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

Jan 14, 2019 • 27min
Silence: Dispatches from the quietest place on Earth
Our world is filled with sound. It exists in even the quietest corners of the planet. But what happens when all that sound is taken away? What is silence? There are very few places on Earth where silence actually exists, but in this episode, Dallas experiences it for himself thanks to a special room called an anechoic chamber. How do our brains process the complete nothingness of silence? Find out as Dallas locks himself alone inside the chamber. Featuring David Alvord and Nick Breen from the Georgia Tech Research Institute. 20k 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. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/silence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 26, 2018 • 25min
A sonic journey through the Solar System
What happens when we leave Earth's thin blanket of atmosphere, and what do other planets sound like? In this special episode, we have completely remixed one of our favorite shows! It's been re-written, re-edited, re-narrated, has new music, and even some new additional content. If you've heard the original, you'll definitely want to check out this remixed and remastered version. Featuring Dr. Lori Glaze, Dr. Keith Noll, Dr. Scott Guzewich from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. 20K is hosted by Dallas Taylor and made out of the studios of Defacto Sound. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.Sign up for Musicbed Membership music.20k.org. Become a monthly contributor at 20k.org/donate. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/spaceremix Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 10, 2018 • 27min
Boots ’n Cats: The scientific secrets of beatboxing
Beatboxing began as an imitation of a drum machine, but over the decades it has evolved as a means to emulate any number of percussive sounds. Now beatboxing is being studied by scientists who are fascinated by the vocal dexterity of artists. By examining beatboxing scientists are hoping to unlock mysteries behind language formation, brain function, and the capacity of humans to recreate sound. Featuring Hip Hop Artist and Beat Boxer, Baba Israel and USC Engineering Professor, Shri Narayanan. Twenty Thousand Hertz is hosted by Dallas Taylor and produced out of the studios of Defacto Sound. Check out Shri Narayanan and his SPAN team’s MRI videos of beatboxers at sail.usc.edu/span/beatboxingproject Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.Set up a monthly, recurring donation at 20k.org/donate. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/bootsncats Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 26, 2018 • 36min
Being George Clooney: Dubbing Hollywood celebrities
Hollywood films are huge internationally. But how are these films adapted for foreign languages? We delve into the not so talked about process of dubbing. Featuring the world's most popular voice actors, directors, and producers. Featuring: Andre Sogliuzzo, John Ptak, Shaktee Singh, Debra Chinn, Martin Umbach, Tamer Karadagli, Francesco Pannofino, Detlef Bierstedt, Marco Antonio Costa, Paul Dergarabedian, Rajesh Khattar, Christian Brückner, Emanuela Rossi, Chiara Barzini, Irene Ranzato, Claudia Urbschat-Mingues, Alexandre Gillet, Ezra Weisz, Vanessa Beltran, Samuel Labarthe, Ashwin Mushran, Chuck Mitchell, Christoph Bregler, Gabrielle Pietermann, Luise Helm, Claudia Gvirtzman Dichter, Guilherme Briggs, Samuel Labarthe, Hester Wilcox, Malavika Shivpuri, Viraj Adhav, Mona Shetty, Sheila Dorfman. 20K is hosted by Dallas Taylor and made out of the studios of Defacto Sound. A huge thanks to Director Paul Mariano for allowing us to create this adaptation of documentary! Thanks to APM Music for all of the music in this episode. Find out more at apmmusic.com. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll love the full documentary. You can find it on iTunes or on Amazon. Become a monthly contributor at 20k.org/donate. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/beinggeorgeclooney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 12, 2018 • 27min
The Xbox Startup Sound: Crafting a console classic
The Xbox startup sound is an audio logo that’s become synonymous with the game console. But its origins are rooted in solving a logistical problem; how to entertain gamers while they wait for their machines to finish booting up. Featuring Sound Designer and Composer Brian Schmidt and Sound Designer, Composer and Berklee Professor, Michael Sweet. Twenty Thousand Hertz is hosted by Dallas Taylor and produced out of the studios of Defacto Sound. 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. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/xboxstartupsound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 29, 2018 • 35min
Theater for the Mind: The Golden Age of radio dramas
The "golden age of radio drama" may have been a stellar period for storytelling -- but the stories weren't all golden bright. Sci-fi and horror radio dramas explored deep anxieties people felt from the Depression through the Cold War, and set the stage for later stories that couldn't be told yet without special effects. Eric Molinsky of the podcast Imaginary Worlds co-hosts this episode as we hear from historians like Neil Verma and Richard J. Hand, and radio drama veterans like Dirk Maggs and Richard Toscan. Plus Emory Braswell recalls the day he thought Martians invaded New Jersey. 20K is made 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.Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/theaterforthemind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 15, 2018 • 31min
Theremin: The instrument that defined classic sci-fi & horror
If you've ever watched an old sci-fi or horror film, you've probably heard the hair-tingling, alien sounds of the Theremin. It's a spooky, strange instrument that's played without being touched, and has become a staple for classic horror movies. This is the story of the Theremin's mysterious journey. Featuring Thereminist Rob Schwimmer, Michelle Moog-Koussa, daughter of Bob Moog and Executive Director of the Bob Moog Foundation, and Albert Glinsky, courtesy of Moog Music. 20K is made 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.Help us make 20k - become a sustaining, recurring contributor. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/leontheremin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 1, 2018 • 33min
Cartoon Sound Effects: From Steamboat Willie to The Jetsons
Cartoon sound effects are some of the most iconic sounds ever made. Even modern cartoons continue to use the same sound effects from decades ago. How were these legendary sounds made and how have they stood the test of time? Featuring Oscar-winning sound designer Mark Mangini of the Formosa Group, and Advantage Audio’s Heather Olsen. 20K is made 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.Help us make 20k - become a sustaining, recurring contributor. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/cartoon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 17, 2018 • 37min
Behind the Mic: The making of Twenty Thousand Hertz
50 episodes! When we launched this podcast two years ago, we never imagined our passion project would come this far. To mark the occasion, we’re taking a peek behind the scenes of the show. Join the Defacto Sound team as they take you into the inspiration, creation, and people behind Twenty Thousand Hertz. Check out Defacto Sound, the studios that produced Twenty Thousand Hertz, hosted by Dallas Taylor. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.If you're looking for another great podcast, check out Moonshot. Consider supporting the show at donate.20k.org. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/50th Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 4, 2018 • 34min
Jingles: How they hooked us and why they vanished
Odds are if we asked you sing your favorite advertising jingle from when you were a kid, you’d be able to recall every single lyric. Yet we don’t hear many advertising jingles these days. Why is that? This is the story of the rise, fall, and brain science of the jingle. In this episode we talk to UCLA’s Timothy D. Taylor, author of The Sounds of Capitalism, and Durham University’s Kelly Jakubowski. 20K is hosted by Dallas Taylor and made out of the studios of Defacto Sound. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.Consider supporting the show at donate.20k.org Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/jingles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices