ADSR Settings For 808?

D-C

New member
I'm creating custom bass drums and such in a synth, and I have the actual meat of the sound created but can't find the right ADSR settings that give it the sound that a typical 808 has - I don't need it to be exact, just something that somewhat resembles it. Obviously there is a long release but I am clueless in what the other values should be. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
A = attack time
D = decay time
S = sustain level
R = release time

forgive the obviousness of the above statement but lots of folks forget this definition and then struggle to understand why things do not work the way they want them to

given that you think you have your release covered, let's just look at the possible approaches to the first two event times

attack comes in a multitude of possibilities from instantaneous (starts immediately) to a slow increase in level over up to 10 seconds (depends on your adsr unit mostly). For 808 style kicks, you are more interested in 3 possible attacks: instant, quick and slow. the difference between them is a setting of 0, 1 and 2

decay can equally be anything from quick to moderate to slow, this time I would characterise them as being 0-2, 3-5 and 6 and above

choosing attack and decay times you can create some interesting yet powerful sounds.

sadly without knowing your synth environment the rest of what I want to write is moot
 
I would say:
As short an attack as possible: to make a percussive sound
No decay: so the sound immediately goes onto the release part of the envelope
and sustain at the lowest: you don't want to hold the 808 as long

Rather than just plugging those settings in, I hope you can see why that works
 
Hi guys! I am looking for someone who can help me with some settings and configurations on this site. I am currently residing in the US, so I need someone local. If you have enough knowledge on the topic, this can become an interesting project for you. We can discuss all the details in private correspondence. And then take the decision on the cooperation. A good chance for beginners
 
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