Sound Medicine
From the basic stethoscope to controlling brain waves, sound and medicine have been working together since caveman days. Read More...
When Dolls Talk Back - June 2024 News
Is Chucky the creepiest talking doll to ever utter words? Created by screenwriter Don Mancini, the possessed doll of the Child's Play movie franchise took on a new life when voiced by actor Brad Dourif. Well move over Chuckster, Thomas Edison had you beat by a hundred years. Read More...
Jar Fly Blues Revisited - May 2024 News
"Again and again, the cicada's untiring cry pierced the sultry summer air like a needle at work on thick cotton cloth."
Yukio Mishima
Most of the eastern part of the US is or will be soon suffering from the latest cyclical emergence of cicadas, so we're republishing our article on the cicada from 2019. Enjoy.
Flipping the Script (and the disc) - April 2024 News
Everything you thought you knew about playing records just got turned upside down and sideways, literally. In what took six years to develop, scrap, redevelop, build, and deliver, the Miniot Wheel 2 is the most unique and advanced record player on the market today. It wasn't supposed to be this advanced, just beautiful and unique.
Read More...Thunderstruck - March 2024 New
With spring comes change, a welcome sight after a long winter. It also brings storms. And thunder. If anything signifies change, it's thunder. A nice calm day can change instantly with a thunder clap. Maybe that day is Thursday, which is named after Thor, the Viking god of thunder. But what is thunder, really? Read More...
The Sounds of M*A*S*H - October 2023 news
There are sounds unique to both the hit show M*A*S*H and a real MASH unit during the Korean War. Plus, find out the latest news from Dynamix.
Podcasting 101 - September 2023 news
I'm pleased to announce that I will teaching a free crash course on how to start a podcast. I'll be joined by veteran podcaster Liza Holland at the annual Kentucky Book Festival on Saturday October 21, 2023 at 10 AM EST. The event takes place at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington Green, Lexington, KY. Read More...
A Current View of the Audio Industry - July 2023 news
It's always a good idea to step back once in a while and take stock of the industry you work in. For the audio industry, it's mostly good news. Let's take a look. Read More...
Strange New Worlds - June 2023 News
The sounds of the original Star Trek show find a place in a strange new world.
Plus find out what's been going on at Dynamix Productions lately. Read More...
All The Sounds You Never Hear - April 2023 News
Think your hearing is good? That notion is destroyed when you find out about all of the other sounds you don't hear.
Plus, find out all the news happening at Dynamix Productions.
Acoustic Archeology - March 2023 News
Reimagining performances in centuries-old spaces.
Plus the latest news from Dynamix Productions. Read More...
Noise Reduction - January 2023 News
The Father of Hi-Fi - November 2022 News
Arthur Haddy may not a household name, but his achievements are. Haddy is considered by many to be the "father of hi-fi." He may single-handedly be responsible for some of the greatest consumer audio advancements of the late 20th century: High-fidelity recordings, Stereo LPs, and Cassette Dolby noise reduction. Read More...
AI, I/O, It's Off to Work We Go - June 2022 News
When you work in an industry that relies heavily on technology, you have to keep up. So we've recently made a number of enhancements, upgrades, and renovations to our studios, some of which are truly breathtaking. Read More...
SOFAR So Good - May 2022 News
Is the Wax Cylinder the Next Big Thing? - April 2022 News
If we look back over the last 140 years of sound recording, it seems that formats come and formats...come back. I've written many times in these newsletters about nearly dead technologies that seemingly get resurrected out of nowhere, such as the vinyl record, the cassette, and AM radio. The younger generations are partly responsible for breathing new life into these old formats, but most stand on their own merits. Read More...
Sound Farming - March 2022 News
Today's farm is not at all like your grandfather's farm. It's a high-stakes business for farmers who expect high-yields. And what's driving up those yields? Technology. Since the Newcomen steam engine of the late 1700s, the agriculture industry has been progressively adopting new technology and science to feed the world. And now high-tech farming is getting even more high-tech. Farmers are using exciting new sound technologies and practices to coax more out of their crops, keep their livestock happy, and keep themselves safe. Read More...
What's New in '22! Part II - February 2022 News
Last month we began the tale of the great 1922 boom of commercial radio. The number of broadcasting stations and radio sets quickly mushroomed faster than any other technology in the world. In one year alone, the number of radios in American consumers' hands exploded from 50,000 to nearly a million. Read More...
