ADSR

Arts & Entertainment abbreviation · Music

ADSR
Stands forAttack, decay, sustain, release
CategoriesArts & Entertainment

ADSR stands for Attack, decay, sustain, release, a music abbreviation.

Four-stage envelope that shapes how a synthesizer sound changes over time: how quickly it reaches full volume (attack), falls to a holding level (decay, sustain) and fades after the key is released (release).

Example: Lengthen the ADSR release so the pad fades out slowly.

Usage notes

Composer Vladimir Ussachevsky is credited with proposing the four-stage envelope to Robert Moog in the 1960s. The same envelope can control a filter or pitch as well as volume. Plucked sounds use fast attack and decay; pads use slow attack and long release.

More music abbreviations

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Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.