The Sound of a Dream

The Sound of a Dream
By Chuck Brenneman
with Leland Franklin

With the annual observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day just a few short days away, it got me thinking about the audio of that era, and what the sound might have been like that afternoon.  So, I went back and listened to the entire speech again.

Being an Audiophile of sorts, it is always interesting to me to think about how things sound, how they achieved that sound, and etc.  That resounding statement, “I have a dream today!” came through loud and clear.  But what was it like for the audience that day?  After research and consideration, I’ve put together a few thoughts that I hope you enjoy.

Let’s start with some perspective….I wasn’t alive in the 1960s and I do not fancy myself an historian.  The intent here is not to take a stance on the March on Washington, MLK Jr. himself, or what transpired during that time.  This is meant to be fun and informative!  There, we got that out of the way.

It’s a sweltering August day in 1963 and you have to make sure roughly 250,000 people, spread over just under a mile long area, can hear the important message that is being delivered.  After all, what’s the point of crafting an amazing message (about your brand, product, or something that will change the course of history) if no one can hear it?  History tells us that those who helped organize the March and subsequent speech that day, followed a similar mantra.

In 1963, the average amount spent on renting a sound system for outdoor events in Washington during that time was about $1000 to $2000 (10k to 20k in today’s economy).  These organizers knew that wasn’t going to suffice.  They got sponsorship and rented a $20,000 sound system (~200k today), allowing them to reach the group of people farthest from the Lincoln Memorial.  Why spend that much on sound alone?  Because they understood that the message was not only important, but it would aid them in their effort to maintain peace, and keep the audience focused on the cause.  That meant safety for everyone, and it also meant that everyone was clear about the cause and how to go about achieving their goals.

While details aren’t available on what exact equipment was used, it is fascinating to consider what all must have been in play that day from an audio standpoint.  
1) How many amplifiers were needed to carry the sound down the length of the Mall?  
2) How far did they have to space out the speakers and how many speakers were needed with the technology of the day?  
3) How did they deal with the latency created by the long runs?  
4) Where did they plug it all in!?  
The logistics of the setup must have been mind blowing, and yet because organizers brought in a team who had the knowledge and experience needed, the message came through loud and clear.  It can’t be emphasized enough, in this day and age of digital devices, wireless and bluetooth connections, and smart phone apps, that relying on a professional to make sure your message sounds its very best can still make a monumental difference.  (See what I did there?)

A couple historical side notes worth mentioning….
Contemporary reports suggest that the night before the speech, the sound system was sabotaged.  While details about the extent of damage aren’t available, accounts agree that it was The Army Corps of Engineers that fixed it in time for the speech to occur.
Some historians believe that the Department of Justice had a contingency plan involving the sound system, should anyone get control of the microphone and try to incite the crowd or encourage violence.  They were prepared to either cut the power altogether, or cut the microphone and begin playing music for the crowd.   

Everyone is familiar with the recording of the speech found on Youtube and often referenced on television.  The exclamation of “I have a dream today” rings through loud and clear.  After many years of audio editing experience, this sounds as though it has been enhanced and remastered.  In a way, what we hear today likely sounds better than what an audience member heard in 1963!  Here are some interesting elements of the recording from that day which have not been addressed.  There are several microphones on the podium, but it is highly unlikely that all of them were being used for the broadcast.  As MLK Jr. delivers the speech his head is moving for emphasis, which should change the sound levels, much like moving your phone while talking to someone.  However, this “proximity effect” does not occur on the recording despite his movement, and the volume rarely fluctuates.  Additionally, during roughly the first third of the speech, you can hear the echo of his voice (after all, he is outside in front of a stone building) but as it goes on that seemingly goes away. 

A couple additional elements stand out including; about halfway through the speech someone reached over and pushed down two microphones in front of King’s face, but you don’t hear anything on the recording.  One thing is for sure, microphones in the sixties did not employ the technology that we have today, so they were very susceptible to handling noise.  Also, there is high end static heard throughout the speech, but it is muffled as though some Equalization settings have been applied.  This high frequency EQ could also be responsible for making the clapping sound muffled, as though everyone’s hands are cupped.  

In that same vein, just why could we hear the clapping, and the voices in the crowd outwardly agreeing with King’s ideas?  It’s possible some mics were used on the crowd, which would’ve been another brilliant move by the organizers to use sound to add credibility to the message of Dr. King, and show the unity of the audience.

To conclude, despite the fact that this is an audio nerd’s dream discussion, it magnifies the importance of good sound when it comes to relaying a message to your audience, even in 1963.  Imagine if Dr. King had delivered his ‘Dream’ message, and only parts of it were loud enough to hear!  Imagine if professionals had not taken the audio and used their skills and their ears to make it so every word was clear.  Imagine the disappointment of the people that were standing there in the August heat, if they had arrived to find that they couldn’t hear anything that was being said by their beloved leader.  Would the speech be remembered the same today?  I guess we’ll never know, because someone realized that this message was important enough that it had to be tailored to the audience and the circumstances.  Now THAT is a concept we can always get behind.