
Twenty Thousand Hertz
The stories behind the world’s most iconic and fascinating sounds.
Latest episodes

Sep 16, 2020 • 27min
Vocal Discords: When nodules silence singers
Musicians like Justin Timberlake, Adele, Björk and Rod Stewart have all had surgery to treat vocal nodes. Nodes are so widely discussed, they've almost become a boogeyman in the singing community. But is this condition really as common as people fear? And when nodes do develop, is all hope truly lost? Featuring vocal coach Katie Talbot and Professor and Chairman of the Ear, Nose, and Throat Department at Drexel University of Medicine Dr. Robert Sataloff.Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced out of the studios of Defacto Sound and hosted by Dallas Taylor. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.Become a monthly contributor at 20k.org/donate. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Learn how you can protect your voice at nidcd.nih.gov.Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/vocaldiscords Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 2, 2020 • 28min
Deepfake Dallas: How AI learned to speak like me
Using artificial intelligence, someone can make an algorithm that sounds just like you. And then they can say... whatever they want you to say. We're entering a brand new era: One where you can no longer trust your ears. Welcome to the world of audio deepfakes. Featuring deepfake wizard Tim McSmythurs, cybersecurity expert Riana Pfefferkorn and a brand-new host: Deepfake Dallas.Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced out of the studios of Defacto Sound and hosted by Dallas Taylor. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.Become a monthly contributor at 20k.org/donate. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/deepfakedallas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 19, 2020 • 28min
The Weight of Noise: One writer’s struggle in New York City
When writer Paige Towers moved to one of the loudest cities in the world, she found herself overcome with anxiety and depression. She came to realize that the noise of the city itself, and the inability to escape from it, was having a huge impact on her mental health. With the help of the internet, Paige was able to discover a deceptively simple solution. But the negative health implications of noise pollution are anything but simple.Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced out of the studios of Defacto Sound and hosted by Dallas Taylor. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.Become a monthly contributor at 20k.org/donate. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/citythatneversleeps Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 5, 2020 • 27min
Tudum! The story behind the iconic Netflix sound
The Netflix "Tudum" sound has quickly become one of the most iconic sound logos of our generation. I bet you can hear it in your head right now. This sound is heard countless times, every single day, all over the world. But the Netflix sound was almost very different than the one we know today. Hear the story of how one of the biggest sound logos of all time was made. Featuring Todd Yellin - VP of Product at Netflix, Tanya Kumar - Brand Design Lead at Netflix, and Lon Bender and Charlie Campagna from the Formosa Group.Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced out of the studios of Defacto Sound and hosted by Dallas Taylor. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.Become a monthly contributor at 20k.org/donate. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/netflix Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 22, 2020 • 47min
McElroys, Mysteries, and Me: Guess That Sound! w/ MBMBAM
Join Dallas and the McElroy brothers (hosts of My Brother, My Brother and Me) as they compete to see which brother has the best ear. We dust off our old mystery sounds to test the McElroy's on their knowledge of pop culture, science, and the mundane. Which brother has the best ear? Find out, in this heated and hilarious game... of mystery sounds.Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced out of the studios of Defacto Sound and hosted by Dallas Taylor. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.Become a monthly contributor at 20k.org/donate. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Check out the McElroy brothers' podcasts My Brother, My Brother, and Me and The Adventure Zone at themcelroy.family or wherever you get your podcasts.Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/mcelroysmysteriesandme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 8, 2020 • 34min
Hamilton’s Sonic Secrets: Behind the Broadway phenomenon
Broadway’s award-winning, record-breaking, smash hit, Hamilton, is a musical unlike any other. In this special episode, we have re-voiced, remixed, and remastered one of our shows about our favorite broadway musical! Featuring Nevin Steinberg, Hamilton’s Tony-nominated sound designer, Benny Reiner, Grammy-winning Hamilton percussionist, Anna-Lee Craig, Hamilton on Broadway A2, and Broadway sound design legend Abe Jacob.Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced out of the studios of Defacto Sound and hosted by Dallas Taylor. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.Become a monthly contributor at 20k.org/donate. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/hamiltonremix Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 24, 2020 • 29min
Stop, Collaborate and Listen: Can you copyright a vibe?
Can you steal from yourself? Can you copyright a mood? We look back on some important copyright cases that could have an impact on the entire future of music making. Featuring Adam Neely and Sandra Aistars.Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced out of the studios of Defacto Sound and hosted by Dallas Taylor. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.Become a monthly contributor at 20k.org/donate. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Check out Adam’s Youtube channel.Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/stopcollaborateandlisten Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 10, 2020 • 30min
Copyrights & Wrongs: Musical Inspiration vs. Plagiarism
Most western music is built on the same 12 notes. Sometimes the arrangement of those notes sounds similar, which raises the question: Theft or Inspiration? We listen to some famous copyright disputes and try to decode them. Featuring Adam Neely and Sandra Aistars.Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced out of the studios of Defacto Sound and hosted by Dallas Taylor. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.Become a monthly contributor at 20k.org/donate. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Check out Adam’s Youtube channel.Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/copyrightsandwrongs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 27, 2020 • 32min
Makin’ Whoopee: The hilarious history & science of fart sounds
Farts have been funny to humans for thousands of years. This basic bodily function has countless nicknames around the world, but our fascination with farts is probably best illustrated by the simple whoopee cushion. In this episode from the podcast Brought to You By, Charlie Herman reports on the history of the whoopee cushion and why we can't help but laugh when we hear that sound.Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced out of the studios of Defacto Sound and hosted by Dallas Taylor. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.Become a monthly contributor at 20k.org/donate. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Subscribe to Brought to You By wherever you get your podcasts.Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/makinwhoopee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 13, 2020 • 35min
Pew Pew! The making of Star Wars’ iconic sounds
When you think about Star Wars, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Lightsabers? Spaceships? Alien creatures? What about all of the sounds that go with those things? How were those sounds made, and what makes them so good? In this episode, we explore how legendary Sound Designer Ben Burtt created the sonic universe of Star Wars from scratch, one sound at a time. Featuring Marshall McGhee.Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced out of the studios of Defacto Sound and hosted by Dallas Taylor. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.Become a monthly contributor at 20k.org/donate. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Check out Marshall’s Youtube channel Waveform. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/starwarspewpew Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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