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Based on Podcast App listening data
Twenty Thousand Hertz episodes
- Vroom Vroom: The symphony of high-performance engines
When was the last time you turned off your radio and just listened to your car? What’s really going on under the hood? We chat with our own Nick Spradlin about the simple force at the heart of every gasoline engine and talk with legendary recordist Watson Wu about how the sound of wild and powerful sports cars are captured.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Check out and subscribe to ZigZag wherever you get your podcasts.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/vroomvroom
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
27 min - Baby Shark: From summer camp song to viral earworm
Baby Shark is a mega viral YouTube video, an unstoppable earworm, a top 40 hit, a Eurodance smash, a decades old campfire song, and the center of an international copyright dispute. In this episode from the podcast Decoder Ring, we explore the strange history of the song, what makes it so catchy, and who it really belongs to today.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Check out and subscribe to Decoder Ring wherever you get your podcasts.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/babyshark
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
37 min - Virtual Choir: 8,000 Voices, One Song
Singing with others is a powerful form of expression. That's why the composer Eric Whitacre started the Virtual Choir; an experiment that connects singers from every corner of the globe. In this episode, we hear how a choir can unite people from different backgrounds to achieve a common goal - creating beautiful music.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/virtualchoir
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
26 min - The Price is Right: The drama behind TV’s catchiest theme song
As a young composer, Edd Kalehoff was looking for his break. In the early 70s he struck gold, writing the theme song and music cues for The Price Is Right.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Check out The Price is Right Drum Cover on Youtube by RTDUMS2121.
Check out and subscribe to Just the Beginning wherever you get your podcasts.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/thepriceisright
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
19 min - The Loudness War: Can streaming finally end it?
In part 2 of the story of mastering, we explore the consequences of the Loudness War and call out some of the worst offenders. We’ll also hear about the artists and mastering engineers who have been fighting back, and learn how modern listening habits might finally put an end to this sonic arms race.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Check out Ian Shepherd’s podcast The Mastering Show.
Check out Greg Milner’s book, Perfecting Sound Forever.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/loudnesswars
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
33 min - The [COMPRESSED] history of music mastering
Join us on a musical journey from the Golden Age of analog mastering to the digital methods of today. We’ll find out why the music industry became obsessed with loudness, and learn how the digital era transformed the way that music sounds. Featuring Greg Milner and Ian Shepherd.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Check out Ian Shepherd’s podcast The Mastering Show.
Check out Greg Milner’s book, Perfecting Sound Forever.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/historyofmastering
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
28 min - You’ve Got Mail: The voice behind AOL
How a simple soundbite on America Online became one of the most recognizable sounds of the internet age, plus the creation of a whole new musical instrument. This episode features Elwood Edwards, the man behind the famous AOL “You’ve Got Mail” soundbite, and Bosco and Maya Kante, inventors of the ElectroSpit.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Check out and subscribe to Gastropod wherever you get your podcasts.
Check out and subscribe to Just the Beginning wherever you get your podcasts.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/youvegotmail
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
21 min - From Spinal Tap to The Simpsons: Voice acting w/ Harry Shearer
We rarely think about the way we speak. For most of us, it just happens. In this episode, we catch up with two professional voice artists and chat about their rituals and techniques that help them communicate. Featuring voice actor Harry Shearer and NPR vocal coach Jessica Hansen.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Subscribe to Harry's podcast Le Show.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/speakeasy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
19 min - Hear Here: The messy history of architectural acoustics
Humans have been fascinated with acoustics since our earliest ancestors. From Roman amphitheaters to modern symphony halls, we’ve designed our spaces with sound in mind. But the relationship between acousticians and architects isn’t always smooth sailing. In this episode, we explore the way acoustics has shaped our history and what we might do to make our spaces sound better today. Featuring Emily Thompson, author of The Soundscape of Modernity and Professor of History at Princeton University, and Trevor Cox, author of Sonic Wonderland and Professor of Acoustic Engineering at the University of Salford.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/hearhere
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
20 min - What makes Stradivarius violins so special?
Stradivarius violins are reputed to have an exquisite sound that cannot be replicated or explained. Why is that? And what, exactly, is a Stradivarius violin anyway? This episode features interviews with The Strad magazine’s managing editor, Christian Lloyd, and violin maker Joseph Curtin.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Can you tell the difference between a Stradivarius violin and a modern violin? Take the informal test here!
Our classical tracks came from Musopen. Check them out at musopen.org.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/stradivarius
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
23 min
About Twenty Thousand Hertz
From the publisher's feed
The stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting sounds. Whether you're a professional audio engineer with decades of experience, a fourth grader who loves sound and music, or…
anyone in between, Twenty Thousand Hertz will help unlock your sonic world… from the sound design secrets of hit movies, to the sonic craft of jingles and device sounds, to the forgotten backstories of classic theme songs, to linguistic mysteries, psychoacoustics, video game music, animal communication, and beyond. With moving human stories, immersive sound design, and the guiding voice of host Dallas Taylor, Twenty Thousand Hertz has grown into the world’s leading podcast about sound.
New to the show? Start here:
• I'm Lovin' It: How “Ba da ba ba ba” took over the world
• The Art of Foley: Bringing Slimer & Batman to life
• Tudum! The story behind the iconic Netflix sound
• Super Mario Bros: Koji Kondo's 8-Bit Masterpiece
• Inside Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Studios
• A sonic journey through the Solar System
• Mind the Gap: NYC & London’s iconic transit voices
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