The Difference
Music City Fire is the first of it's kind. The only CSA certified, Sound Reactive Fire System in the world. In concept, the idea is similar to a Ruben's Tube or Pyro Board yet in its execution, our systems are something completely unique and substantially better.
Sound Reactive Fire Systems Vs The Pyroboard
By now, you should be some what familiar with what we do here at Music City Fire Company and what our Sound Reactive Fire Systems are. You may also be familiar with the Pyroboard. Our purpose here is to review the differences of the two and provide the facts that show why our Sound Reactive Fire Systems are the clear choice.
Its In Our Roots
The first fact - We started with the Pyroboard. Like so many others, we were in awe when we first discovered this physics experiment turned main stream. We quickly worked to produce a proof of concept in 2014 and began understanding the good, bad and the ugly of these systems.
Within in a short period we started to realize some of the pitfalls of the system. Rather than trying to learn all the ins and outs from scratch, we reached out to the makers of the system that went big on the internet.
From the Famed Creators of the Pyroboard
Back in 2014, The Veritasium Channel on Youtube showcased the amazing pyroboard from the Fysikshow. With over 10 million views and over 100 thousand likes, the video was a huge hit. Even with all the excitement around the experiment, when we reached out to them in our early stages of development we received a shocking response:
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“Be very careful, since the risk of explosion is quite high, due to the enclosed box, gas, and fire! I would definitely not recommend to sell this as a product, again because of the explosion danger and the possible lack of knowledge of the end-users.”Fysikshow Aarhus
As we progressed with our engineering and with the involement of the CSA Group, it was apparent what the Fysikshow had shared with us was accurate. Filling a large cavity with gas, hooking speakers up to it to push the gas out and lighting it on fire, we were just asking for trouble. Safety has to be the number one concern when looking to mass produce a product and put it in the hands of customers.
With all the different variables, "lack of knowledge of the end-users" is a very real concern. If the music volume is too loud and not enough gas pressure, the sound waves will push out all the gas and create a "flame out". There is no longer a flame however the gas is still flowing. On the other hand, if the gas pressure is too high and music volume is not high enough, the effect is lost. The balance between gas and sound pressure had to be just right for the correct response.
Users are now left with choices. Do you want a dancing fire but do not want to have loud music? What about a smaller flame with the music louder? With the two being dependant on each other, pyroaboards require gas volume and sound volume to be in balance of each other thus limiting certain features of the system.
To Name A Few
Below are a handful of the more pronounced issues with the Ruben's Tube and Pyroboard Systems.
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Flame Out
Flame Outs
Without the proper technology, flame out detection is not possible. With the sensitive balance required with pyroboards, if not accurate or if a quick change in the weather, these systems are prone to flame out. The issue is the gas continues to flow well after the fire has gone out. This creates a huge safety issue.
Every Music City Fire System comes equipped with a piloted thermocouple ignition system. This two step system ensures the unit is lit and stays lit. If for any reason the pilot does blow out, the system detects and instantly starts the ignition cycle ensuring there is not a build up of gas.
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Tank Freeze
Tank Freeze
With high pressure systems and the release of gas, propane tanks begin to freeze due to the exhange of energy. As this happens, the liquid propane cools to a point to where it no longer will convert to a gas properly resulting in a small flame, if any at all. If using multiple tanks within one system, if both tanks are not of equal fill / level tank freeze will expedite within one tank.
Music City Fire Systems use low pressure and do not have any issues with tank freeze. Only one tank is needed and can burn for 12 to 14 hours.
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Muffled Audio
Muffled Audio
The hard fact about pyroboards is to work, one speaker has to be inside the system connected to the burner cavity which forces the sound waves into the chamber to make the fire dance. This creates the muffled sound or hollow effect. Due to the sound bouncing around internally the quality is degraded.
Music City Fire Systems do not have an internal speaker driving the effect. Furthermore, we have partnered with Harman/Kardon who certify our systems to ensure quality sound.
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Oxygen Inside
Oxygen Inside
Propane needs oxygen in order to combust and burn properly. An issue with a cavity being filled up with propane is that when its not filled with propane, its filled with oxygen. If not careful, ignition can actually take place inside the cavity which creates and enormous amount of pressue. This can create a extremley hot and aggressive flame at the time of ignition or worse.
Music City Fire Systems use Industry Standard Burners. There is not a large cavity that gas builds up in to produce the effect. We use proper UL air mixture components to ensure proper combustion and air mixing every time, no matter the user settings of our systems.
In Comparison
Below are just some of the comparisons between Music City Fire's Sound Reactive Fire Systems and the traditional pyroboards in the market.
| Features | Music City Fire Company | Pressure based Pyroboards |
|---|---|---|
| CSA Safety Certified? | ✔ | ❌ |
| Industry Standard Burners? | ✔ | ❌ |
| 12-14 HR Burn Time Per Tank? | ✔ | ❌ |
| Effect Independant From Volume? | ✔ | ❌ |
| Controllers Made Specifically for System? | ✔ | ❌ |
| Quality Audio Developed by Harman/Kardon tuned for the systems? | ✔ | ❌ |
| Thermocouple Ignition System with Flame Out Detection? | ✔ | ❌ |
| App (iOS and Android)? | ✔ | ❌ |
| LED Lighting System? | ✔ | ❌ |
| Customizable To Each User? | ✔ | ❌ |
| One Button Safety Shut Off? | ✔ | ❌ |
| Meets Codes to Hard Line? | ✔ | ❌ |
| 110v Plug and Play Ready? | ✔ | ❌ |
| Potential Tank Freeze? | ❌ | ✔ |
| Needs a 12 volt Battery (sold seperately) To Operate? | ❌ | ✔ |
| Potential Improper Burn (black stains / soot)? | ❌ | ✔ |
| Requires Up To Two Tanks To Use? | ❌ | ✔ |
| Match lit with Extreme Potential For Flame Out? | ❌ | ✔ |