Twenty Thousand Hertz

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. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to support the show & get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. 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 cr

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. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook. Vote for Twenty Thousand Hertz in the Listener’s Choice Signal Awards! Follow the show on Twitter, Facebook, & Reddit. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to support the show & get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. 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.

In the 1960s, Bob Moog and Don Buchla built synthesizers that changed the world. But by the early 80s, they faced a new challenger who threatened to bring it all crumbling down: the digital synthesizer. To defeat this opponent, they’d have to recruit a new ally… and maybe even join forces. Featuring Bob’s daughter Michelle Moog-Koussa, Don’s collaborator Ami Radunskaya, and journalist Ryan Gaston. Watch Welcome to Synth, our first original Youtube video. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to support the show & get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Read Ryan Gaston’s tech & music articles on Perfect Circuit’s SIGNAL blog. Find out more about Robert Moog’s work at the Moogseum. To start hiring now, visit indeed.com/hertz. Find the right doctor, right now with at zocdoc.com/20k. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found h

In the United States, the East Coast and West Coast have rivalries across food, sports, music and more. But there’s another rivalry that’s less well known, but just as important. This standoff created sounds that were unlike anything that had been heard before. It redefined what a musical instrument could be. And it changed the sound of pop music forever. Featuring journalist Ryan Gaston and composer David Rosenboom. Watch Welcome to Synth, our first original Youtube video. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to support the show & get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Read Ryan Gaston’s tech & music articles on Perfect Circuit’s SIGNAL blog. Listen to David’s Rosenboom’s Buchla music via Black Truffle Records. Twenty Thousand Hertz is sponsored by Better Help. Try online therapy at betterhelp.com/20k and get on your way to being

Audio description allows you to enjoy a movie or TV show without the need for any visuals. But how do these narrators strike the right tone for a scene? How do the writers decide what needs to be described? And what’s in store for the future of described audio? In honor of Blindness Awareness Month, this is a brand new story about the world of Audio Description. Featuring AD Narrator Roy Samuleson and AD experts Thomas Reid and Melody Goodspeed.  Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to support the show & get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Subscribe to Thomas’ podcast Reid My Mind Radio, and Roy’s podcast, The ADNA Presents. Subscribe to Björk's Sonic Symbolism show wherever you get your podcasts. To start hiring now, visit indeed.com/hertz. Find the right doctor, right now with at zocdoc.com/20k. Episode transcript, music, and

In the 80s and 90s, movie trailers were ruled by “voice-of-God” narrators who used stock phrases like, “In a world…” Today, movie studios have a different trick up their sleeves: epic sound design. In this episode, Professor James Deaville explains the history of trailers, and Youtuber Craven Moorhaus crafts a hilarious takedown of the overused clichés of modern blockbuster trailers. We’ve remixed one of our most popular episodes for your listening pleasure. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to support the show & get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Use promo code 20k to get $20 off your next purchase over $100 at American Musical Supply. Get 10% off your first month of online therapy with our sponsor BetterHelp at betterhelp.com/20k. Subscribe to Björk's Sonic Symbolism show wherever you get your podcasts. Visit shopify.com/2

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… Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to support the show & get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Subscribe to Björk's Sonic Symbolism show wherever you get your podcasts. To start hiring now, visit 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/ep

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. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to support the show & get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. 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. Try out Harry’s with a $3 starter set at har

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. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to support the show & get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. 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: http

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.  Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to get our entire catalog ad-free + our bonus show MicroHertz! If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. 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, an

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. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to support the show & get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. 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 purcha

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. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to support the show & get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. 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

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. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to support the show & get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. 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/episode

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. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to support the show & get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. 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. Hiring? Sign up at Indeed.com/Hertz and get a $75 credit to sponsor your first

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.  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 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

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. 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. 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 Le

Part 2 of our series on the Windows startup sounds picks up when Microsoft made the radical decision to kill the startup sound in Windows 8. In this episode, we explore the forces that led to that decision, unpack how Microsoft channeled the music of language into their new UI sounds, and reveal 2 secret startup sounds that were nearly lost to time. Featuring former Microsoft Lead UI Designer Jensen Harris and Sound Designer Matthew Bennett. Apply for the full time Associate Producer position here. The application closes on May 11th. 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 Jensen Harris’ Youtube channel. Learn about Matthew Bennett’s latest work here. To check out full sets of default Windows sounds, visit winsounds.com. Offset your carbon footprint at wren.co. Select "Podcast" at checkout and type "Tw

Over the years, Microsoft has made at least ten iconic startup sounds for Windows—from the triumphant “Ta-da!” of Windows 3.1, to the ambient chime that Brian Eno crafted for Windows 95, to the orchestral sweep of Windows XP. In this episode, we explore the creation of the classic Windows startup sounds through Windows 7, and what each one says about Microsoft’s evolving technology. Featuring former Microsoft Lead UI Designer Jensen Harris and Sound Designer Matthew Bennett. Apply for the full time Associate Producer position here. The application closes on May 11th. 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 Jensen Harris’ Youtube channel. Learn about Matthew Bennett’s latest work here. To check out full sets of default Windows sounds, visit winsounds.com. Sign up for a MEL Science subscription at melsci

For nearly half a century, one eerie sound has been showing up again and again in movies and TV shows. It’s typically used when something spooky or mysterious happens—and it can be heard in Poltergeist, The Matrix, Let the Right One In, and countless episodes of Unsolved Mysteries. So where did this strange sound come from, and how did it spread across Hollywood? This story comes from the podcast Every Little Thing. We’ve been nominated for 2 Webby Awards! Vote for Twenty Thousand Hertz in the Business and Television & Film categories. 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. Click here to leave us a voice message about your experiences with movie dialogue. Subscribe to Every Little Thing in Spotify. Get 10% off your first month of BetterHelp online therapy at betterhelp.com/20k. Visit zocdoc.com/20k to download the

The voices of subway and train announcements are deeply ingrained in peoples’ lives. Many of us hear them every day, for years on end. And yet, hardly anyone knows who those voices belong to. In this episode, we uncover the human stories behind two of the most iconic transit systems in the world: the New York City Subway, and the London Tube. Featuring NYC Subway announcer Charlie Pellett and Tube announcer Elinor Hamilton. 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 Tales from the Tannoy wherever you get your podcasts. Get 10% off your first month of BetterHelp online therapy at betterhelp.com/20k. 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. Get 83% off Surfshark VPN plus an extra 3 months free