Here is a download link to a 6-minute 19-second excerpt from my binaural recording of this year’s unofficial 4th of July fireworks displays. These were active all around my home on the west side of Chicago.
This link has now moved to archive.org. You may also listen here with the embedded player below.
WARNING: Please take care with loudness levels. At the 2-minute, 35-second mark a very loud explosion occurs. While this annual activity (fireworks) is meant as a celebration, for some people and pets we know this sound is distressing.
I recorded this on my vintage Sony TCD-D7 DAT “Walkman” with new in-ear binaural mics from Sound Professionals. Last year I recorded the fireworks with an AT-822 placed in a stationary position on the front porch. This year my partner and I went for a walk around the block, past the Garfield Park Conservatory, into to the park and back.
The excerpt I selected to upload is acoustically rich with activity. Aside from the all-around sound of near and distant sounds of fireworks, you might also notice:
- cars passing
- several overly excited little children with toy horns
- fireworks bursts that reflect off the surface of railroad viaduct wall to create unusual pinging and chirping effects
As we walk underneath the viaduct you can hear the acoustics change from open air to a steel and stone passage way and out while the children play ahead of us, cars pass at our side, and the freight train rumbles overhead.
Because this is a binaural recording, I recommend listening on headphones for the immersive experience created by the head related transfer function (HRTF), i.e., a more three-dimensional effect of being in the place where those sounds were recorded.