In sound and synthesis, the envelope is the variation that a sound exhibits over time – basically how a sound starts, continues and disappears. It is comprised of concepts such as attack and decay, but other sonic distinctions such as transient and sustain may also be applied in some circumstances. Pitch, timbre, and harmonic content (which is basically timbre) can also change over time and in some cases are considered part of the overall envelope making up a sound.
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