Greetings mate and Welcome aboard! Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions, so…
Some of the most important concepts when discussing better sound in headphones, speakers, monitors, etc. are also some of the least talked about.
Today we’re going to discuss a few of the most vital contributing factors to how good or bad music is ultimately portrayed to you the listener.
In addition to resolution, timbre, frequency response, transient response, and more, the engineering concepts of attack, decay, sustain, and release are also incredibly useful when determining if a headphone is good or bad.
Now, much of your perception of music comes directly from the source file. If it’s recorded, mixed, and mastered well, it will likely sound pretty good to amazing with almost anything – save for some of the worst-engineered products out there.
Good headphones can make well-recorded music soar to new heights like Lebowski, and that’s certainly what we’re looking for.
After all, this sort of thing is why people get stuck inside the rabbit hole with no hope of ever seeing the light of day ever again.
In many ways, chasing “better” is simply the result of human nature, but there are foundational principles of sound that we can use to gauge what’s good and what’s not.
Attack, decay, sustain, and release are 4 great barometers, so let’s dive in and learn what they mean.
Attack
“Attack” refers to the initial onset of a sound, specifically how quickly the sound reaches its maximum amplitude after being triggered.
The attack phase is a critical component of a sound’s envelope and plays a key role in defining the character and clarity of an instrument or vocal.
A sharp, fast attack can make percussive elements like drums and plucked strings sound more punchy and dynamic, enhancing the listener’s experience by adding energy and immediacy to the music.
Conversely, a slower attack can create a smoother, more gradual buildup, adding to the expressive quality of sounds like pads or legato strings.
Overall, the manipulation of attack helps in shaping the texture and impact of the audio, contributing significantly to the emotional and rhythmic feel of a musical piece.
Decay
“Decay” refers to the time it takes for a sound to diminish from its initial peak amplitude (achieved during the attack phase) to the sustain level. Decay is a critical part of a sound’s envelope and affects how quickly a note fades after its initial impact.
A short decay can make sounds appear snappier and more percussive, contributing to a tight, punchy feel, while a longer decay allows the sound to fade more gradually, adding a sense of smoothness and depth. Decay influences the texture and dynamics of an audio signal, shaping how a listener perceives the articulation and expressiveness of each note.
Sustain
“Sustain” refers to the length of time a sound remains at a steady amplitude after the initial attack and decay phases.
During the sustain phase, the sound maintains a relatively consistent volume until the note is released. Sustain is a crucial element of a sound’s envelope, affecting the perceived duration and fullness of a note.
In music, a longer sustain can give instruments like strings or vocals a more sustained, flowing quality, enhancing the sense of continuity and richness in a piece.
Conversely, a shorter sustain can make sounds feel more staccato or percussive, contributing to rhythmic precision and clarity. Overall, sustain helps define the texture and character of sounds, playing a vital role in the overall musical experience.
Release
“Release” refers to the time it takes for a sound to fade from its sustain level to complete silence after the note is released. This phase occurs after the key or trigger is no longer pressed, allowing the sound to naturally decay to zero amplitude.
The release time affects the tail end of the sound, with a shorter release creating a quick cutoff, making the sound feel more abrupt and staccato. Conversely, a longer release allows the sound to gradually fade out, adding a sense of smoothness and continuity. The release phase is essential for shaping the natural decay of sounds and contributes to the overall expressiveness and feel of the music.
Out of the 4, sustain and release are arguably the easiest to recognize and, in my opinion, provide the most bang for your buck when analyzing a song and really getting excited about it.
The K702 helps uncover fantastic decay and release in well-recorded music
When you come across a headphone that provides an amazing sense of release, it’s pretty much unmistakable. You may notice more subtle nuances of an artist’s voice or vocal inflection, the small, strange utterances that manifest in the heat of a performance, or the way an artist’s voice trails off beautifully after they’re done with a phrase.
In other words, those breathy, throaty sounds that only make themselves known with amazing headphones.
In many ways, the things discussed in the open, Timbre, Resolution, etc. go hand in hand with these principles because a headphone’s sense of resolution determines whether or not things like attack, decay, sustain, and release can even be perceived by your brain. In other words, the difference between a good headphone vs. a bad one is mega important when coming to these conclusions and discovering things in music that were previously absent from your consciousness.
In that sense, resolution, to me, is perhaps the single biggest determining factor in whether or not music through headphone drivers will sound realistic or not.
Planar magnetic drivers help to contribute even more to these feelings and sensations, but that’s a discussion for a different article.
The 400se is a dirty cheap planar that sounds incredible.
Timbre is similar as it portrays the unique tone of an instrument or vocal. In other words, the way something may sound in real life vs. the way it sounds through a device.
Sustain and release especially, to me, are the icing on the cake, as they finish the effect and make it come full circle.
To Recap:
- Attack: The time it takes for the sound to reach its maximum amplitude after being triggered.
- Decay: The time it takes for the sound to decrease from the maximum amplitude to the sustain level.
- Sustain: The level at which the sound remains steady until the note is released.
- Release: The time it takes for the sound to fade from the sustain level to silence after the note is released.
Examples
Here I’m going to list out some great songs I’ve listened to over the years that highlight some of the concepts we discussed.
- Shallou’s “Begin” feat. Wales – Fantastic vocal inflections, subtleties in his voice, a sense of “this sounds foreign to me”, etc.
- “Anemone” by Slenderbodies – The sound of the fretboard at 57 seconds provides an incredible level of Resolution and Timbre, the character of the instruments takes on a more realistic quality, etc.
- “Holland” by Sufjan Stevens – His guitar sounds incredibly lifelike and detailed, but delicate in a way that will astound you.
- Beatles – “Martha My Dear” – The piano, vocals, and overall instrumentation sound lusher and fuller with good headphones, in addition to a great sense of release in vocals specifically.
- Minus the Bear’s “Pachuca Sunrise.” – The sustain and release on this one is incredible, and something I remember vividly with an Ananda sitting in the parking lot of a hotel.
- Notorious B.I.G. – “Sky’s the Limit” – 112’s ad-libs (those R&B “Uhhs”, and “Ooh Yeaahs”) are much more revealing in that you can hear a lot more of them than before.
More coming soon!
With these songs and more, you’ll often wonder to yourself the following:
- “How did I miss that subtle breathy sound in the vocal passage so many times previously?”
- “The background instrumentation sounds so incredibly clear.”
- “I can make out what the instruments are doing much better than I could before.
- I can hear each individual bass note and exactly how it relates to the composition as a whole”
- “The vocals sound more present and lively, but still sit in the mix rather nicely.”
Closing Thoughts
All 4 of these audio engineering concepts as well as the other elements we discussed are incredibly important when determining how music ultimately sounds.
Next time you’re listening to your favorite songs, listen carefully and see if you can spot some of the best recordings and how they interact with the headphones you’re using.
If you need help deciding on a specific headphone, comment below or contact me!
Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this article covering these topics and came away with some valuable insight.
Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!
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What are your thoughts here? Out of the big 4 (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release) which is the easiest to pick up on in your mind? I would love to hear from you. Until next time…
All the best and God bless,
-Stu
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