Requiem of the Bells - December 2021 News
"Ding-dong, ding-dong
Ding-dong, ding-dong
Hark how the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say
Throw cares away"
Peter Wilhousky / Mykola Leontovich
This time of year can be joyous, especially for holiday music lovers. Christmas tunes flow out of stores and TV sets, and holiday concerts fill December's weekends. But one carol, "Carol of the Bells," may be based on a centuries-old doom and gloom song.
Read more and find out what's been happening in our studios lately by clicking here.
Sick and Tired of Sound - November 2021 News
"A hospital is no place to be sick."
Samuel Goldwyn
When Old is Old Again - October 2021 News
Buford T. Justice: Breaker, breaker for the Bandit.
Bandit: Come on back, breaker.
Buford T. Justice: Bandit I got a smokey report for you. Come on!
Bandit: Well, talk to me good buddy.
Buford T. Justice: You got trouble comin...
Bandit: Well what's your handle son, and what's your twenty?
Buford T. Justice: My handle's Smokey Bear and I'm tail-grabbin yo ass right now!
Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
Just when you thought CB radio was dead, the Federal Communication Commission passed a rule that might have every "Smokey and the Bandit" fan yearning for another sequel.
Read more…
Sub Sonic - September 2021 News
Captain of the 'Weser': What's it like down there, in a submarine?
Der Leitende: It's... quiet.”
Das Boot, 1981
Submarines need to be stealthy...and quiet. New technology like acoustic cloaking is on the horizon. Plus find out the latest news from Dynamix Productions.
Read the newsletter here.
Fantasound - August 2021 News
Mickey Mouse: Mr. Stokowski. Mr. Stokowski! Ha! My congratulations, sir.
Leopold Stokowski: Congratulations to you, Mickey.
Mickey Mouse: Gee, thanks. Well, so long. I'll be seein' ya!
Leopold Stokowski: Goodbye.
In 1940, before the world would be plunged into a half decade of devastating conflict, a larger-than-life cartoon creator teamed up with a wild-haired orchestra conductor and unleashed a fantastical film that would forever change the way we experience movies. The morning after the gala event at the Broadway Theater in New York City, The New York Times critic Bosley Crowther said, "The music comes not simply from the screen, but from everywhere; it is as if a hearer were in the midst of the music." Even with all the wondrous characters, vivid animation, and whimsical storytelling of this new film, it was the sound that stole the show.
Read the newsletter here.
For the Love of... - May 2021 News
"If our condition were truly happy, we would not seek diversion from it in order to make ourselves happy."
Blaise Pascal
French mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher, writer and Catholic theologian
(1623-1662)
Are you working in a job that you love? Are you doing a skill that comes naturally to you? Can you imagine doing anything else? If you answered Yes, Yes, and...Yes, then you must be insanely happy. It could be healthy to daydream of doing something else, or even partake in different kinds of productive activities that are wildly different from your career. Studies of scientists have shown that the more varied their hobbies, activities, and other professional pursuits are, the more important and numerous their breakthroughs may be. Performing the same task over and over again becomes drudgery, no matter if you're a widget stamper in a factory or a recombinant DNA engineer in a lab. Our minds need diversion in order to focus when it's important.
Find out more and catch up with all that's been going on at the studios of Dynamix Productions.
The Big Mac - March 2021 News
"Music's always been at the heart of Apple. It's deep in our DNA. We've sold Macs to musicians since the beginning of Macs."
Tim Cook
Twenty years ago this month, Apple officially launched OS X. Apple finally had a legitimate PC killer that would kick the Mac vs. Windows debate into overdrive. In 2001, many studios and video editing companies were already using Macs as the foundation for their digital production systems when OS X dropped, but it literally changed the game.
Read about it and find out what's been going on at Dynamix Productions lately.
♪ ♫ Hot Pockets ♪ ♫ ™ - February 2021 News
"Simplicity makes me happy."
Alicia Keys
Comedian Jim Gaffigan has a classic gut-busting routine about Hot Pockets. After expounding on the unsophistication of eating them, he envisions the meeting with the jingle writer:
Do love that jangle.
Do you think they worked hard on that song?
