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99% Invisible

Sounds of the Artificial World

99% Invisible

SiriusXM Podcasts and Roman Mars

Design, Arts

4.827.5K Ratings

🗓️ 11 February 2011

⏱️ 5 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Without all the beeps and chimes, without sonic feedback, all of your modern conveniences would be very hard to use. If a device and its sounds are designed correctly, it creates a special “theater of the mind” that users completely … Continue reading →

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

We get support from UC Davis, a globally ranked university working to solve the world's most pressing problems in food, energy, health, education, and the environment.

0:10.0

UC Davis researchers collaborate and innovate in California and around the globe to find

0:14.2

transformational solutions.

0:16.1

It's all part of the university's mission to promote quality of life for all living things.

0:20.1

Find out more at 21st century.

0:21.9

UC Davis. edu. edu. edu. find out more at 21st century dot ucdd ucd u.c. dot e d u.

0:28.6

This is 99% invisible I'm Roman Mars without other all the beeps, without Sonic feedback, all of your modern conveniences would be very hard to use.

0:38.0

I mean, try using your telephone without the beeps, and it's really confusing. You're lost immediately.

0:44.5

Did I get it? No, I didn't get it. The numbers there, but I didn't hear it.

0:47.0

And you used to get it physically with the rotary.

0:49.2

S for sound.

0:55.0

sound. This whole world is artificial.

0:58.0

When I started, I was working with this guy at the Advanced Product Group at Apple.

1:03.6

Sound.

1:05.9

And he had a case for a walk man, I think.

1:10.2

And he opened it up and he closed it and you heard it click.

1:15.0

And he said, somebody worked really hard to make that click sound that way.

1:22.0

That was an acoustical element on a mechanical device.

1:28.0

Well, there aren't a lot of moving parts and mechanical bits in today's devices,

1:31.0

but Jim McKee still has to make them sound right.

1:34.0

My name is Jim McKee and I have a company called Earwax Productions.

1:38.0

We do sound for film, radio, internet, and product sound design.

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