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Theramins


Low End Bee
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[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1390854642' post='2350514']
Just make sure you get one with a volume aerial as well as the pitch one. Many of the cheaper models don't have the volume aerial as it significantly cuts down on the amount of circuitry, but even as some who just waves their hands about in front of the Theremin rather than seriously trying to get a tune out of it, the second aerial makes a big difference to the expressiveness of it.
[/quote]
Thank you, that's got to be good advice and I'll take it.

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[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1390845946' post='2350286']
I want a theremin. I guess it will have to be a kit though, I can't justify spending £200 on one...
[/quote]
You can always get one of these for £54....... :)

[url="http://www.lostvolts.com/LV-2/LV2.htm"]http://www.lostvolts.com/LV-2/LV2.htm[/url]

Edited by BetaFunk
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Saw jean michel jarre play one a few years back. Imho, they can sound good with minimal use (5mins max). If I bought one, 10 mins later, I would instantly regret it, and it would be sold. I would feel great sorrow from all the cats and dogs in the vicinity of those who frequently use them.

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[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1390861085' post='2350708']
You can always get one of these for £54....... :)

[url="http://www.lostvolts.com/LV-2/LV2.htm"]http://www.lostvolts.com/LV-2/LV2.htm[/url]
[/quote]

No volume aerial. Trust me when I say it makes a massive difference, even if you're a strictly spooky sic-fi sound monger like me.

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[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1390904538' post='2351003']
The theremins used on things like Good Vibrations were modified and had some kind of slide control to make playing in tune easier. I've always fancied one but know I'd get bored of making spooky noises after a while!!
[/quote]

That's interesting, although I'm having problems seeing how this could have been done with 60s technology. Have you got a source for this information?

If you've read the specs for the new Moog Theremini you'll see that this has a control that adjusts the "accuracy" of the tuning from the traditional completely free pitch to rigid semi-tone steps.

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[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1390909567' post='2351063']
That's interesting, although I'm having problems seeing how this could have been done with 60s technology. Have you got a source for this information?

If you've read the specs for the new Moog Theremini you'll see that this has a control that adjusts the "accuracy" of the tuning from the traditional completely free pitch to rigid semi-tone steps.
[/quote]

I can't remember where I read it originally---I've read a lot of different books about The Beach Boys---but the Wikipedia page for "Good Vibrations" reckons that it was played on an Electro-Theremin or a "Tannerin" by Paul Tanner. its not actually a theremin at all, rather an attempt at sounding like one:

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electro-Theremin"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electro-Theremin[/url]

[i]The Electro-Theremin, often called the Tannerin, is an [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_musical_instrument"]electronic musical instrument[/url] developed by [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trombone"]trombonist[/url] [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Tanner"]Paul Tanner[/url] and amateur [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inventor"]inventor[/url] Bob Whitsell in the late 1950s to produce a sound to mimic that of the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theremin"]theremin[/url].[sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electro-Theremin#cite_note-1"][size="2"][1][/size][/url][/sup][sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electro-Theremin#cite_note-2"][size="2"][2][/size][/url][/sup] The instrument features a tone and [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portamento"]portamento[/url] similar to that of the theremin (or thereminvox), but with a different control mechanism. It consisted of a sine wave generator with a knob that controlled the pitch, placed inside a wooden box. The pitch knob was attached to a slider on the outside of the box with some string. The player would move the slider, thus turning the knob to the desired frequency, with the help of markings drawn on the box. The Tannerin doesn't actually sound much like the theremins of the time.[/i]

[i]The instrument was custom-built at Tanner's request. Tanner appreciated the theremin's sound, but wanted greater control of pitch and attack. The Electro-Theremin uses mechanical controls, a long slide bar for the pitch (analogous to the slide of the trombone that was Tanner's main instrument) and a knob to adjust volume. This contrasts with the hand movements in space that formed the original theremin's signal feature. The Electro-Theremin also produces a slightly less complex timbre than the original. This is not due to the nature of the instrument, but due to Dr. Theremin's intentional harmonic generation in the output of the Theremin, which Tanner did not do.[/i]

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 10 months later...

I'm sure I don't know what you mean ...

[URL=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Performance/Sundry/JDXmasBash2014089_zpsf23fc817.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Performance/Sundry/JDXmasBash2014089_zpsf23fc817.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

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  • 3 weeks later...

For something a bit less traditional check out the Moog Theremini. Awesomely stupid piece of kit, adjustable response so you can set it to play scales without worrying too much about intonation.

[url="http://www.moogmusic.com/products/etherwave-theremins/theremini"]http://www.moogmusic.com/products/etherwave-theremins/theremini[/url]

Steve

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  • 1 month later...

[quote name='JoeEvans' timestamp='1426012086' post='2713437']
I think I've got an unopened Theramin kit in the cupboard somewhere if anyone is seriously after one - it was supposed to be a good one too for technical reasons which I can't now remember. I'll dig around...
[/quote]

:pricks ears, wags tail:

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