Editing Envelope detector (section)

== General considerations ==
Most practical envelope detectors use either half-wave or full-wave [[Rectifier|rectification]] of the signal to convert the [[alternating current|AC]] audio input into a pulsed [[Direct current|DC]] signal. Full-wave rectification traces both positive and negative peaks of the envelope. Half-wave rectification ignores negative peaks, which may be acceptable based on the application, particularly if the input signal is symmetric about the horizontal axis. Low [[Diode#Threshold voltage|threshold voltage]] diodes (e.g. [[germanium]] or [[Schottky diode|Schottky diodes]]) may be preferable for tracking very small envelopes.

The [[Electronic filter|filtering]] for smoothing the final result is rarely perfect and some "ripple" is likely to remain on the output, particularly for low frequency inputs such from a [[bass instrument]]. Reducing the filter cutoff frequency gives a smoother output, but designers must compromise this with the circuit's high frequency response.