MARCH 2024
THE LATEST NEWS FROM DYNAMIX
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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.
As a kid, my parents would try to calm me during a thunderstorm by making light of the terrifying sounds. Rolling thunder was just God rolling a bowling ball down the lane. A thunderclap was God clapping because He'd made a strike. We would count the seconds after a flash of lightning, awaiting the sound of thunder: one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi. Each tongue-twisting utterance of the Magnolia state was a fifth of a mile the thunder had traveled. Sometimes the thunder never came, and that was really perplexing. Maybe it was too far away, like in Mississippi.*
Scientists are telling us that because of the way humans are rapidly changing the earth's climate, we are going to be hearing a lot more thunder. That worries me a little, because lightning has a history with our family. My unlucky grandmother was struck at least twice (possible three, a point of debate in our family). One bolt struck her leg as she sat on her porch. Inches away, my toddler Dad sat at her feet. I've had lightning strike within 20 feet of me at least 4 times. My luck, that's probably how I'm going to go, burnt to a crisp with only a pile of ashes and my fillings remaining.
Lightning is one of the loudest sounds we ever hear in our lifetimes. Scientists estimate it to be from 165 to more than 200 decibels (dB-SPL) at its source. For reference, a vacuum cleaner is about 75 dB, an ambulance siren 120 dB, and the threshold of pain is at 130 dB.
Most thunder we hear is at a distance, but can still be loud. Thunder is usually louder when it's cold, a phenomenon caused by the sound bouncing off the bottom of a cold thermal layer that's under a warmer one (inversion). The sound is amplified, like clapping in an empty tiled room. Ever wonder about those rolling rumbles? Those are the result of the sound bouncing back and forth over a long distance between the ground and the bottom of a cold thermal layer. This is akin to clapping in an empty auditorium.
Thunder can usually travel about 10 miles from its source. Sometimes we see lightning, but don't hear thunder. That's usually from lightning in the warm upper atmosphere bouncing up and off the top of a cold thermal layer during an inversion. This is like clapping in an upstairs room, and someone downstairs never hearing it.
So what is thunder? First, let me lay the ground work: gas molecules expand when heated, and sound travels at about 770 miles per hour. When a lightning channel forms between two points, the surrounding air is quickly super-heated to 54,000°F. The air molecules rapidly expand, much faster than 770 miles per hour. These expanding air molecules compress the air in front of it, a shock wave develops, and we hear a sonic boom. This is happening almost simultaneously up and down the lightning channel, creating multiple sonic booms. This explosive expansion is also how we hear fireworks.
Now to the final science factoid about thunder. We see the lightning flash before we hear distant thunder because of how pokey sound moves. Again, sound travels at about 770 miles per hour, or about .21 Mississippis...errr, miles, per second. Light travels at 186,000 miles per hour (51.66 Mississippis per second if you were wondering). That's basically like the horse arriving a week before the cart. Or, in more scientific terms, the lightning would travel from Mississippi to Kentucky in 6.17 seconds, and the thunder would arrive 24 minutes later.
Thunder and lightning may be the single most respected force of nature. We worship it with gods named Thor, Thunor, Thunar, and Ponar. We make movies such as Thor, name teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, and put little Thunder Shirts on our pets. There's even the Mississippi Thunder Speedway (in Wisconsin strangely). So respect thunder because now you know that when you hear it, the lightning has already struck. Be safe, you don't want to get knocked all the way to Mississippi.**
*My dad would make it even more fun by spelling Mississippi, "M-I crooked letter, crooked letter, I, crooked letter, crooked letter, I, humpback, humpback, I."
**No disrepect to Mississipians. You guys probably don't want a bunch of ashes and fillings raining from the sky.
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Know someone that is looking to get into the audio industry? Are you curious about the magic that goes on behind the curtain? Then this book will push the right buttons.
Radio World recently reviewed it:
'If there was ever a single book that could give aspiring audio engineers an accurate look at the career, “Push the Right Buttons: A Practical Guide to Becoming and Succeeding as an Audio Engineer and Producer” is it."
Excerpt from the book:
Real life is boring. Let me zoom in on a point that you should never forget when designing sound: Making a scene sound “real” is counterintuitive to creativity. “Real” life sounds boring, “cinema” life is hyper real. Designing soundscapes involves borrowing from the brain’s ability to laser-focus on small details while ignoring unrelated ones. This is called psychoacoustics. But when designing sound, you become the brain. You pick and choose what you want the listener to focus on. Understanding psychoacoustics is the fundamental bedrock of sound design, as well as studio design, microphone choice, live sound, etc.
