So one afternoon I was flipping through my dog-eared copy of Handmade Electronic Music, and paused at Chapter 25 to ponder what might happen if I gutted a dead flat panel television and ran some basic clock signals through it. As it turns out, the result is not unlike some sort of Lite Brite for adult nerds, and quite literally, HOURS of fun. For a reasonably-detailed explanation of the particulars, read on. Otherwise, simply click the video and enjoy all the blinky fun. Giving new life to deceased electronics is not only incredibly-satisfying creatively, it’s also a form of recycling you might not have considered. ..so, by NOT giving in to your stifled inner-geek, you’re KINDA being a dick. Stop it.
(teasing)
So, for those of you still reading, what you’re seeing is a Hex Schmitt Trigger inverter chip with all six inverters running individual oscillators, all adjustable by 1meg potentiometers and capacitors ranging from .1uf to 10uf. I also ran the audio signal from my stereo through a 2222 NPN transistor, and attached several alligator clips to all of the outgoing signals. The LCD panel was rescued from a 15″ flat screen that I disassembled and harvested for whatever valuable organs were on the board (mostly audio/video jacks) before focusing on exactly how incredibly-tiny the connections to the LCD screen were. There were four ribbon cables coming off of the clear panel, each one lined with what seemed like fifty metallic pads no more than a millimeter in width. The alligator clips were my only option, and connected to more than one pad at a time, but this didn’t really prove to be a problem. While one particular arrangement brought a small wisp of smoke, simply removing any actual connections to the signal circuit’s power supply and allowing the signals themselves to do all the work seemed to eliminate that possibility.
I ran the whole thing from as little as 3v DC and got the best results at 6v. After a bit of hunt-and-peck action, I found arrangements that would produce different patterns, colors, and ones that would turn the whole screen from clear to pitch black in a sudden flash. For a “what-if” project where anything could go wrong (and almost always does), this was one where everything went right and the parts used cost under five bucks! Future tests will attempt to run the entire thing off of a small solar cell with the sun itself providing the kind of lighting needed to illuminate the patterns being created.. A weird kind of organic digital window art installment? It could happen..
Hiya kids. Jrm here with a long-awaited update to the “Jrm Says..” cooking series. In short, I’d taken a break from the countless hours spent at Final Cut Pro staring at myself to pursue a budding curiosity in the world of circuit bending and microelectronics. I somehow found a way to sort of merge the two addictions and here’s the result. While not having the usual bells, whistles, and split-green-screen meanderings of previous episodes, I hope you’ll still find it informative and maybe a little entertaining. So click away, sit back, and see what might have been a slap to the chops of Sir Bobby Flay, in the form of a fried mustard green potato pancake with honey peanut chipotle BBQ pork ribs..
Have a safe and happy Halloween weekend y’all. And thanks as always for watching.
Lovingly shot, edited, and assembled for my mother, this is a collection of footage I have compiled over the last couple visits home. Sadly there wasn’t much of a morel mushroom season, and the rains were absolutely horrific, but there are plenty of flowers I can’t name, butterflies, kittens, and one special kitten in particular, “Scruffy,” the farm mascot. Scruffy ran off with a tom from a neighboring farm shortly after my mother and I gave her a “makeover” with clippers, scissors and more than a couple tissues. We’re calling it a success.
Anyway, here’s the full video hot off the press. YouTube was kind enough to allow the Django soundtrack, and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. It just fits somehow. We hope you enjoy a peek into our hilltop paradise in the wilds of Iowa.. My fortress of solitude.
As I slowly emerge from a year of hibernation in my electro-womb, I present two of the newest additions to my electronic mutant army; the Filth Siren and the Cop-In-A-Box. Both inspired by filthy dubstep (Google “Borgore”) and the legendary Crackle Box and Dub Siren circuits, they’re wonderfully skwonky, with all the twisty knobness and blinky lights you could ask for, with an emphasis on my love for the see-through and visual working innards of all things..
Up next at bat, the long-lost Bobby Flay’s “Grill It!” recipe submission, and so much more.. Stay tuned.
Added a few gigs to the calendar, and discovered that I missed the entry deadline for the Bobby Flay “Grill It!” casting. Not to fear, loyal viewers, as the Jrm Says episode will air after getting the proper modifications (needs eyebrows. evil ones..), so keep your eyes peeled there..
More exciting ideas brewing in the kitchen as the weather shifts to morel season. Old classics resurfacing after years of neglect, plus new techniques, hybrid recipes, modular cost-effective last-minute emergency recipes, and musical guest, commercials, and stuff I can’t even explain yet. It’s all coming soon. Spring has sprung, y’all. Boingy boing. I’m out.
