IS THE SIZZLE MISSING FROM YOUR GAS FIREPLACE? TRY YOUR CD PLAYER.

Firesounds is a 72-minute compact disc with nothing but the sounds of a wood burning fire. Play it when using your gas fireplace to make it more like the real thing.

Cambridge, WI - There's nothing quite like sitting ny a nice crackling fire. But for the millions of people worldwide who own gas fireplaces, there's no crackle, just a "hummmm". No pop. No hiss. No sizzle to accompany the moment.

Unless, of course, you're got Firesounds playing on your CD player.

Firesounds is a 72-minute professionally-recorded compact disc with nothing but the soothing sounds of a wood burning fireplace.

The three Wisconsinites behind Firesounds believe their product makes a gas fireplaces more like the real thing.

"I grew up in Wisconsin, so as kids, our wood-burning fireplace got a workout every winter," says Jen Wallman, inventor of Firesounds. "Part of that great memory is the sound. It's soothing, it's relaxing. Now with three little kids, I can use all the soothing and relaxing I can get."

Wallman came up with the idea back in the winter of 2000, just after she and her husband Andy got a gas fireplace insert installed in their home. "It was our first gas fireplace. Right after we got it, I knew what we were missing - the sound of wood." And lo, Firesounds was born.

She brought the idea of a compact disc to her husband, an advertising producer. After all, she reasoned, his job deals with using lots of sound effects in commercials. Andy took the idea to Rob Haggar, a frequent advertising collaborator, and owner of Haggar Audio in Madison. "We looked around, and couldn't find any product like this, so we created one ourselves. Now we're like a mom & pop & next door neighbor kind of company," explains Haggar.

Haggar recorded all the pops, crackles and snaps of a real wood-burning fire in a large hearth, using a stereo microphone no less. He then edited out some of the sounds that dont match the constant flame look of a gas fireplace, like the big roar of the newspapers and kindling, really big pops, and falling logs. He then mixed the sounds on a Hollywood-style sound board for use on a home stereo system.

The CD also addresses a big flaw of many gas fireplaces by covering up the annoying hum of the blower motor.    

They've been selling Firesounds for about two years through their website, www.firesoundscd.com, and are currently looking for distribution through retail stores.

"Reactions have been very strong," says Andy. "It's wild. We get lots of email from people who thank us for replacing that missing sensory element. We also get a lot of people who snicker, but after they think about it for a minute, they realize this product genuinely fills a need."

Its a market with great potential. Eleven years ago, gas fireplaces represented 10 percent of the market. Today it's about 50 percent (American Demographics, November 2000). And with some communities considering a ban on burning wood, gas fireplace use could skyrocket over the coming decade.

The three behind Firesounds hope the soothing effect of the disc will strike a chord with consumers who want to decompress from today's hectic lifestyle. "When you listen to Firesounds, you seem to naturally relax. Your TV is off. Your home is quite. You get a very pleasant, tranquil feeling," says Jen Wallman.

And, you get a little sizzle back in your life.

The Firesounds compact disc is $13.99, and can be ordered at www.firesoundscd.com or by calling 608-770-6581.

###