"What do you got so far, Bill?"
"Uh... uh... (sings) hot pocket?"
"Thats good, thats very good.
The jingle is almost as good as your "By Mennen"
Our daily life has us ingesting "jangles" and other ear worms that have become part of our subconscious. Maybe you've heard these simple sounds over and over again:
"Liberty, Liberty, Li-berty, Liberty"
"Nationwide is on your side"
"Double-A, TOOT-TOOT, M C O"
These sounds are almost as familiar as a logo like the Facebook F, the Micheline Tire man, or the Disney mouse ears. These are all trademarked logos and visual advertising devices. Sounds can also be trademarked as well.
Read more and find out what's been happening at the studios of Dynamix Productions here.
The President's Speech - January 2021 New
"Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech."
Martin Farquhar Tupper
For the first century of our nation's existence, a very select few ever heard their president speak. 130 years ago, technology changed that. Plus find out what's been going on at Dynamix Productions recently.
Read the newsletter here.
It's For the Birds - October 2020 News
“In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.”
Robert Lynd
Though we may seem as different as night and day, avians and humans may be more connected to each other than you think.
Plus find out what's been going on at Dynamix recently.
Read the newsletter here.
Messages From the Deeps - August 2020 News
- Lt. Werner: What's going on? Why are we diving?
- 2nd Lieutenant: Hydrophone check. At sea, even in a storm you can hear more down here than you can see up there.”
Das Boot
In the near future, submarines might be using sound waves to communicate through ocean waves. Find out more about this interesting new technology, plus what's been going on at Dynamix.
Read the newsletter here.
Free Music! - May 2020 News
"Well, folks, now we've got free baseball!"
Baseball announcer Skip Caray whenever a game went into extra innings
We're so used to living in a litigious society that when someone says "free," it feels like strings are attached. I once had to revise the word "free" in a commercial to "at no cost" once the lawyers read the script. So it's been surprising to witness the recent trend of releasing free digital copies of archived photos, books, documents, artwork, historical artifacts, films, sounds, and music. But now there are two exciting web sites for music lovers to explore that are...wait for it...free! Plus, find out what's been happening at Dynamix lately.
Read the newsletter here.
The Sound of a Lockdown - April 2020 News
"In radio, you have two tools. Sound and silence."
Ira Glass
Journalists are broadcasting from their backyards, guests are on Zoom, and the news sounds less-than-polished. But we don't know how good we got it. Plus, find out what's been going on at Dynamix lately.
Read the newsletter here.
Piracy on the Hi-Res - March 2020 News
“There comes a time in a man's life when he hears the call of the sea. If the man has a brain in his head, he will hang up the phone immediately.”
Dave Barry
Something people have been overpaying for since forever are music knockoffs. In the 1800s hucksters would blatantly rip-off sheet music; early records were either re-recorded or re-pressed from originals; and illegally replicated compact discs filled up warehouses for decades. Savvy consumers usually know fake from fact, but in this digital only world, it's getting harder to tell. But help is on the way. Plus, find out what's been going on at Dynamix lately.
Read the newsletter here.
The Documentary Sound Quandary - February 2020 News
In feature films the director is God; in documentary films God is the director.
Alfred Hitchcock
Should documentary sound be real? Manipulated? Fake? We dig into the controversy. Plus we look at everything's that's been going on at Dynamix.
Read the newsletter here.
The Soundtrack of the Prohibition - December 2019 News
"Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water."
W. C. Fields
100 years ago, a restrictive law popularized a new American art form. PLUS, find out what's been going on in the studios of Dynamix Productions.
Read the newsletter here.
Animal In-Sync - November 2019 News
"I got rhythm, I got music, I got my man
who could ask for anything more?"
George and Ira Gershwin
Researchers have been wondering for a long time if animals understand music. Specifically – can animals follow a beat? We dive into the beasts that rock a beat. Plus find out what's been going on at Dynamix lately.
Read the newsletter here.
Jar Fly Blues - August 2019 News
"Again and again, the cicada's untiring cry pierced the sultry summer air like a needle at work on thick cotton cloth."
Yukio Mishima
Recording location audio outside can be challenging at best. There are often unwanted sounds like cars, HVAC blowers, and other manmade annoyances that we must work around. There's one sound though that is nearly impossible to eliminate, fix, mask, hide, or yell-at-to-be-quiet. It is guaranteed to ruin almost any exterior recording in the summer: the mating song of the cicada.
