04 October, 2008

November 5th 2007, Crystal Palace, London

In anticipation of the coming season. Recorded with the usual kit: a solar battery charger from Maplins and a Sony MZR35 minidisc, which I find has a very forgiving mic pre-amp.

The stuff you might expect is there - harsh spikes from exploding rockets, noise and crackles from the flares...but when I played it back I wasn't expecting to hear what sounded like ghosts groaning in the distance...



3 comments:

needmoreparachutes said...

Hiya, how you doing?
I've got a new lap top and your email address is on it, I transfered a load of stuff but not email address so hopefully you will get this and drop me a line.
I was looking at this funny thing on mac iPod page called RjDj, have you seen it? It is a music program downloaded onto iPhone that responds to external sound through the phone. I listened to some examples and it actually made me feel sick! The bloke talking about it said something about it being "digital drugs" and it did seem to have that kind of horrible effect. I don't know if you are interested in that sort of thing? I'm gadget mad at the moment. Don't know what is wrong with me! I don't have an iPhone, but I would like one.
Lots of love
Julie xxx

Anonymous said...

I'm pleased to find your photophonic recordings. Its nice to know somebody else is out there researching the world of modulated light. I'm listening to the fireworks recording now. Its interesting to compare it to the fireworks I recorded with my sound camera; I also hear the 'groaning' sounds. I assume that is the sound of the luminous burning shell as it spins on its way upward. perhaps the infrared emissions from it are strong enough to make it stand out.

best,
eric

Rob Mullender said...

thanks for the comments, eric. there aren't very many of us, as you say.
regarding the sounds on this recording, i imagine that if a combustion process produces an acoustic event, then perhaps that reflects a modulation in energy, which may also express itself in terms of light and heat.
something else i'm interested in, is how there are occasional reverb-like sounds in there as well - which is obviously not possible.