Twenty Thousand Hertz Shares New Episode, "Creature Speakers"
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Today, Twenty Thousand Hertz shares a thrilling new episode just in time for Halloween, treating listeners to a story full of spooky sonic tricks. Titled "Creature Speakers," the latest installment of the world's leading podcast about sound breaks down the creative techniques that voice actors and sound designers use to bring fantastic and terrifying monsters to life. Host Dallas Taylor begins by dissecting the magic behind classic roars across decades of pop culture - from King Kong and Godzilla to the monsters of Lord of the Rings and A Quiet Place - before exploring how DB Cooper and Michael Schwalbe performed the voices of more than 200 unique creatures for the Monster Train video game.
Listen to "Creature Speakers" Here
Throughout the episode, voice actors DB Cooper and Michael Schwalbe reveal the sweat-inducing methods and throat-shredding secrets that go into voicing a video game. Schwalbe, who's previously been heard as every single monster in the game Slay the Spire, discusses the special approach he developed from singing in heavy metal band Invicta. Without proper training, vocal cords are very easily damaged by shouting and screaming, but Schwalbe explains how he can produce distorted and gravelly tones by shifting the stress to different parts of the vocal anatomy. DB Cooper, on the other hand, uses physical tools like resistance bands, dumbbells and Jello to convey audible struggles, impacts and gory, blood-gurgling deaths.
When Cooper and Schwalbe were paired for Monster Train, it was the biggest voice acting challenge of their careers. They created over 200 distinct creatures, using pictures to inspire the sonic personalities of imps, demons, bird-like angels and more. Each creature required 4-10 distinct sounds, including noises for fighting, dying and beyond. With the help of sound designer Jordan Chin, meticulous processing transformed these human voices into the screeches and roars of otherworldly beings.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Dallas Taylor and the team of sound designers at Defacto Sound, whose thousands of projects include numerous blockbuster video games. Earlier in October, the podcast illuminated the auditory experience of blind gamers in "Video(less) Games," as part of a three-part series for Blindness Awareness Month. Other highlights from the show's vast explorations of the world's most recognizable, interesting sounds include the stories behind the soundtrack of Minecraft, the Xbox Startup Sound, Video Game Soundscapes and more.
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About Twenty Thousand Hertz
Twenty Thousand Hertz is a lovingly crafted podcast that reveals the stories behind the
world's most recognizable and interesting sounds. With 20 million+ lifetime downloads, 125,000+ listeners per episode, and 3 Webby awards to its name, Twenty Thousand Hertz is the world's leading podcast about sound. Episodes of Twenty Thousand Hertz have been featured on 99% Invisible, Endless Thread, and Every Little Thing. The show has also been covered by The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Salon, Popular Science, and many others.
About Dallas Taylor
Dallas Taylor is the host and creator of Twenty Thousand Hertz, a lovingly crafted podcast revealing the stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting sounds. Dallas is also the Creative Director of Defacto Sound, where he has led thousands of high-profile sound design projects - from blockbuster trailers and advertising campaigns, to major television series and Sundance award-winning films. Additionally, Dallas is a TED mainstage speaker, a regular contributor to major publications, and a respected thought leader on the narrative power of sound.
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