Our Sped Up Life - June 2019 News
"Radio is a hungry monster that eats very fast."
Tyler Joseph
Everything today seems to be sped up. We speed to work, we speed to pick up the kids, we speed home. And as if on cue, much of what we watch and listen to is also sped up. Find out more as well as what's been going on at Dynamix recently.
Read the newsletter here.
Audio Letters to Home - May 2019 News
"It was easier just to say it out on a tape than trying to write it because it will take a lot of writing paper in order to get it straight."
Private First Class Frank A. Kowalczyk
Long Binh Post, Vietnam, 1969
Back when it was expensive, or impossible, to call someone long distance, friends and family members would send messages on records and tapes to each other through the mail. Not only was it more affordable, it was a more personal way to stay in touch with each other and have some fun doing it. When I digitize some of these audio letters for customers, and feel like I'm transported back in time that a way that a letter can't take me. Plus find out what's been going on at Dynamix.
Read the newsletter here.
Retro Rewind
"Nostalgia is not what it used to be."
Simone Signoret
Record stores all over America will be opening their doors on April 13th for National Record Store Day. But cassettes are sneaking in through the back. These portable petite plastic packs from the past now have their own Cassette Store Day each year in October, and they're winning over some fans that also shop for vinyl. In fact, annual sales of music cassettes were up 23% in 2018, and 70% since 2016. Artists and studios are rethinking this ancient format and not only re-releasing albums popular during cassette's halcyon days, but new music as well. What's with the retro rewind?
Read the newsletter here.
The Loudest Sound - February 2019 News
My favorite saying is, 'If it's too loud, turn it up.'
Tori Amos
You often hear the phrase "The shot heard 'round the world," referring to the first shot fired of the American Revolution in Lexington, Massachusetts. Or for us baseball fans, Bobby Thompson's dramatic game-winning home run when the New York Giants beat the Brooklyn Dodgers for a trip to the 1951 World Series. Both of these pale in comparison to the 1883 explosion of the Krakatoa volcano. Dubbed as the loudest sound in history, it was also the farthest traveled. Plus, find out what's been happening at Dynamix lately.
Read the newsletter here.
Calling All Cars - January 2019 News
10:40 p.m. “I got about 2,000 college students coming from Walnut Street to 30th to Center City.”
10:46 p.m. “It’s endless, chief. Endless.”
11:11 p.m. “They’re on top of trash trucks. There is to be no one on top of trash trucks, guys.”
11:14 p.m. “We have multiple people on Broad Street swinging on light poles.”
11:20 p.m. “Climbing the trash trucks at 13th and Market.”
11:25 p.m. “I need to get the fire extinguisher out of my trunk. I got a fire on Broad Street just south of South. Someone lit a Christmas tree on fire.”
Philadelphia Police radio transcripts after the Eagles won the 2018 Super Bowl
Do you remember the old movies from the 1930s when a radio in a police car would blare out "Calling all cars! Calling all cars!" The diligent policemen would zoom away in their car with the siren screaming. The dispatcher had no idea if the radio cars heard the frantic call because two-way radios were uncommon and expensive. So from the late 1920s until after World War II, most police departments relied on their cruisers having radio receivers only. Today, police use digital radio systems that carry data, video, and other information. Plus, find out what's been happening at Dynamix lately.
Read the newsletter here.
The Birth of Home Recording - December 2018 News
"I bought a Dutch barge and turned it into a recording studio. My plan was to go to Paris and record rolling down the Seine."
Pete Townshend, The Who
I'm conflicted on the topic of recording music at home. The business part of me frets about studios losing out on billable hours. The musician part of me relishes creating art in a non-pressure environment. But the history of artists recording radio-ready songs in their humble abodes goes back further than you might imagine. Let's explore how affordable home music recording for the masses came to be, but also look back at the origins of this revolution in recording.
Read the newsletter here.
11th Hour Message - November 2018 News
"Hostilities will cease along the whole front from 11 November at 11 o'clock."
Marshal Foch, the French commander of the Allied forces via radio atop the Eiffel Tower.
