Q109 Envelope Generator Punch

Q109 Envelope Generator

The theory goes that some synths (Mini-Moog) have 'punchy' envelopes that create a unique sound that's especially useful for percussive patches. This comes from a slight, perhaps unintentional, built-in delay between the Attack phase and the Decay phase of the envelope. The result is a high-level peak that flattens out and lasts longer than an envelope with the typical pointy Attack peak you've seen in the movies.

We were inspired to recreate the so-called 'Punch' effect on a stock Q109 Envelope Generator.

Now the question is, how exactly can the highly sought-after punch effect be produced on a Q109 Envelope Generator without a bag of resistors and a soldering iron? The answer comes to us in the form of an often-misunderstood module called the Q130 Clipper/Rectifier. Those that 'get it', cherish this module as second only to the awesome Q120 Banana Jack Interface

Ok, enough hog-wash, now for the meat. In a nutshell, the only thing you have to do is use the Q130 Clipper to flatten off the peak of the Q109 Envelope Generator. Run the output of the Q109 EG into the Q130's Clipper input, set the clip switch to +, set the Clip Level to about 3, and the Q109's Sustain at about 3. The Clipper's output is now your 'Punchy' envelope.

Back to blog