Twenty Thousand Hertz
Dallas Taylor
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
• The Legend of Zelda: A Beep to the Past
• Inside Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Studios
• A sonic journey through the Solar System
• Mind the Gap: NYC & London’s iconic transit voices
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
• The Legend of Zelda: A Beep to the Past
• Inside Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Studios
• A sonic journey through the Solar System
• Mind the Gap: NYC & London’s iconic transit voices
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 21, 2022 • 37min
The weird, wild world of 1-900 numbers
In the late 80s and early 90s, 900 numbers were all the rage. For a couple bucks a minute, you could call and hear from Hulk Hogan and Freddy Kreuger, have a psychic predict your future, and even find true love. In this episode, we dig into the wild world of 900 numbers, and explore why they came about, what made them so appealing, and why they ultimately faded away. Featuring Doug Fraser of the Curious State podcast, 900 number experts Bob Bentz and David Wood, 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.
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Subscribe to Björk's Sonic Symbolism show wherever you get your podcasts.
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Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/1-900 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 7, 2022 • 27min
Tokyo Rose: World War II’s most controversial radio DJ
In World War II, the Japanese military operated a propaganda station called Radio Tokyo. Along with jazz music, the station featured several English-speaking female announcers, who became collectively known as Tokyo Rose. But who was Tokyo Rose? And was she really the treacherous villain that the US government made her out to be? This story comes from the History Daily podcast.
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 History Daily wherever you get your podcasts.
To learn more about immersive audio production, visit pro.focusrite.com.
Get 10% off your first month of online therapy with our sponsor BetterHelp at betterhelp.com/20k.
Visit shopify.com/20k to get a free 14-day trial with Shopify’s entire suite of features.
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Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/tokyorose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 24, 2022 • 31min
TikTalk: The woman who sued TikTok for using her voice
In 2018, voiceover artist Bev Standing recorded 10,000 sentences for the Chinese Institute of Acoustics. Bev was told the recordings would be used for a translation app, but three years later, she was shocked to discover that she had become the default voice of TikTok in North America. On TikTok, Bev heard herself saying all kinds of wild and inappropriate things. So, she decided to sue. In this episode, Bev tells her story, and we hear from the voice who replaced her.
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.
Listen to Ahead of Its Time, a new podcast by Setapp, on all of your favorite platforms.
Get a $75 credit to upgrade your job post at indeed.com/hertz.
Find the right doctor, right now with at zocdoc.com/20k.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/tiktalk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 10, 2022 • 33min
The sonic secrets behind Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso is about more than just an incompetent soccer coach—it’s about overcoming challenges by working together. And that’s exactly what the show’s sound team had to do when the pandemic hit just two episodes in. From creating crowds of thousands using just a few voices, to recording actors in their own closets, they managed to turn lockdown into an opportunity for innovation. Featuring Ted Lasso’s Supervising Sound Editor Brent Findley and Dialog Editor Bernard Weiser.
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.
Get 10% off your first month of BetterHelp online therapy at betterhelp.com/20k.
Try out Harry’s with a $3 starter set at harrys.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/tedlassosdarkforest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
23 snips
Jul 27, 2022 • 46min
Sonic Happiness: A guide to feeling better through sound
We spend a lot of time curating for taste, touch, smell, and vision. But too often, sound gets overlooked. We forget that we can get rid of sounds that annoy us, and surround ourselves with sounds that we love. When we do, it can have huge benefits for our mood and wellbeing. In this episode, Dr. Laurie Santos of The Happiness Lab joins Dallas to create a Handbook for Sonic Happiness. Featuring auditory psychologist David Poeppel, psychology researcher Giulia Poerio, clinical psychologist Ali Mattu, sound scholar Mac Hagood and acoustician Trevor Cox.
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.
Listen to more episodes of The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos here.
Visit athleticgreens.com/20k to get a one-year supply of vitamin D and 5 travel packs free with your first purchase.