This week marks 100 years since the end of the war to end all wars, known today as World War One. In 1918, on the 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month, 1,500 days of fighting came to an end. The armistice was agreed upon just six hours earlier in a railway car halfway between Paris and the Western Front. What's remarkable is the speed at which most troops were informed of the impending armistice. This war, like in so many other ways, forever changed the world of communication.
Read the newsletter here.
Video on Vinyl and Other Turntable Transgressions - October 2018 News
"Hello from the children of Planet Earth"
From the gold records aboard the twin Voyager spacecraft
Vinyl is the format that won't die. It'll probably still be around after humans are extinct and our sun has gone supernova. Perhaps in eons, Voyager spacecraft with the golden records aboard will meet distant stars and future vinyl lovers. But in this eon, people will not stop pushing vinyl to its limits. Mad scientists and crazy artists like putting something other than music on it - or in it.
Find out about that, and what's been going on at Dynamix. Read the newsletter here.
As Seen on TV - September 2018 News
"Treat the recording studio as a laboratory for conceptual thinking — rather than as a mere tool."
Brian Eno
When I was young in the...cough...60s and 70s, the only real glimpses I got inside a recording studio was through television and movies. There was a smattering of documentaries and behind-the-scenes footage of studios and radio stations. I was always straining to see the control board and tape machines, or marveling at the cavernous studio on the other side of the glass. It was absolutely riveting to peek inside them and see how a record was made. The 8-foot long mixing console was often shot through a fisheye lens. Long-haired musicians were sunk down into a couch smoking cigarettes (?) and listening to their masterpiece. And there were close-up shots of that big fat 2-inch tape rolling past the heads of the recorder.
Find out about that, and what's been going on at Dynamix. Read the newsletter here.
In the Moment - August 2018 News
"He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough."
Lao Tzu
Father of Taoism
When is enough, enough? When do you stop finessing, polishing, correcting, perfecting, or otherwise fixing something important you're working on? When you're done – either because of deadline, budget, or exhaustion – are you satisfied? Don't overkill your project. Plus find out what's been happening at Dynamix.
Read the newsletter here.
The Elephant in the Room - July 2018 News
"My roommate got a pet elephant. Then it got lost. It's in the apartment somewhere."
Steven Wright
The deep seismic audio world holds many secrets, including how elephants communicate over long distances. Find out how ultra low sounds affect how a recording studio is designed and built. Plus, find out what's been happening at Dynamix lately.
Read the newsletter here.
Golden Ears - June 2018 News
“My dear girl, there are some things that just aren't done, such as drinking Dom Perignon '53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That's just as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs!”
James Bond
"Goldfinger" (United Artists)
The other day, someone said to me, "You must have golden ears." He was referring to my profession as an audio engineer. He assumed that I physically had much better hearing than the average person. I don't. So I explained to my acquaintance that I have trained myself to listen for things that the average person might not hear right away. Want to try yourself? I give a crash course on listening with Elvis. Plus find out what'd been going on at Dynamix lately.
Read the newsletter here.
Listening to the Enemy - May 2018 News
“The only real way to disarm your enemy is to listen to them.”
Amaryllis Fox
Writer, peace activist, former CIA Clandestine Service officer
Eavesdropping on the enemy in times of war can be essential to victory. During World War Two, a tucked away family farm in New England would save thousands of lives while being a key to Allied victories over Germany and Japan.
Plus, find out all that's been happening at Dynamix Productions.
Read the newsletter here.
How Hollywood Hears History
"The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
How authentic should sound designers be with history? If I was telling the story of Paul Revere's famous ride with sound, should I be accurate, or should I make it sound "Hollywood"?
Plus find out about what's going on at Dynamix.
Read the newsletter here.
We're Fifteen! February 2018 News
"I will never be an old man. To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am."
Francis Bacon
Dynamix turns fifteen years old this month. Well technically sixteen, because I incorporated a year earlier and did small jobs out of my basement until I could step out on my own. When I did, I couldn't have timed it better. As I wrote about in our ten-year anniversary newsletter, the Great Ice Storm of 2003 delayed our opening for a week. In fact, I was stuck in Dayton, Ohio for several of those days.
Read the newsletter here.
The Shadow Knows - January 2018 News
Shadow: No, Mary. I suspected a trap, so after I opened the door, I walked across the room and stood behind them.
