We are beginning testing for 3D sound walks! This is a very exciting time as we begin a completely new phase for ECHOES. We're looking to our core supporters to champion what we're doing and get creating amazing spatial experiences using our platform. It's not going to be straightforward, but we want to get you creating and to have some working experiences up as soon as possible! Read on for more info (from our most recent newsletter).

As a lot of you know, we've been developing support for 3D audio behind the scenes for a while now (a few years, at last count). Think of it like 360º video for audio - Audio AR. At last we're starting to get ready for showtime, and we're looking for some great content which we can showcase the technology.

• If you're not aware of the possibilities of 3D audio, here's a quick summary:You'll be able to create walks as before, using the ECHOES Creator online
• You can upload standard audio files
• When you enable those sounds for 3D, you'll be able to hear them come from where they virtually are placed in relation to your location
• You'll be able to use a standard pair of headphones

There is one big change: you'll need a head tracking device to follow your head's orientation in space, and to 'spatialise' the sounds. Currently these head tracking devices are few and far between. We are currently working with the Bose Frames, which are combined headphones and headtrackers. We're also putting in support for Thingy:52, an open source (cheap) and freely available sensor box which we've repurposed to become a head tracker.

Currently bronze backers and above on OpenCollective get exclusive updates on 3D, with access to our early versions. If you can back us, support what we're doing, and help keep us open and free, you'll get the same access.