8b.6. Fireworks
Assuming the fireworks visual effect performs, it will of course be accompanied by sound. Because of the limited number of possible display combinations, a "show" any longer than about a minute would get too repetitive, so I mixed a 60-second long sound effect track, utilizing clips gathered from multiple sources. I must have watched dozens and dozens of videos in search of just the right sounds. Having seen many fireworks shows in the mountains of New Hampshire, I processed the final mix with an echo effect to simulate the sounds bouncing from one hillside to the next. A small full-range TV speaker will be mounted near the display unit.
Originally the sound was to come from the sound control unit. However, that would mean I'd have to control both the fireworks display and the sound in order to put on a "show." I had an extra standalone MP3 player I'd originally built for the jazz bar (below) that I'll dedicate to the fireworks display and have it triggered automatically by the mechanism. If the display is satisfying, then this is how the sound would be handled.
When the speaker arrived, I installed it under the roadbed directly in front of the location where the display unit would stand when running (below). A thin scenery membrane will cover the speaker.
