Sound Performance Lab . Transient Designer 4 . Tech Talk

Transient Designer 4
Model 9842

Tech Talk

Differential Envelope Technology (DETª) | The Attack control circuitry | The Sustain control circuitry

Tech Talk

In nearly every aspect the Transient Designer is different from conventional dynamic processors such as compressors. You don't need to know how the Transient Designer works in order to be able to use it effectively, but if you're at all curious as to what goes on inside the box ... take this.

Differential Envelope Technology (DET)

DET maintains identical envelope processing from quiet to loud signals (from pianissimo to fortissimo) without the need to adjust any external parameters. In a conventional compressor system for example, low level signals (underneath a threshold setting) would be excluded from processing.

Both DET parameters (Attack and Sustain) work in parallel and do not influence each other.

The Attack control circuitry

The Attack control circuitry uses two envelope generators. The first follows the shape of the original curve (Diagram 1: envelope follower Env 1) rendering conventional Attack and Release controls superfluous, while the second generator produces the envelope Env 2 (Diagram 1) with a slower Attack. The hatched area shows the difference between Env 1 and Env 2 (Diagram 2), and the VCA control voltage is derived from this difference. Positive Attack values emphasise Attack events, negative Attack values smooth out the Attack envelopes of events.

The Sustain control circuitry

The Sustain control circuitry includes two further envelope generators. The envelope follower Env 3 (Diagram 4), again follows the shape of the original curve rendering conventional Attack and Release controls superfluous. For a longer period the envelope generator Env 4 (Diagram 4) holds the sustain level according to the peak level and the VCA control voltage is generated by the difference between Env 3 (Diagram 4) and Env 4 (Diagram 5: hatched area). The sustain is extended at positive settings and shortened at negative settings.