Twenty Thousand Hertz

Music is a quintessential part of the Zelda series. And some of Zelda’s most iconic melodies go all the way back to the original game, on the Nintendo Entertainment System. These tunes were born in an age of 8 bits, and 5 lo-fi channels of audio. But those limitations forced composer Koji Kondo to make them as distilled and powerful as possible. Featuring Thomas of Thomas Game Docs, and Kirk Hamilton of Strong Songs. Watch our video shorts on Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok. Follow us on Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to 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 Game Docs, on Youtube. Subscribe to Strong Songs wherever you get your podcasts. Check out more work by DragonDePlatino, who composed the 8-bit version of Boléro. Go to indeed.com/hertz to start hiring today. Visit babbel.com/20k to get 55% off your subscription. Find the right doctor, right now with at zocdoc.com/20k. Visit shopify.c

The history of recorded sound stretches back over a hundred and fifty years, starting with a device that could “record” a voice on a piece of paper. Today, we can enjoy lossless streaming anywhere we go… but getting here wasn’t easy. In this episode, we worked with Qobuz, the high quality music platform, to chart the history of audio mediums, from cylinders made of tin foil and wax, to vinyl, 8-track, cassette, CDs, and mp3s. Along the way, we explore the innovations and quirks of each format, with memories sent in from our listeners and the 20K team. Featuring Adam Tovell from the British Library Sound Archive. Watch our video shorts on Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok. Follow us on Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org Rediscover music with Qobuz. Sign up for a 1-month trial period at qobuz.com. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/e

Baseball fan or not, there’s one song that virtually every American knows… or at least, we think we do. “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is one of the top three most recognizable songs in the country, next to “The Star Spangled Banner'' and “Happy Birthday.” But if you dig into the lyrics, you’ll find a forgotten message buried among the peanuts and Cracker Jack. This story comes from the Smithsonian’s Sidedoor podcast. Watch our video shorts on Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok. Follow us on Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org Subscribe to Sidedoor wherever you get your podcasts. Find the right doctor, right now with at zocdoc.com/20k. Visit fastgrowingtrees.com/20k to get 15% off your entire order. 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/seventhinningstre

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. Check out our new store at 20k.org/shop. Watch our video shorts on Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok. Follow us on Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org Subscribe to Matt’s Youtube channel, Ramsey Voice Studio. Explore Albert Kuvezin’s music with Yat-Kha on Spotify, Apple Music, or Youtube. Visit fastgrowingtrees.com/20k to get 15% off

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. Watch our video shorts on Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok. Follow us on Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org 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. Check out headspace.com/20KHERTZ and use promo code 20KHERTZ60 to try Headspace free for 60 days. Get up to 35% off for Mother's Day

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. Check out our new store at 20k.org/shop. Watch our video shorts on Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok. Follow us on Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org 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/bre

 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. Watch our video shorts on Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok. Follow us on Reddit, Twitter, and 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 Improve your personal sound world at oneplus.com. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/

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? Watch our video shorts on Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok. Follow us on Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho

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. Snag a $20 super soft tee at shop.20k.org. Watch our video shorts on Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok. Follow us on Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org 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-dolla

“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… Snag a $20 super soft tee at shop.20k.org. Watch our video shorts on Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok. Follow us on Reddit, Twitter, and 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 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.

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. Snag a $20 super soft tee at shop.20k.org. Follow us on Youtube, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Twitter, & 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 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 do

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. Watch our new video shorts on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. 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. 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 credit

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. Watch our new video shorts on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok! 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.org/episodes/endlesshertz Learn more about your ad c

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 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. 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 here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/digitaldoom Learn more about you

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 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. 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 your best self. Use promo code 20k to get $20 off your next purcha

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 the show on Twitter, Facebook, & Reddit. Subscribe to our Youtube channel here. 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 credits can be found here:

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 the show on Twitter, Facebook, & Reddit. Subscribe to our Youtube channel. 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/20k to get a free 14-day trial wi

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 the show on Twitter, Facebook, & Reddit. Subscribe to our Youtube channel here. 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/episodes/1-900  Learn more ab

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 the show on Twitter, Facebook, & Reddit. Subscribe to our Youtube channel. 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 harrys.com/20k. Episode transcript,

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 the show on Twitter, Facebook, & Reddit. Subscribe to our Youtube channel here. 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: https://www.20k.org/episodes/ti