Twenty Thousand Hertz

Butterfly in the Synth: Reading Rainbow’s Magical Theme Song

The theme song to Reading Rainbow has been delighting kids (and nostalgic grown-ups) for over 40 years. But how did this instantly iconic track come to be? In this episode, composer Steve Horelick [https://www.stevehmusic.com/] reveals the unlikely story of its creation, from its empowering lyrics, to its “fluttering butterfly” synth sound, to how Chaka Khan and a mystery drummer helped shape one of its later versions. Support the show and get ad-free episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠20k.org/plus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://20k.org/plus]. Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by ⁠Defacto Sound⁠ [https://defactosound.com/]. Subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@dallastaylor.mp3?sub_confirmation=1] to see our video series. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mystery.20k.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://mystery.20k.org/]. Follow Dallas on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/dallastaylor.mp3/], ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@dallastaylor.mp3], ⁠Facebook⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/dallastaylorsound], and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dallastaylor/]. Join our community on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Reddit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.reddit.com/r/20k/]. Explore Steve Horelick's work on his website [https://www.stevehmusic.com/] and YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@stevehorelick]. Visit expressvpn.com/20k [https://www.expressvpn.com/20k] to find out how you can get 4 extra months of protection. Get 3 months of free payroll at ⁠gusto.com/20k⁠ [https://gusto.com/20k]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Auld Lang What? The surprising origins of the New Year’s song

Every New Year’s at midnight, we raise our voices to sing a song that few of us understand: “Auld Lang Syne.” So when and why did this become the anthem of the holiday? In this episode, our friends at the Smithsonian’s Sidedoor [https://www.si.edu/sidedoor] podcast trace the mysterious rise of “Auld Lang Syne” from rural Scotland, to a New York jazz club, to a classic film and an iconic actor. Featuring folklorist Jim Deutsch [https://profiles.si.edu/display/nDeutschJ6142005]. Support the show and get ad-free episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠20k.org/plus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://20k.org/plus]. Subscribe to ⁠Sidedoor⁠ [https://www.si.edu/sidedoor] wherever you get your podcasts. Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by ⁠Defacto Sound⁠ [https://defactosound.com/]. Subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@dallastaylor.mp3?sub_confirmation=1] to see our video series. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mystery.20k.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://mystery.20k.org/]. Follow Dallas on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/dallastaylor.mp3/], ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@dallastaylor.mp3], ⁠Facebook⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/dallastaylorsound], and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dallastaylor/]. Join our community on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Reddit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.reddit.com/r/20k/]. Get 3 months of free payroll at ⁠gusto.com/20k⁠ [https://gusto.com/20k]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Guess That Sound 2025: Youtube Channel Champs

For our sixth annual Mystery Sound game show, we’ve invited three guests from our video series to test their sonic knowledge on 18 sounds, including production logos, video game FX, bird calls, strange instruments, and more. So put on your listening cap and get ready to guess along in this surprising and hilarious competition. Featuring Jake Hartsfield [https://jakehartsfield.com/], Carlos Torres [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1080398/], and John Michael Hinton [https://www.johnmichaelhinton.com/]. Support the show and get ad-free episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠20k.org/plus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://20k.org/plus]. Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by ⁠Defacto Sound⁠ [https://defactosound.com/]. Subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@dallastaylor.mp3?sub_confirmation=1] to see our video series. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mystery.20k.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://mystery.20k.org/]. Follow Dallas on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/dallastaylor.mp3/], ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@dallastaylor.mp3], ⁠Facebook⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/dallastaylorsound], and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dallastaylor/]. Join our community on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Reddit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.reddit.com/r/20k/]. Book a magic show [https://www.johnmichaelhinton.com/book/] with John Michael Hinton. Visit ⁠curiositystream.com/20k⁠ [https://curiositystream.com/20k] for 50% off the best documentary streaming service. Find and book a therapist at rula.com/20k [https://www.rula.com/20k/]. Get 10 free meals + breakfast for life at hellofresh.com/tth10fm [https://hellofresh.com/tth10fm] Shop for eye glasses & contacts, or book an eye exam at warbyparker.com/hertz [https://warbyparker.com/hertz] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The Sound of Fallout: From Iconic Games to Prestige TV

Behind Fallout’s apocalyptic sci-fi and retro nostalgia is a masterclass in sound design. In this episode, we explore how the audio teams behind both the video games and the TV series built Fallout’s signature sonic identity, from Pip Boy clicks to weapon blasts to mutant roars. Along the way, we uncover how the show’s creators honored the classic game sounds while reimagining them for a bigger, more cinematic experience. Featuring Mark Lampert [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-lampert-a7866028a/], Sue Cahill [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1014070/], Daniel Colman [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0172888/], Steve Bucino [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3179315/], and Keith Rogers [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0734730/]. Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound [https://defactosound.com/]. Subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@dallastaylor.mp3?sub_confirmation=1] to see our video series. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mystery.20k.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://mystery.20k.org/]. Support the show and get ad-free episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠20k.org/plus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://20k.org/plus]. Follow Dallas on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/dallastaylor.mp3/], ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@dallastaylor.mp3], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/dallastaylorsound], and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dallastaylor/]. Join our community on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Reddit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.reddit.com/r/20k/]. Visit curiositystream.com/20k [https://curiositystream.com/20k] for 50% off the best documentary streaming service. Explore incredible speakers, soundbars, and more at ⁠sonos.com⁠ [https://sonos.com/]. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial of Shopify at ⁠⁠⁠shopify.com/20k⁠⁠⁠ [http://shopify.com/20k]. Claim your $75 sponsored job credit at ⁠⁠⁠⁠indeed.com/hertz⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.indeed.com/hertz]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Defying Gravity: The Audio Wizardry of Wicked's Live Vocals

In movie musicals, the vocals are almost never recorded live on-set. Instead, the actors pre-record their songs, then lip sync to those recordings while filming. But on Wicked, they threw out the rulebook, and recorded all of the lead vocals live. In this episode, Production Sound Mixer Simon Hayes [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1536532/] reveals how they pulled off this audio feat. From cleverly disguised lav mics and in-ear monitors, to “silent wind” machines, to a jaw-dropping live performance of “Defying Gravity,” this is the story behind a truly magical production. Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound [https://defactosound.com/]. Subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@dallastaylor.mp3?sub_confirmation=1] to see our video series. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mystery.20k.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://mystery.20k.org/]. Support the show and get ad-free episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠20k.org/plus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://20k.org/plus]. Follow Dallas on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/dallastaylor.mp3/], ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@dallastaylor.mp3], ⁠Facebook⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/dallastaylorsound], and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dallastaylor/]. Join our community on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Reddit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.reddit.com/r/20k/]. Explore incredible speakers, soundbars and more at ⁠sonos.com⁠ [https://sonos.com/]. Get 50% off your first box of Factor Meals, plus free breakfast for a year at factormeals.com/tth50off [https://factormeals.com/tth50off]. Subscribe to Working Smarter [https://blog.dropbox.com/podcast/working-smarter] wherever you get your podcasts. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial at ⁠⁠⁠shopify.com/20k⁠⁠⁠ [http://shopify.com/20k]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]