Apple Mary: But your voice.... it came from near the door.
Shadow: Ventriloquism. A simple trick of projecting the voice.
The Shadow
"The Blind Beggar Dies"
Radio broadcast: April 17, 1938
We're fooled by Mother Nature all the time. She uses light to conjure up a mirage on a hot desert day and Aurora Borealis on a cold Alaskan night. She also has a bag of tricks for sound, like flinging noises a hundred miles away. But one of her best is when she makes sound disappear. This slight-of-hand by Mother Nature may have even changed the outcome of several battles in the American Civil War. What are these shenanigans of sound? Magic? Illusions? Sorcery? As the old radio serial hero said, "Only The Shadow knows." They're called acoustic shadows.
Read the newsletter here.
The Voice, Part 3 - December 2017 News
"At one time there were voiceover artists, now there are celebrity voiceover artists. It's unfortunate because these people need the money less than the voiceover artist."
David Duchovny
What does it take to perform a voice-over? After talking with several industry veterans, it turns out that it's not as easy as they make it sound - and that's the whole point. In Part 1, we found out how these four voice-over artists got into the profession. In Part 2, we learned about preparation and technique. In this last installment of our series, our nimble-tongued pros have advice to budding narrators and writers.
Read the newsletter here.
The Voice, Part 2 - November 2017 News
"In voice-over work, you have to actually do more work with your facial muscles and your mouth. You have to kind of exaggerate your pronunciation a little bit more, whereas with live action, you can get away with mumbling sometimes."
Mark Valley
What does it take to perform a voice-over? After talking with several industry veterans, it turns out that it's not as easy as they make it sound - and that's the whole point. In Part 1, we found out how these four voice-over artists got into the profession. This month, we learn the nitty gritty of preparation and technique.
Read the newsletter here.
The Voice, Part 1 - October 2017 News
"One of the things that I love about voiceover is that it's a situation where - because you're not encumbered by being seen - it's liberating. You're able to make broad choices that you would never make if you were on camera."
Mark Hamill
What does it take to perform a voice-over? After talking with several industry veterans, it turns out that it's not as easy as they make it sound - and that's the whole point. We find out that each of these voice professionals have their own approach to achieving the nearly impossible task of a voice-over artist: making it sound sincere. Plus, find out what's been happening at Dynamix lately.
Read the newsletter here.
Wagner, Vader, and the Viking - September 2017 News
"The opera ain’t over until the fat lady sings."
Ralph Carpenter, Texas Tech Sports Information Director
Richard Wagner, the 19th century German composer, would have loved Star Wars. He may not have understood what a light saber or X-Wing fighter was, but he would get it - even with his eyes shut. That's because the Star Wars films are rich with composer John Williams' scores that employ a musical tool that Wagner himself was a master of: the leitmotif.
Read the newsletter.
The Lasting Legacy of Bell Labs - August 2017 News
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it? "
Albert Einstein
Bell Labs was born more than a hundred years ago out of the need to improve the nascent telephone. It grew into a pure research facility that made an astounding number of scientific discoveries, improved or invented new technologies, and even influenced art and music. Plus, find out everything that's been going on at Dynamix lately.
Read the newsletter here.
Retro Digital - June 2017 News
"Analog is more beautiful than digital, really, but we go for comfort."
Anton Corbijn
There's been a growing trend over the last several years to bring back the sound of classic analog gear, such as compressors and amps with vacuum tubes, ribbon microphones, and even reel-to-reel tape. Let's look at how old school charm is finding new love.
Find out more, including what's been going on at Dynamix.
Read the newsletter here.
Hello From Mars - May 2017 News
"The rockets came like drums, beating in the night."
From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury
Walter Gripp is the last man on Mars. All the rockets to Earth have launched without him. One evening in a deserted town, he hears a phone ringing. This creepy scenario from Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles has captured the fascination of science fiction fans for decades. The reader wonders, who could it be? The scientist wonders, what would it sound like? We're about to find out...maybe. Find out more, including what's been going on at Dynamix.
Read the newsletter here.
Time Travelers - April 2017 news
"Shh! Listen! Someone's coming! I think -- I think it might be us!"
J. K. ROWLING, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Imagine if we could time travel without changing history. If we could go back 50 or 100 years would people view our technology as magic? If we were visited by time travelers from the future, would their technology be magic to us?
