrete component based CEM IC based
 * Formant music synthesizer by C. Chapman, Elektor, 1978, p. 64, using op-amps and common discrete components
 * yusynth ADSR has a 555 core with a few op-amps.
 * Digisound 80 80-10 Voltage Controlled Envelope Generator, uses CEM3310. Electronic Music Circuits by Barry Klein,1982, p. 62-3, includes Charles Blakey's independent trigger input modification.
 * Digisound 80 80-8 Dual ADSR, uses CEM3310
 * Digisound 80 80-18 Dual Multi-Function Envelope Generator, uses CEM3310