Ice freezing, dramatic

To make a dramatic crackling sound of when something is frozen, try recording the bristles of a wire brush. A wide brush that has long stiff bristles works best.

Push the brush firmly against a metal object, such as a clothes washer/dryer, an oil tank or steel drum, and roll it very slowly so that the individual bristles flick off of the surface.

The metal acts as a resonator which gives it a louder, more metallic quality (I’m sure that other materials could be used as well). If possible, put the microphone inside the resonator. To finish it off, use a high pass filter to cut off all but the high end.
– Darren Blondin