Plus time travel with us to see who was in our studio last month.
Read the newsletter here.
The Loudest Record!!! - February 2017 News
"Every crowd has a silver lining.”
P.T. Barnum
126.4 I think that's what will be inside a little oval sticker that I'm going to put on my bumper. I see "26.2" bumper stickers that marathon runners proudly display. Colorado mountain climbers have "14er" stickers. A lot of dads are number "1." Then what's so special about 126.4? It used to be a number for Kings, but now it's a number for Cats.
Before I start to sound like a broken record, let me back up and tell this story from the beginning. Team Cornett wanted to raise the profile of UK Health Care and their close association with UK Athletics, so they came up with a plan to get the attention of a sports crowd.
Plus find out about what's been going on at Dynamix lately.
Read the newsletter here.
New Year's Resolution
"New Year’s Day… now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.”
Mark Twain
Have you made your resolutions yet? Why bother, no one keeps them anyway. So let's talk about resolution instead. In particular how low-resolution MP3s can affect your emotional reaction to music. In a study out of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), researchers found that the fidelity of an MP3 recording of musical instruments can affect their emotional characteristics. Plus, find out all the exciting news from Dynamix.
Read the newsletter here.
Laser Listening - November 2016 News
"The key to this plan is the giant laser. It was invented by the noted Cambridge physicist Dr. Parsons. Therefore, we shall call it the Alan Parsons Project."
Dr. Evil
Austin Powers
Here's something that will blow your mind and make you paranoid at the same time. Someone can listen to your conversations in your house or office from hundreds of feet away using light. The "light" is a "laser," and it's bounced off a window pane to detect sound vibrations. It's hard not to imagine Dr. Evil, played by Mike Meyers, air quoting "laser" when we mention that word. The theory was first proposed in the 1940s, but had to wait until lasers were actually invented in the 1960s to gain traction. By the 80s, the Cold War had us and the Soviets spying on each other using "lasers."
Plus, find out what's been going on at Dynamix lately. Read the newsletter here.
The Big Bang - October 2016 News
I was afraid that science-fiction buffs and everybody would say things like, 'You know, there's no sound in outer space.'
George Lucas
The universe, according to scientists, started with a big bang. Let me, the sound engineer, just gloat a little bit here -– they don't call it The Big Flash, The Big Light, or The Big Visual Thing That Was Really, Really Quiet. It was a BANG!!! It all started with sound. And the cool thing is, we can even measure its echoes.
Plus, find out what's been going on at Dynamix lately. Read the newsletter here.
A Siren's Song - September 2016 News
“Square in your ship's path are Sirens, crying beauty to bewitch men coasting by;
woe to the innocent who hears that sound!”
by Homer in The Odyssey
I live on a busy street. My house sits roughly between three hospitals - all with helipads and emergency rooms. That's good for me if I have a really bad day, but my poor cat thinks wolves are after her whenever someone else is having a really bad day. I'm talking about the incessant sirens going up and down my street. And they seem to be getting louder – they penetrate my windows and brick walls with even more ferocity than ever before. It turns out that I'm not imagining this, because some emergency vehicles are now employing something called "low frequency system," or LFS. I call it "Loud F*@#$%^& Siren."
Plus, find out what's been going on at Dynamix lately. Read the newsletter here.
The Anatomy of an Audio Book, Part 3 - August 2016 News
“Someone needs to buy a radio station, then play nothing but audio books, with a different genre of book played at set times. That way we can always have something new to read, no matter where we are.”
Shana Chartier
We're wrapping up our series on the audiobook this month. In this issue, we're looking at how an audiobook is actually produced, from recording and editing, to mastering and delivery.
Read the newsletter here.
Is the Mix Tape Back in the MIx? - May 2016 News
"I used to judge the quality of music by whether I could make a 90-minute cassette and not repeat any artists."
John Hughes
What? Another old audio format is making a comeback? Yessiree! If you want to be hip, then dust off your old Sony Walkman. But like me, you've probably dumped all your old cassettes along with your floppy disks and Trivial Pursuit. These days, my pocket can carry the same amount of music that drawers and drawers of cassettes can. But there are people who want to drag this once noble king of convenience from its analog obsolescence.
Read the newsletter here.
