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Our vocal system is incredibly complex. What we call “the voice” starts with very precise movements of our vocal cords, and then goes through an entire “resonation system” that includes our throat, mouth, lips, tongue, and teeth. With enough control over these components, people can do some truly mind-bending things with their voices, creating sounds that feel out of this world—from rumbling lows to piercing highs, and even two notes sung at once. This episode features vocal coach Matt Ramsey and Tuvan musician and throat singer Albert Kuvezin.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
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If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
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Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/vocalstratosphere
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Why do bugs make the sounds they do? And how do they make them? In this episode, we explore the un-bee-lievable world of insect sounds, including crickets who craft tools to make themselves louder, and moths who can jam the natural sonar of bats. By the time it’s over, you’ll never hear these buzzes and chirps the same way again. Featuring entomologists Natasha Mhatre and Nancy Mioreli.
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.
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For more amazing bug facts, subscribe to Nancy’s Youtube channel, SciBugs.
Follow Natasha’s research on insect communication at Mhatre Lab.
Subscribe to Tumble, the science podcast for kids.
Get your very own Clarett+ 2Pre audio interface from Focusrite.
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Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/songbugs
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In honor of Mental Health Awareness month, we’ve revamped one of the most personal episodes we’ve ever worked on. To create it, Dallas worked with the team from Meditative Story to tell a story from his former life as a musician. It’s about losing the thing that had defined his life for more than a decade, and finding something entirely different in the process. This remix concludes with an all-new segment where Dallas reflects on what it was like to finally share this story.
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.
Go to indeed.com/hertz to start hiring today.
Find the right doctor, right now with at zocdoc.com/20k.
Subscribe to Meditative Story wherever you get your podcasts.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/breathedeep
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In the 1960s, stereo sound revolutionized the music industry. But it turns out, a pioneering engineer named Alan Blumlein had actually invented stereo a full three decades earlier. Due to tragic events in World War II, his innovations were forgotten for decades. In this episode, we worked with OnePlus to tell the story of how audio has evolved from mono, to stereo, to quadraphonic, to surround sound and beyond. Today, we even have immersive, three-dimensional systems that can simulate 128 speakers using just two. Featuring Alan Blumlein’s son Simon Blumlein, and sound engineer Robin Reumers from the Abbey Road Institute.
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.
Improve your personal sound world at oneplus.com.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/thespatialrace
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Have you ever seen something so cute that you just wanted to squeeze it? Have you ever felt sleepy after a big meal? Or enjoyed bouncing on a puffy cushion? There are words for all of these, just not in English. In this game show episode, 20K producer and resident linguist Grace East cooks up an “untranslatable” words quiz for Dallas and fellow producer Andrew Anderson. How many words can you guess?
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.
Improve your personal sound world at oneplus.com.
Check out headspace.com/20KHERTZ and use promo code 20KHERTZ to try Headspace free for 30 days.
Visit shopify.com/20k and sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/foundintranslation
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For decades, the jingle was king. But in the last twenty years, jingles have nearly gone extinct. Many brands have now dropped their melodic earworms in favor of spoken word slogans. Today, there’s just one industry where jingles are still as common as ever: insurance. The question is, why? Featuring Jeanna Isham of the Sound in Marketing podcast, audio branding expert Colleen Fahey, and Brand Manager Sergio Trujillo.
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.
To learn more about sonic branding, subscribe to Jeanna’s podcast, Sound in Marketing, and buy Colleen’s book, Audio Branding: Using Sound to Build your Brand.
Go to indeed.com/hertz to start hiring today.
Find the right doctor, right now with at zocdoc.com/20k.
Visit shopify.com/20k and sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/insurancejingles
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“Soundalikes,” also called “voice doubles,” are voice actors who perform as characters that were originally played by someone else. They’re used extensively by studios like Disney and Pixar, in order to keep their iconic characters consistent across games, rides, toys, and TV shows. In live action movies, soundalikes fill in for the leads, and record lines for the film’s many rough cuts. But being a great voice double is about much more than just being a good impressionist. Featuring Rick Dempsey, Holly Dorff, and a surprise guest…
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 headspace.com/20KHERTZ and use promo code 20KHERTZ to try Headspace free for 30 days.
Go to hellofresh.com/hertz60 and use code HERTZ60 for 60% off plus free shipping.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/soundalikes
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In a noisy, tumultuous world, how can we find inner peace? This episode features two stories about the transformative power of silence. In the first, the Lieutenant Governor of Washington State abandons politics to become a Jesuit novice, and takes a temporary vow of silence. In the second, a death row inmate at San Quentin discovers Buddhist practices that help to calm his mind, and embrace compassion. Featuring Cyrus Habib, Jarvis Masters, Leigh Marz, and Justin Zorn.
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.
Purchase Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise, by Justin Zorn & Leigh Marz.
To learn more about Jarvis Masters, read the story and timeline of his case, and subscribe to the Dear Governor podcast.
Go to indeed.com/hertz to start hiring today.
Find the right doctor, right now with at zocdoc.com/20k.
Visit shopify.com/20k and sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/golden
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The voices inside our navigation systems are with us nearly every day. They frustrate us when they lead us astray, and guide us through our most memorable adventures. But who are the people behind those voices? In this episode, an Australian musician discovers she is the voice inside millions of GPS units, and the Polish voice of Google Maps goes head to head with a robot. Featuring “The GPS Girl” Karen Jacobsen and “Głos Google Maps” Jarosław Juszkiewicz.
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.
Watch Jarek’s farewell video that inspired the online protest.
To learn more about Karen's work, visit thegpsgirl.com.
Find the right doctor, right now with at zocdoc.com/20k.
Visit shopify.com/20k and sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/recalculating
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In our third annual Mystery Sound Game Show, the crew from Endless Thread compete to guess the most sounds from this year’s batch. Get ready to listen along and test your knowledge of classic sci-fi movies, strange animal calls, video game themes, UI sounds, and more. One thing is certain: It’s gonna get toasty.
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.
Use promo code 20k to get $20 off your next purchase over $100 at American Musical Supply.
Find the right doctor, right now with at zocdoc.com/20k.
Visit shopify.com/20k to get a free 14-day trial with Shopify’s entire suite of features.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/endlesshertz
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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…
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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