Doctor Who & The BBC Radiophonic Workshop
1/26/202638 min
What does a time machine sound like? Or a magic carpet? For the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, that was just another day at the office. For 40 years, this oddball collective of engineers and composers pushed the boundaries of sound design, crafting eerie atmospheres, quirky jingles, and the iconic audio of Doctor Who. In this episode, we explore the rise and fall of this pioneering studio with composer and archivist Mark Ayres, and uncover how these sonic wizards shaped the future of sound. Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound. Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus. Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit. Follow The Radiophonic Workshop band on Instagram and Bandcamp. Visit quo.com/20k for 20% of your first 6 months of business phone software. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month Shopify trial at shopify.com/20k. Get 20% off your LALAL.AI subscription using promo code 20K. Get 10 free Hello Fresh meals + a free Zwilling knife at hellofresh.com/tth10fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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First 90 secondsDallas Taylor· Host0:00
[upbeat music] In the last few years, AI has made some incredible things possible in the world of audio. One tool that my team and I at De Facto Sound often use is called Lalali. It uses AI to split apart the sonic elements of any audio or video file, like separating voice from music or even splitting a song into individual instruments. Their latest model is called Andromeda, and it's their most advanced version yet. Here's a quick demo. We start with this.
Speaker 10:30
"I'm running, running circles, and I don't have a plan. I thought..."
Dallas Taylor· Host0:35
Run it through Lalali, and then get all of this.
Speaker 10:38
"Looking through my past, and I'm checking the news."
Dallas Taylor· Host0:43
[upbeat music] Right now, until February twenty-sixth, our listeners can get twenty percent off a Lalali subscription using promo code 20K. That code only works if you pay by card and not PayPal. To sign up, visit L-A-L-A-L.ai and use promo code 20K. You'll find a link in the show description. [upbeat music] You're listening...
Speaker 11:15
To Twenty Thousand Hertz. The stories- Behind the world's- Most iconic- And fascinating sounds.
Dallas Taylor· Host1:23
I'm Dallas Taylor. [upbeat music] Here in the US, most people have probably