The Rebirth of AM Radio? - April 2016 News
"I hate modern car radios. In my car, I don't even have a push-button radio. It's just got a dial and two knobs. Just AM."
Chris Isaak
Maybe you haven't noticed, but AM radio has pretty much sucked the last twenty years or so. Maybe you didn't notice because you weren't listening. A lot of people aren't, and the FCC is out to change that. The FCC? You bet – this isn't your father's FCC. We're so used to hearing "FCC" and "restrictions" in the same breath, that broadcasters were pleasantly surprised last October when the FCC announced an "AM Revitalization" initiative.
Read the newsletter here.
The Sonic Snuffer - March 2016 News
"I throw more power into my voice, and now the flame is extinguished"
Physicist John Tyndall, 1857
There's been a recent breakthrough in fighting fires - using sound waves to extinguish flames. Since 1857, scientists have known that sound waves could put out a flame, but they weren't exactly sure why. Plus find out what's been happening at Dynamix lately.
Read the newsletter here.
Anaog Rules! - February 2016 News
"As so much music is listened to via MP3 download, many will never experience the joy of analog playback, and for them, I feel sorry. They are missing out."
Henry Rollins
There's a growing trend in the music business - recording to reel-to-reel tape. Wait, I thought we got rid of that when we went digital. The truth is, it never went away. Much like the recent boom in sales of records and film, reel-to-reels are gaining new fans and bringing back old ones.
Read the newsletter here.
Double-Naught Spies - November 2015 News
A myth-terious Thing - March 2015 News
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clarke
To the average person, audio can be a mysterious "myth-terious" thing. Many people don't want to admit that they are intimidated by the technical side of it, and that makes sense. The closest most people get to manipulating audio is adjusting the volume on their stereo.
People probably have more experience manipulating visuals. We create a picture with a camera, crop it, make it brighter, sharper, more colorful. We may even shoot a video and trim the beginning, cut clips together, or add a title in a simple movie editing program. But manipulating audio can be challenging and mystifying. It's rare that someone has competent audio equipment or software in their homes. Even some musicians with home recording gear will admit they know just enough to kill feedback or get something recorded on disk.
Read the newsletter here.
Business Lexington Podcasts
Business Lexington and Dynamix "Podcasting" to Entrepreneurs
Some of the distinguished leaders that have been interviewed in the studios of Dynamix include:
•Susan Berry-Buckley of the Central Kentucky Blood Center
•Congressman Ben Chandler
•Dr. Joe Chappell of Allylix
•Terry Garcia Crews of LexTran
•James W. Host, outgoing Kentucky Commerce Secretary
•George Ward, incoming Kentucky Commerce Secretary
A "podcast" is really a file of an audio recording that is downloaded via the internet. But a true podcast is defined by how the recipient gets it. Programs such as iPodderX and iTunes provide an easy subscription method to automatically download your favorite podcasts when new ones become available.
Podcasting is just in its infancy, but it is already taking the world by storm. Not hampered by time constraints or FCC restrictions, podcasters are adding hundreds if not thousands of new material every month. Who is listening? Just about anybody that is web-savvy. With the plethora of podcasts available, there is at least one podcast that will interest anybody. Want to find out about the Newport Jazz Festival, did you miss last week's Al Franken Show on the radio, or do you want to listen to an in-depth interview with a Kentucky business leader? They're all out there.
How can businesses use podcasts to reach customers, prospects, employees, and the media? Well there isn't a much better way to reach a specific narrow audience with your message than with a podcast. Instead of listening to a radio station that tries to blanket an entire listening area with many subjects, a podcast only addresses one subject - you. Also, your listeners come to you. Of course you have to submit your podcast to different directories, and direct your web site visitors to the download page, but these exercises are getting easier since iTunes came into the picture with their already heavy web presence.
Why use a professional studio to record your podcast? If image, first impression, professionalism, and expertise are important to you, then you need Dynamix to produce your podcasts. There's nothing that says "amateur" more than a poorly-recorded and produced program. When a podcast is poorly produced, the listener strays from your message and starts to hear all the faults - low levels, hum, hiss, mistakes, garbled words, clicks, pops, bad edits - the list goes on.
Call us at Dynamix to help you get started podcasting. After looking at your needs, audience and message, we can help demystify this thing called "podcasting."