Abklang

Abklang is a term used in some musicology and sound-design circles to describe the tail or residual resonance of a sound after its primary attack and sustain have ended. It refers to the final portion of a sound that remains audible as it decays toward silence.

Etymology and meaning: The word derives from German, with ab- meaning off or away and Klang meaning sound or tone. In this usage, Abklang emphasizes the immediate post-attack decay of a sound rather than longer-space reverberation.

Definition and usage: Abklang denotes the short, perceptible decay of a sound—the moment when the sound is still audible but fading. In practical terms, practitioners may consider or shape Abklang through digital envelope settings, transient control, or short-tail processing to achieve a defined ending in a mix. It is sometimes discussed in relation to timbre and articulation.

Relationship to Nachklang: Abklang is distinct from Nachklang. While Nachklang refers to longer reverberant tails or lingering resonance in a space, Abklang focuses on the immediate post-attack decay within the signal or the near-end of the note. The terminology is not universally standardized, and usage can vary by author or discipline.

History and usage: The term is not widely standardized and appears in a limited set of German-language writings on timbre, as well as in contemporary or speculative sound-design discourse. In many acoustics and musicology texts, Nachklang is the more common term for reverberant tail.

See also: Nachklang, Reverberation, Envelopes.