An Envelope Generator is the dedicated hardware circuit or digital code block that produces a time-variant control signal used to sculpt the characteristics of a sound. Unlike audio generators, it outputs a control voltage intended to modulate parameters such as amplitude, filter cutoff, or pitch. The generator remains dormant until it receives a Gate signal, typically from a keyboard press, which instructs it to begin its cycle. Upon this trigger, the generator outputs a voltage that rises and falls according to the user's settings, most commonly the Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release stages. This rising and falling voltage is then patched into the control inputs of other modules, effectively automating the parameter changes for every single note played to create dynamic and expressive articulation.