The RHYTHM Pyro Podcast

#12 Product Quality PSA (MJG, Dominator)

Fireworks hobbyists spend more money on pyro in a lifetime than they'd ever care to admit.  That being the case...We are "the consumer" first and foremost.  Product quality has been a mixed bag over the last couple years, particularly in the legacy 1.4 pro-lines.  The largest manufacturers who traditionally found themselves in a market made up only by a few players, now have new competitors to keep them honest.  In this episode, the guys discuss some potentially problematic current season quality woes with MJG's Firewire Initiators and some oddly performing Dominator product.

#11 What We Learned (4th of July ”Hell Week” 2023)

Every year, the 4th of July season leaves fireworks show designers and pyrotechnicians soar, broken, bloodied, exhausted, and God willing...victorious in their quest to raise the pyromusical bar.   Through the success (or failure) of any fireworks show, there's valuable lessons to be learned as students of the art of show design and execution.  Bo (Light Up The Lake 2023), AJ (Wouldn't you like to know), and Jamie (Potts Farm 2023) reflect on what they took away from their most involved shows of hell week 2023.

#10 Pyro Community Q&A #1

We're only a few days away from the 4th, and there's LOADS of questions getting tossed around on community pyro forums & groups.  This week AJ, Jamie, and Bo answer some of those community questions.

#9 The State of 1.4 Pro (Articles Pyrotechnic)

Joined by 2020 Sky Wars Pro-AM Champion Scott Smith; Bo, AJ, and Jamie dive in on the state of 1.4 pro lines (Articles Pyrotechnic).
The previously classified UN0431 pro-lines were the lifeblood of hobbyist pyromusicals...and all signs are pointing toward the qualified, trained, and competent hobbyist pro-sumer user being denied access to this product. 
The "perfect storm" surrounding this product has finally made landfall...Commercial special interests within the industry lobbied for the molestation of this product class (by pressing for it's pyrotechnic material limitations to be increased to 1k grams and to include flash, all while flying under the banner of 1.4 pro in an effort to reduce costs and get out from under the burden that comes along with the 1.3 classification.  This coupled with the accidents in China that forced the UN0431 product classification to migrate to the standard consumer UN0336 (with and asterisk) and now the ATF has officially asked the chief regulatory body overseeing our industry (the American Pyrotechnics Association) for a clarification on what defines a "professional".
Who sits on these sub-committees?  Who's interests do they really have top of mind?  Have hobbyists even been recognized, considered, and represented as in these discussions as a shooter sub-classification?

#8 Organization

Turns out "organization" is a VERY broad topic as it pertains to fireworks shows...One that Bo, AJ, and Jamie will need to touch on in a more sub-compartmentalized and focused depth in future discussions.  In this episode the guys touch on different aspects of displays, sites, and setups and how paying attention to the little things can make a world of difference.

#7 Pyro Show Music Selection (Cliché Tunes?)

Music and fireworks are languages the entire world can understand (whether they understand the lyrical content or not).  The pyromusical is the fusion of those two elements creating a visual and audible experience that creates excitement that's meant to resonate for both the spectator and the designer.
In This episode, the guys unpack the the importance of music selection as it pertains to pyromusicals and the different contextual show settings that determine appropriate music selections.  

#6 Firework Show Length

How long of firework show is "too" long?  There's a lot of different variables that can change the answer to that question.  What's your shows format?  What's your budget?  How large is your site?  Are you a hobbyist shooter or a commercial shooter?   Bo, AJ, and Jamie talk through a lot of these variables and try to make sense of the perfect show length.

#5 Pyromusical Product Prep

Pyromusicals are only as good as the product that makes it up.  In this episode; Bo, AJ, and Jamie focus in on prepping pyro product in the phases leading up to their shows and dive head first into their workflows to comparing, contrasting, and insulting one another every chance they get...❤

#4 Firing System Configurations (How do I know what to buy?)

The "PLZ Help, there's so many firing system gear configurations, which ones should I buy?" question seems simple to answer on the surface (and IS often answered...by a LOT of the community, all at once...and some times to a point where the original poster winds up leaving more confused than before they asked.)
In this episode; Bo, AJ, and Jamie dive into how get a better understanding of YOUR need and avoid "information overload" to make the right firing system configuration decisions.  

#3 Pyromusical Prefire Times

Pyromusicals are all about the timing of the effects.  If these aren't right, the visual effects don't live in the same world as the music it shares the moment with.  Bo, AJ, and Jamie talk primary product category prefire times (cakes, shells, and single shots) and rap on best practices for getting to know your product PFTs.