LEOMJ17_pp029-050.ps - 10/29/2007 8:55 AM Artists’ Statements is crucial; this is something crocodile removed one by one and the connec- CLIP ART clips are very good for. tions soldered. Even at this stage, Phil Archer, 61 Wymer Street, When building (admittedly very a set of crocodile clips has its uses. Does Norwich NR2 4BJ, U.K. simple) circuits from scratch, I instinc- a connection need to be held in place E-mail: <
[email protected]>. tively prefer to employ a Peter Vogel while it is soldered? Use crocodile clips. [1] approach, in which components are Are components getting too hot for the Sound examples and photographs related to soldered together directly, bypassing fingers? Use crocodile clips. Also, when this article are available at <www.philarcher any breadboard or circuit board. Mov- it is time to record the new creation for .net>. ing all the necessary components from posterity and that minijack-to-XLR breadboard to circuit board has always converter cannot be found—break out I was initially unsure whether these seemed too much like hard work, and the crocodile clips and connect them glorified strips of wire were worthy I worry that my euphoria at creating a directly. of the title “gizmo,” but my reliance working circuit will cause a lapse in Circuit-bending requires a similar on them in my work outweighed any concentration as I attempt to rebuild it. flexibility—whether in exploring the doubts in the end. The “crocodile clip” Instead, in the prototyping and test- circuit board in a live performance or or “alligator clip” is possibly one of the ing stage of construction, crocodile searching for bends to permanently most useful and elemental pieces of clips hold all the elements in place, build into the device, a crocodile clip equipment in my toolbox, employed often gripping multiple components in or two make useful hunting compan- in various ways during the creation their maw.