Envelop Say Their 3D Sound System Could Change Art, Science and Nightlife

Tech nerds and audio nerds are teaming up on a cool new sound project in San Francisco.

Envelop is a three-dimensional (or "ambisonic") sound system that surrounds listeners with 24 speakers and four subwoofers, immersing them in sound. That includes music, which can be specially composed using open source software created by the Envelop team, or other kinds of sonic environments -- real-world soundscapes as well as synthetic audio experiences.

Thanks to work by engineers like former Facebook software brain Roddy Lindsay, composers from all over the world can use the software and contribute to Envelop's "bank of sound."

"If you’re a performer and you’re using Ableton Live with a multi-track composition, you can take any track and place it anywhere in the space, and apply spatial effects to it,” Lindsay told TechCrunch.

The team behind Envelop says the goal is to build more than just an entertainment platform -- though their plans include installing Envelop at a performance space in San Francisco, and they plan to work light and video elements into the installation, too. They also think Envelop can open new possibilities for composers and function as a sonic laboratory for the scientific world.

The team is currently pursuing donations to help bring the project to fruition. You can check out their Kickstarter campaign here.