Noticed in the 'function' menu when I was looking up envelope generators that there is also an 'envelope follower'...what is an envelope follower and why would I need one? I'm assuming I should have an envelope 'generator' before I consider buying an envelope 'follower'?
JB
In a nutshell, an envelope follower listens to audio transients at its input, and outputs them as CV envelopes.
So you could for example plug in a drum loop and get a filter cut off elsewhere to open to the beat, or plug in a guitar and trigger stuff in your rig with it.
Yes, you need an envelope generator, or four...
I have a https://www.modulargrid.net/e/ladik-e-510-envelope-follower which gives Trigger, Gate and Envelope. I recently used some filtered noise (a crackle type sound) to trigger and run an entire patch. If you happen to have any Piezo contact Mics they can also be used with an envelope follower, at its most simple just tapping on a Mic via the Ladik E-510 can be used to affect the modulation of something else via its envelope. All good fun.
Grab a Mutable Instruments Ears for a bit of Mic-Pre-amp and envelope follower in one.
Enjoy your spare HP, don't rush to fill every last space, this is not like filling sticker books. Resist the urge to 'complete' your rack, its never complete so just relax.
As Mazz said, a envelope follower generates continuous CV from a signal you put into it by measuring its voltage. A common application is ducking or side chaining where one sound temporarily suppresses another to keep maximum presence. Like a kick supressing a bass line or a voice pushing back background music in a video.
Something like this:
ducking sound --> env follower --> inverter --> vca controlling ducked sound
The Doepfer A-119 is sort of the "industry standard", actually. Typical 1/4" input jack and amplification of external signals to synth level. But the A-119 has a few other tricks...
First up, it's got a comparator which keys off of the incoming signal dynamics. As long as your input signal is over the level you've set on the threshold pot, the module will output a gate. Then there's the envelope follower itself, which translates dynamic levels into a modulation curve so that you can impose the incoming dynamics envelopes onto some other device in the build. Now, where this can come in handy is when you've run out of comparators, or if you just want dynamics without the signal, you can use it for that as well.
