ADSR envelopes are terrible disease in modern synthesizers though already in the 80’s Yamaha and Casio showed how to do this right!
To turn the existing envelopes into a more usable MSEG can be a bit difficult and as the majority of keyboard players are fine with the ADSR limits, I have a suggestion:
The existing DAHDSR is built with 5 segments.
The first has time (attack) and level is fixed to 0.
The second has time and level is fixed to max.
The third has time and Level is fixed to max.
The fourth has time (decay) and Level (sustain).
The last has time and Level is fixed to zero (no need to access that level though…)
As controls beside the handles in the envelope curve, we would need time, and level for each segment.
For compatibility and what users usually are used to, I would keep the Delay time as it is, have the Attack always assigned to the first attack after the delay. Instead of Hold get Peak for the first Level. Then have a time to reach Sustain. (Skip hold for the time being, as it will be accessible with additional segments.)
Release is reserved for the last segment.
Now allow to create additional segments with a gesture like control-click. This can be controlled in the envelope window like it is already including the curves. In addition have a menu which would assign the default decay/sustain pair to the new segment with a time/level pair. That way you could still modulate each segment individually. If you add a segment after the sustain point, it will be triggered on NoteOff…
Backwards compatibility can be achieved by translating the existing DAHDSR values to the new MSEG. If a Hold time is set, the Peak and Hold levels are simply 1…
Might be redundant, even so…
MSEG = Multi-Stage Envelope Generators
I prefer to assign mpe cc to osc level, and I request to all mpe synth dev a rise and fall lag -
The problem is: all mpe controllers manage differently their data. Some send a return to zero at note off for presets, others not, same for slide…like a Fb friend said to me yesterday, mpe is a standard not so standard !
( I got a continuum half size, a linnstrument and a Rise 49)
What I find interesting with Vital, the envelope parameters can be set to zero with any click ( depending on your osc settings) after that, you can manage the differents segments how you like. Envelopes and mpe are incompatible I think.
What the Eaganmatrix, no envelopes,no problems ! The Haken team is far ahead in terms of experience into the mpe specification.
Lippold Haken had invented the concept of multi channels, and Roli had push in front of the musicians world the mpe concept and Roger Linn the isomorphic concept. A"team" works!