Spoken Word with Electronics

Episode 55, RAW AUDIO: "1960s Mail Order Psychiatry Records" (Anxiety, Part 1) by Spoken Word with Electronics

Episode 55, Side A: "All of Us Develop Patterns" (Tranquilizer Setting #6) by Spoken Word with Electronics

Episode 55, Side B: "Instrumental Run Through a 2254 Diode Compressor" (AML 54F50 Demo) by Spoken Word with Electronics

SPOKEN WORD WITH ELECTRONICS #54: LAWN MOWER SEASON! — and Government Informationals on Mailmen, 1946.

Listen to this 1946 informational on the wonders of post office work.

Hi, everyone, welcome back to the show. This week, the focus is on warm weather! Few things say spring or summmer to me more than the sound of lawn mowers. Lawn Mower season came in with a big bang (or buzz) this month, and it is given a tribute in our introduction — It's Lawn Mower Season.

The main audio for this week is a terrific 1946 audio informational from the U.S. Post Office, titled "Meet the Mailman" — You'll find untouched audio here with a re-imagined narrative of Glen Tucker, the bed ridden boy, here. Lots of incredible people, from Charles Mingus to Charles Bukowski (okay, incredible people named Charles) have worked for the USPS over the years, and with Trump threatening its existence and most of us surviving off deliveries for over a year, now is a good time to celebrate the Mail Workers! I love physical mail, and this week is a tribute to that. Great narration on the informational track, too.

Have a good week - Ethan

Episode 54, RAW AUDIO: "Meet the Mailman" (1946 Informational, United States Postal Service) by Spoken Word with Electronics

Episode 54, Side A: "This is Glen Tucker" (Our Mailman is Mr Dolan) by Spoken Word with Electronics

Episode 54, Side B: "Kindness is Overrated" (Charlie Pickle, Pt 36) by Spoken Word with Electronics

SPOKEN WORD WITH ELECTRONICS #53: A Broken Appliance Buys You a Room Full of Synthesizers (Tutorial)

How to turn a broken dishwasher into a synthesizer

Hi, everyone, welcome back to the show. This week we remember Bob Fass, who passed away on April 24th (the first night we recorded this current episode, on a three week cycle this week) – Fass was an radio innovator, turning a regular control booth into a soundboard for politics, yippie activism, and genuine bizarre antics, even said to influence WFMU's switch to freeform as a format. This episode is dedicated to Fass.

In a practical matter, our discussion this week describes a useful currency exchange system where broken appliances are turned into synthesizers. Our clothes washer's bearing broke a few years ago and I decided to instead sell the individual working parts (circuit boards, front panel, glass lid, cables, screws, rubber feet, etc) and ended up with more money than the new washer, along with thousands of dollars in extra money. So check in on our tutorial for a number of suggestions. You likely have many things in your home that can be parted out and sold, turned into Synth Coin.

This is even more advantageous for you now, as we're in a global components shortage and many of your broken appliances have lots of possible components and chips inside. It's environmentally beneficial, as well, as it keeps giant appliances out of the landfill. You can look forward to your appliance dying because you'll be able to sell it for parts.

Regarding turning a dishwasher into an actual synthesizer – this is also possible! – Most ovens and appliances maintain the same 19" rack standard. You can turn an oven into a synthesizer, for example. Or use the oven as an enclosure. An oven makes a great case – It even has a built in fan!

Trivia: If you were to build a $600 dishwasher, part by part, from the manufacturer, it would cost $4000. This is because individual parts are grossly overpriced and there's a huge market of people (and repairpersons) looking to buy knobs, boards, etc. See what sells before you junk your stuff. I've been doing this for decades – there are a few important seller rules (like accurately describing condition and if it is broken) – and you'll be surprised at how honesty often makes you more cash. And more cash means more synthesizers. At the very least, take the lid off and sell that. Most lids go for $200 or so, and that's a free eurorack module.

Talk to you in two weeks, cheers - Ethan

Episode 53, Discussion: "A Broken Appliance Becomes a Synthesizer" (Tutorial) by Spoken Word with Electronics

Episode 53, Side A: "Brain Water" (Charlie Pickle, Pt 34) by Spoken Word with Electronics