basic question about time constants

Hi All!

I was surfing the net looking for compressor and synth envelopes schematics, and correct me if i'm wrong... In a compressor the time constants use to be in a sidechain that control a gain control element...vca, photodiode, fet, etc... but in a synth... the time constants adsr can be inside the signal path... except when there are CV voltages controlling the envelopes....¿is that correct?..

Thanks for your advise!

Jay x

In short: No, envelopes are cv, controlling possibly every function (e.g. other envelope generators, but traditionally VCA/VCF/VCO).

In a synth you can trigger certain envelopes so fast, they become a waveform, but apart from that, they are cv no different from compressor cv (not in the signal path). The corresponding synth function would rather be an Envelope Follower.
Inverted E.F. into VCA cv port=>crude compressor.