Twenty Thousand Hertz: Sound Pro Smackdown! Episode Summary
Introduction In the "Sound Pro Smackdown!" episode of Twenty Thousand Hertz, host Dallas Taylor invites listeners to witness an exhilarating edition of the annual Mystery Sound Challenge. Released on December 4, 2024, this episode delves deep into the intricate world of sound design, featuring three esteemed professionals competing to identify a series of enigmatic sounds.
Meet the Contestants Dallas welcomes three distinguished guests from the professional audio realm:
- Austin Olivia Kendrick – A seasoned dialogue and ADR editor with credits on Barry, Star Discovery, and Transformers EarthSpark.
- Mike James Gallagher – A renowned sound designer known for his work on The Al Yankovic Story, Netflix's Song Exploder, and the documentary Lucy and Desi.
- Zachary Quarles – A prolific sound designer in the video game industry, contributing to iconic titles like Fortnite, God of War, and Quake.
Producer Grace East joins as the Scorekeeper, overseeing the scoring system throughout the competition.
The Mystery Sound Challenge: Rules Grace East outlines the competition framework:
- Each sound presented can earn up to three points.
- 3 Points: Correctly identifying the sound without any hints.
- 2 Points: Correct identification after one hint.
- 1 Point: Correct identification after two hints.
The objective is straightforward: identify as many mystery sounds as possible to emerge as the Ultimate Mystery Sound Champion.
Sound Round Highlights
Sound Number One [04:03]
- Sound Played: An unfamiliar roar.
- Contestant Reactions:
- Unnamed Contestant 2: "Is this starting at maximum difficulty?"
- Austin Olivia Kendrick: "It's deep. You gotta dig deep."
- Hints Provided:
- Hint 1: "This is a scene from an iconic 80s movie."
- Hint 2: "The creature in this scene is known for his appetite, but not for his table manners."
- Guess: Zachary Quarles correctly identifies the sound as Slimer from Ghostbusters.
- Reveal:
- The roar was sourced from a 1977 BBC Sound Effects record titled Mad Ape.
Notable Quote:
Austin Olivia Kendrick [07:00]: "Slimer's roar comes from a 1977 record called BBC Sound Effects Number 13, Death and Horror."
Sound Number Two [07:02]
- Sound Played: A distinct chime.
- Contestant Reactions:
- Unnamed Contestant 2: "I know this."
- Guess: Quickly identified as the opening door chime for Family Mart, a Japanese convenience store chain.
- Reveal:
- Composed in 1978 by Yasushi Inada, this chime is a staple in Family Mart stores.
Sound Number Three [08:47]
- Sound Played: Unique vocal sounds.
- Contestant Reactions:
- Unnamed Contestant 2: "I would like to take a guess."
- Hints Provided:
- Hint 1: "It's an instrument made out of wood."
- Hint 2: "Rhymes with an existing reed instrument."
- Guess: Unanimously identified as the Daxophone.
- Reveal:
- The Daxophone, invented by Hans Reichel, produces eerie, vocal-like tones through a vibrating wooden tongue and cello bow.
Notable Quote:
Austin Olivia Kendrick [14:16]: "The Daxophone involves a vibrating wooden tongue, a cello bow, and a curved block of wood called a Dax."
Sound Number Five [12:33]
- Sound Played: A sheep-like noise.
- Contestant Struggles:
- Multiple incorrect guesses led Austin to reveal it as the render failure sound from Adobe After Effects, created by a sound designer's mother.
Sound Number Eight [18:44]
- Sound Played: Alien language sounds.
- Contestant Reactions:
- Unnamed Contestant 1: "Is that the aliens from Arrival?"
- Reveal:
- The intricate sounds were crafted by blending exotic bird calls with instruments like didgeridoos and bagpipes.
Sound Number Thirteen [32:34]
- Sound Played: An ambiguous notification sound.
- Guess: After numerous attempts and hints, it was identified as the iconic jingle from Castle Rock production company, composed by Mark Shaiman.
Sound Number Seventeen [42:46]
- Sound Played: The voice of a snow creature.
- Guess: Quickly recognized as the Tauntaun from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
- Reveal:
- Created by pitching down recordings of an Asian sea otter, voiced by Bill Hader for comedic effect on Conan O'Brien.
Competition Dynamics Throughout the challenge, Mike James Gallagher exhibited a strong lead with consistent correct answers, accumulating 14 points by the midpoint. However, Zachary Quarles made a remarkable resurgence towards the end, nearly overtaking Mike with strategic guesses and insightful deductions.
Mid-Challenge Score Update [15:01]:
Grace East: "Mike is still in the lead with seven points. After those two direct pulls, Family Mart and the Willow Ptarmigan. In second place, we've got Austin with three. And in last place now, but there's still plenty of time, we have Zach with one point."
Final Sounds and Winner Announcement As the competition progressed to its final sounds, the tension mounted. Austin's extensive knowledge and Zachary's rapid point accumulation brought them neck-and-neck with Mike James Gallagher. Ultimately, Mike maintained his lead and was declared the Ultimate Mystery Sound Champion with a final score of 14 points, followed closely by Zachary and Austin.
Final Score Reveal [43:31]:
Grace East: "Mike is still in the lead with 14, Zach has pulled into second with eight, and Austin is a very close third with seven."
Conclusion The "Sound Pro Smackdown!" episode of Twenty Thousand Hertz showcased the depth of expertise among professional sound designers. Through a series of challenging and diverse sounds, listeners were treated to fascinating insights into the art and science of sound design. The competitive yet friendly atmosphere highlighted the intricate processes behind creating memorable auditory experiences in media.
Notable Closing Quote:
Austin Olivia Kendrick [46:07]: "Incredible. And I curated the three of you into this, knowing how good this would be, so thank you."
Listeners are encouraged to revisit older episodes during the holiday break and stay tuned for new content in January. The episode not only entertained but also educated, reaffirming the podcast's mission to illuminate the joy and complexity of our sense of hearing.