Using Envelope Followers for Modulation in Your Music! The How, the When, the Why

In this video I look at a few interesting ways to use envelope followers for modulation. There are times when these are a much more appropriate and creative choice than LFOs. In this video I use the FAC Envolver app, but there are other apps with this functionality, and many DAWs like Ableton etc have their own inbuilt followers. I highly recommend the app MMM by GS DSP, which has many more types of followers than just the amplitude follower that FAC Envolver uses. Perhaps I’ll look at some of those in a later video. For this vid I chose Envolver as it has a nice visualizer that is useful for explaining the concept.
🟨 If you have the means, and like my work, it would be fantastic if you would consider supporting me on Patreon.
Massive thanks to the currently ~30 paying supporters contributing to that. There are two tiers, one $5, one $10, so it’s not far off the price of a pint of beer a month to be a member. I could really urgently use more support there, folks!
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Since starting it 5 months ago, as well as giving away thousands of dollars worth of apps, I have made a bunch of exclusive spoken walkthrough vids there. Here is the list so far:
Ringotron
Harmonicer
FuncBud midi-in update
Nonatone
Chaos Arp
Scaler EQ
Triplex Classic
Harmony Bloom
Weeping Wall
Krupa tubeLoopZ
Nature - Oscillator
StellarVox
Midi Toggle in AUM
Mozaic with Auto Fills
Punchlab
midiLFOs
Philicorda

[@GavinskisTutorials]

In this video I look at a few interesting ways to use envelope followers for modulation. There are times when these are a much more appropriate and creative choice than LFOs. In this video I use the FAC Envolver app inside the host app AUM on my iPad, but there are other apps with this functionality, and many DAWs like Ableton etc have their own inbuilt followers. I highly recommend the app MMM by GS DSP, which has many more types of followers than just the amplitude follower that FAC Envolver uses. Perhaps I’ll look at some of those in a later video. For this vid I chose Envolver as it has a nice visualizer that is useful for explaining the concept. 🟨 If you have the means, and like my work, it would be fantastic if you would consider supporting me on Patreon. Massive thanks to the currently ~30 paying supporters contributing to that. There are two tiers, one $5, one $10, so it’s not far off the price of a pint of beer a month to be a member. I could really urgently use more support there, folks! www.patreon.com/Gavinski Since starting it 5 months ago, as well as giving away thousands of dollars worth of apps, I have made a bunch of exclusive spoken walkthrough vids there. Here is the list so far: Ringotron Harmonicer FuncBud midi-in update Nonatone Chaos Arp Scaler EQ Triplex Classic Harmony Bloom Weeping Wall Krupa tubeLoopZ Nature - Oscillator StellarVox Midi Toggle in AUM Mozaic with Auto Fills Punchlab midiLFOs Philicorda

[@bygjohnuk]

Finally got around to watching this, and it’s excellent, Gav. I would never have thought about using a follower to modulate sample playback speed like the birdsong. Thank you!

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Great to hear John! Yeah I was quite pleased with myself for coming up with that one haha 😂

[@Taeodoestech]

Thanks for this! I’ve been wondering about this topic for a while now 🚀

[@GavinskisTutorials]

My pleasure! Yes, think this vid will be useful for a fair few people, not everyone knows how this works, or the potential applications

[@rolandpyle8914]

This is so useful and informative. Thank you. I am now much better informed about envelope followers and looking forward to experimenting with them. Very grateful to you

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Lovely to hear that Roland, thnx!

[@rolandpyle8914]

@@GavinskisTutorials I made this using Envolver and midiLFOs kzbin.info/www/bejne/oV7UeX6liKtofsksi=h7mwZKarCMPzMhQS

[@MickRasbid]

This was very informative Gavin thank you!

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Good to hear!

[@dr.rabbitfoot7421]

I’m here for these in depth tutorials on the how’s and whys you’re an excellent source on how the thing (app) works but I love this idea of the applications use(fullness) in a recording environment. I don’t know if it was a wild hair or a pivot, but I’m here for it sir!

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Haha, good to hear! Yeah I'd like to do more vids like this, let me know if you found it useful, cheers brother!

[@dr.rabbitfoot7421]

Very much, a lot of usefulness is wasted due to the amount of apps that drop to cover niche areas, making it more of a gotta catch em all game. Videos like this highlighting ideas and how to action them and elevate your viewers knowledge base is going to be good for everyone.

[@GavinskisTutorials]

@dr.rabbitfoot7421 yes. Actually, I would love it if most or all youtubers in this space stopped doing app-specific walkthroughs unless sponsored by devs. There is a culture in this space of youtubers basically doing free marketing for devs and it's kind of ridiculous

[@djsun1]

Nicely done thanks for helping with some power user type tutorials

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Cheers, glad you enjoyed it

[@Francesco-L]

Very nice tutorial. Thank you.

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Thank you Francesco!

[@bernieburnalot]

Super cool! I use FAC Envolver to send out MIDI to replace acoustic kick drums with electronic samples.

[@GavinskisTutorials]

I like that kind of idea, what app are you sending it to?

[@bernieburnalot]

@@GavinskisTutorials I used Beathawk just because there is a kick I really like in there, but of course it could be anything…Koala would probably work too.

[@GavinskisTutorials]

@bernieburnalot oh, you are sending out midi notes BTW rather than cc for this, right?

[@DP_Gumby]

I also got Envolver to trigger sounds with an acoustic drumkit, the inbuilt gate helps there. But a lot of ideas in the video, I, too, like the playback rate thing. I like the idea of interactivity, different things affecting each other.

[@GavinskisTutorials]

@DP_Gumby same - and you can get into all kinds of weird feedback loops with that too, cross feedback etc. Thinking of creative things to do with envelope followers is a great brain workout!

[@myfaveyoutube]

Very useful, thanks mate

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Great!

[@nobatttroll6205]

Sehr geil, very inspiring show. Really should use the fileplayer more often…Envolver and MultiMidiModul are on my list, no to mention lfoch. Thank you 4 t V !

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Hi Nobatt, yes, lfoch, also potentially very interesting, I need to explore it more, thnx for the reminder

[@thomasbrown3325]

In Portuguese, "envolver" means "to involve", so perhaps the second pronunciation is apt.

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Yes, same in Spanish. Fred is a French speaker if I remember right, so he might well have intended it to have that more Latin pronunciation. Then again, it's about envelopes, English word with stress on first syllable. Who knows really. As long as the (midi) output sounds good, doesn't really matter 😂