Here’s an experiment I often do with students. As they’re intensely listening to me explain psychoacoustics, I remind them of the sounds in the room that they’re not hearing: the clock, the HVAC, the car going by outside, the subtle clothing movements, the stomach gurgles, etc. Your brain filters out what isn’t needed during critical listening. This all goes back to caveman days when humans needed to hear approaching threats. In fact, hearing is the only sense that stays active when we are in deep REM sleep, activated to warn of approaching threats like lions, tigers, and bears. In our modern world and comfy bedrooms at night, we’re now alerted to alarms, storms, or our partner snoring.
When I use a microphone, I’m keenly aware that it is dumb. It has no brain. It hears everything around it and can’t filter out unwanted sounds. That’s why we use specialty microphones in quiet studios that reduce and filter out surrounding noises that can interfere with the source sound. They’re not perfect, but selecting the right one for each environment and situation is critical to success. A great example would be using a “shotgun” microphone on an outside film scene when we need its hyper-directionality to hear more of the dialog and less of the surroundings. When you design sound, use the same principles as microphone choice: what do I need to hear and what do I not need to hear. Choose wisely and you’ll successfully guide the listener‘s emotions and keep them immersed in the story.
The eBook version is available now at the online retailers below and on our website. The paperback is print-on-demand right now, so those may take a week or so to fulfill. A stock of printed copies will be available early next year.
•Paperback version, 585 pages
•eBook version
More on our web site here.
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Dynamix Productions, Inc. is an audio production facility in the heart of thoroughbred horse country, Lexington, Kentucky. Some of the many audio services we provide are: sound-for-picture, corporate communications, advertising, narrations, audiobooks, podcasts, live broadcast, SourceConnect, ISDN, location and remote recording, restoration, and tape/LP to digital transfers.
Since our opening 20 years ago in 2003, we have won or been a part of nearly 100 awards; including more than 75 ADDY’s (American Advertising Federation), 10 Telly's, 2 Silver Microphones, 1 PRSA (Public Relations Society of America), an Eclipse Award, and an Emmy nomination.
Why do professionals from desktop producers to Fortune 50 companies choose Dynamix for the highest level of production? We Listen.
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We produced some of our regular podcasts:
- Beyond the Barrel podcasts (Ridley-Block / Alltech)
- AgFuture podcast (Alltech, Nicholasville, KY)
We also produced a number of audiobooks, including:
- "Guiding Blight" by Robyn Peterman Zahn
- "Dragonskull: The Final Shield" and "Dragonskull: Shield of Storms" by Jonathan Moeller, narrated by Brad Wills
- "Nevermore" by Kathryn Le Veque, narrated by Brad Wills
Other projects of note were:
- "Voicemail", "The Right Place" and "UK Coach Mingion" UK HealthCare radio campaigns (Team Cornett, Lexington, KY)
- "Mystic Guide" TV (Godolphin, Lexington, KY)
- ADR for the film "Girl With No Name" with actor William Holland (Storyteller Studios, GA)
- Soundtrack for video vignettes at the live presentation of the Eclipse Awards (GD Broadcast, Lexington, KY)
- "Kentucky Mixed Winter Sale" for Fasig-Tipton (Studio 34, Lexington, KY)
- Soundtrack for interactive walking tour app for the African American Heritage Trail (VisitLex, Lexington, KY)
- Interview with U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Lîmon for The New Yorker's poetry podcast.
- Soundtrack for Kentucky League of Cities "Cities, Where Kentucky Lives" TV (Grit Creative, Frankfort, KY)
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RISE is a documentary series which airs periodically as part of 88.9 WEKU’s Eastern Standard weekly radio show/podcast. It came about in response to unprecedented flooding experienced by many southeastern Kentucky communities in July of 2022. The first six episodes, which aired for six consecutive weeks, explored what contributed to the disaster, how communities responded and the leadership, programs and resources needed to address the challenges and opportunities ahead.
The RISE series is produced by a team of reporters, producers, and external collaborators, including Dynamix Productions in Lexington. The team is led by Tom Martin, who is the host and senior editor of Eastern Standard. The team’s goal is to explore important policy issues affecting a region that is in transition due to shifting economic, social, environmental, and political realities.
Since the first six episodes aired, the RISE team has continued to produce occasional episodes focused on specific issues of importance to Eastern Kentucky. RISE is also available on Apple and Spotify.
Listen to all the episodes online at www.weku-rise.org.
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Dynamix Productions, and WEKU-FM, Eastern Kentucky University’s public radio station in Richmond, KY, partnered in 2018 to move primary production of the popular long-running radio program EASTERN STANDARD to the studios of Dynamix. The first program produced at Dynamix aired on July 19, 2018. By bringing the production to Lexington, producers have easier access to Central Kentucky business, healthcare, and education leaders, as well as local artists, entertainers, and other newsmakers. The move underlines WEKU’s commitment to providing the area’s most concise and in-depth coverage of news, issues, and ideas that directly affect Central Kentuckians.
