Abstract: An ignition system for a vehicle engine has a fast response knock control which generates a rectified knock sensor signal having peaks at a knock frequency in accordance with the knock induced engine vibrations and samples and holds the voltage at each consecutive peak to generate a knock burst envelope signal in which knock burst envelopes correspond in amplitude and duration to knock vibration bursts in the knock sensor signal without phase shift induced group delay. The fast response is preserved in a fast response DC noise reference and an output which provides pulses at a frequency increasing with amplitude of the knock burst envelopes.