Fireworks are one of those things that really brings out the kid in you. They are also make a good subject for sound recording. Even the small ones often have cool sounds that can be useful in sound design. My favorite firework is the ground bloom flower. It is also known by other names like TNT Flower, Ground Spinner, etc. It is around the size of an M80, spins around on the ground, and looks like a colorful flower of light. They also make a great sound. Several years ago, I rounded up a bunch of fireworks for recording. I think my gear setup at the time was a Sennheiser MKH40 into a Fostex FR2 recording at 24 bit 96K.
This is what a normal Ground Bloom Flower sounds like:
Normal is rarely enough for me. I wondered, what would happen if I threw these flowers into water. I just happened to have a pool nearby to find out! (sorry mom)
Niiiice. that is an amazing sound!!! I gotta record some fireworks sometime!
Processing?
Only processing was either EQ or Noise Reduction and compression or dynamics of some sort. I can’t remember, these recordings were from 5 or 6 years ago.
Whoa. Chuck, pure brilliance, man. Both sounds are great, but the second is mind-bendingly cool. So, being in Cali, did you get a permit for that..? :-p
Hey Nathan,
There are actually a few cities in SoCal that allow and sell safe and sane fireworks around the 4th of July. My mom who lives about 10 minutes from me lives in one such city, so I just did it at her pad :)