Hiring? Sign up at Indeed.com/Hertz and get a $75 credit to sponsor your first job post for better visibility, more applications, and quicker hiring times.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/sonichappiness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 13, 2022 • 30min
Shock Horror A: The origin of the dramatic “Dun, dun, duuun!”
There’s a certain musical phrase that you’ve probably heard hundreds of times. It’s used to emphasize dramatic moments in movies, cartoons, commercials and musicals, most often as a gag. But while this little melody is everywhere today, the question is: Where did it come from? In this episode, we investigate the mysterious origins of a famous 3-note sting. Featuring Sound Historian Patrick Feaster and Composer Dick Walter.
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.
Read the original article that inspired this episode, by producer & journalist Amelia Tait.
Download Overcast in the App Store for a powerful, simple podcast player.
Try out Harry’s with a $3 starter set at harrys.com/20k.
Visit athleticgreens.com/20k to get a one-year supply of vitamin D and 5 travel packs free with your first purchase.
Get 10% off your first month of BetterHelp online therapy at betterhelp.com/20k.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/shockhorrora Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 6, 2022 • 27min
Sleight of Ear: Behind the scenes w/ Dallas Taylor
What does a sound designer do all day? How do noise canceling headphones really work? And why do modern movie trailers all sound the same? In this follow-up to our 150th episode, Dallas shares the secrets of sound design with Jordan Harbinger. They also discuss audio deepfakes, sonic branding, and the eternal argument over analog vs. digital. This interview comes from The Jordan Harbinger Show.
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 The Jordan Harbinger Show wherever you get your podcasts.
Download Overcast in the App Store for a powerful, simple podcast player.
Visit athleticgreens.com/20k to get a one-year supply of vitamin D and 5 travel packs free with your first purchase.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/slightofear Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 22, 2022 • 35min
Breathe: My Unexpected Journey
What if you woke up one day, and found that you could no longer do the thing that gave you the most joy in your life? The thing that gave you purpose? The thing that defined your past, and was supposed to define your future? For our 150th episode, Dallas tells the personal story of how he lost something that meant the world to him… and how that loss eventually led him to become the person he is today. This story comes from the podcast Meditative 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.
Subscribe to Meditative Story wherever you get your podcasts.
Offset your carbon footprint at wren.co. Select "Podcast" at checkout and type “Twenty Thousand Hertz” to get 10 extra trees planted in your name.
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Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/breathe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
7 snips
Jun 8, 2022 • 41min
Relearning Boléro: How our brains rewrite the sounds we hear
In the same way that optical illusions can trick our eyes, auditory illusions can trick our ears. This raises a serious question: what is hearing, and how much of it is actually made up by our brains? In this story from the Unexplainable podcast, we explore how our brains create the sonic world around us, and what it takes to harness that mysterious power. Featuring psychologist Diana Deutsch, hearing researcher Matthew Winn and author Mike Chorost.
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 Unexplainable wherever you get your podcasts.
Visit sonarworks.com to get a free 21 day trial of SoundID Reference.
Get 10% off your first month of BetterHelp online therapy at betterhelp.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/relearningbolero Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
4 snips
May 25, 2022 • 30min
Ghosts in the Hit Machine: The secrets of musical ghostwriters
Many of today’s biggest songs are written and produced by people whose names don’t appear anywhere in the credits. They’re called ghostwriters and ghost producers, and they’re a huge part of the music industry. So what’s it like to watch your song become a hit when you can’t legally talk about it? And how do you get in the mindset of a legendary rap star, in order to write verses for them? Featuring rapper and ghost songwriter Skyzoo and producer Dame Taylor.
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.
Explore music education classes with Monster Sessions.
Hiring? Sign up at Indeed.com/Hertz and get a $75 credit to sponsor your first job post for better visibility, more applications, and quicker hiring times.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/ghostsinthehitmachine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