Hosted by network news veteran Tom Martin, EASTERN STANDARD is a public affairs program that covers a broad range of topics of interest to Kentuckians. Resources for topics include WEKU’s reporting partner, the Ohio Valley ReSource, a partnership with seven public media outlets across three states; the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting; and National Public Radio. EASTERN STANDARD can be heard Thursdays at 11:00 AM / 8:00 PM and Sundays at 6:00 PM on 88.9 WEKU-FM, and online at www.esweku.org.
Did you miss the live show? Listen online.
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TELEVISION PROGRAMS PRODUCED AT DYNAMIX
THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES on HBO
From Danny McBride (HBO’s Vice Principals), this critically acclaimed comedy follows a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed, and charitable work. Left flailing in the wake of their patriarch Eli Gemstone’s (John Goodman) semi-retirement, Season 3 finds Jesse (McBride), Judy (Edi Patterson), and Kelvin (Adam Devine) in charge of the vast Gemstone empire. When their long-lost cousins come out of the woodwork, the siblings must work together if they want to keep the Gemtsone legacy intact. An irreverent look at the lives of holy rollers, The Righteous Gemstones explores the salacious world of those who offer salvation… to the highest bidder.
GEORGE & TAMMY on Showtime
A limited series chronicling country music’s king and queen, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, whose wild and troubled love story inspired some of the most iconic music of all time.
SCOTT'S VACATION HOUSE RULES on HGTV
Scott turns problem properties into profit in his new series, Scott’s Vacation House Rules. With years of smart real estate investing and renovation experience, Scott and his secret design weapon, Debra Salmoni, unlock the rental potential of even the most uninspired properties. Finding and transforming tired, dated, and rundown spaces into unique and buzz-worthy Canadian cottage hotspots, the series proves that any dream property is always within reach if you follow Scott’s Vacation House Rules.
THE WHITE LOTUS on HBO
A social satire set at an exclusive Hawaiian resort, the series follows the vacations of various hotel guests over the span of a week as they relax and rejuvenate in paradise. But with each passing day, a darker complexity emerges in these picture-perfect travelers, the hotel’s cheerful employees, and the idyllic locale itself.
SECRET CELEBRITY RENOVATION on CBS
A new one-hour series that gives celebrities in sports, music and entertainment the chance to gift a surprise home renovation to a meaningful person who helped guide them to success. Hosted by Nischelle Turner (ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT), SECRET CELEBRITY RENOVATION provides stars with a hands-on opportunity to show their gratitude to someone who has had a significant impact on their life’s journey by helping to realize the renovation of their dreams. Those participating in making these heartfelt gifts include Emmy® and GRAMMY® Award-winning singer and choreographer Paula Abdul; award-winning singer-songwriter Lauren Alaina; Emmy®-winning actor and comedian Wayne Brady (LET’S MAKE A DEAL); NFL MVP and CBS sports analyst Boomer Esiason; GRAMMY®-winning artist Eve; Emmy®-nominated actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson; SURVIVOR winner “Boston” Rob Mariano; NBA All-Star Chris Paul; GRAMMY®-winning singer, songwriter and actor Anthony Ramos; and Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith. The series also features the design team of home improvement contractor and television personality Jason Cameron (“Man Cave,” “While You Were Out”) and interior designer Sabrina Soto (“Design Star,” “Trading Spaces”).
ESCAPE TO THE CHATEAU on HGTV
Lieutenant colonel Dick Strawbridge and his partner Angel Adoree trade their English apartment for a dilapidated, 19th-century French chateau. The pair work to restore, renovate and redecorate the estate into a fairytale castle for their upcoming wedding.
YOU LIVE IN WHAT? INTERNATIONAL on HGTV
Architect George Clarke is on a mission to find inspiration for his outrageous, space-age concept house. His journey takes him around the world to meet the visionary people who build and live in some of the most unusual homes ever seen.
COUNTRY COUNTDOWN on The Circle Network
PODCASTS PRODUCED AT DYNAMIX
Vote Worthy helps to inform voters about the issues and challenges surrounding the 2020 General Election.
The Cancer Crisis in Appalachia"
Compelling stories from the next generation of leaders in the fight against cancer in Appalachia.
From UK's Markey Cancer Center.
"Tales of American History" with Kent Masterson Brown
"The Tyler Gossett Podcast"
GoFundMe podcast "Todd Oldfield and Wendall Gill: A Community Comes Together"
"Embedded" podcast from NPR
Al Cross in a series of podcasts about Mitch McConnell
AUDIOBOOKS PRODUCED AT DYNAMIX
  
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
OTHER PROJECTS PRODUCED AT DYNAMIX
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OUR MAILING ADDRESS IS:
Dynamix Productions, Inc.
333 N Ashland Ave, Ste 120
Lexington, KY 40502
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