Theremins, anyone?

[Danny Love]

Does anyone have or play Theremin? And have you built your own?

 

[dgatwood]

Does anyone have or play Theremin? And have you built your own?

Used to have one on loan a while back. Pretty cool. I've always thought it would be fun to design a virtual Theremin app using a video camera and some simple image recognition software. Use one axis for the pitch and one axis for the volume.

 

[Danny Love]

Hey that's clever! I've been thinking about making a cheap-o one, it seems you pretty much need to be able to solder and that's about it And pretty much any sound used properly can sound good.

 

[Whatmysay]

Used to have one on loan a while back. Pretty cool. I've always thought it would be fun to design a virtual Theremin app using a video camera and some simple image recognition software. Use one axis for the pitch and one axis for the volume.

I think Leena Lovich did it with a suit in the 80s

http://www.guitareffectspedals.com/theremins.html

You can get a Moog one here complete or you can DIY

There use to be an app for OS9 on Mac but no one updated it for OSX - given the number of AU plug-ins it is a wonder no one has. It was a really nice little piece as the Theremin only needs 2 dimensions to work and the mouse pad did it all.

My only feeling it is a bit like a harmonica or cello interesting on occasion, but not the most sonorous sound you will ever hear - if it was to be your main passion then I think the Vegas strip with the guy who plays the 'saw' is where you'll end up.

That said a new skill ever year(particularly kinaesthetic) wards off dementia - I'm learning Mandarin (thats lead free paint based Mandarin)

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo trumpeters of the THEREMIN:

Years back, in Chicago, a well know DJ who made it television, Black/White then, interviewed the ONLY person in the Musician's Union Handbook of members who played the THEREMIN.

I believe the DJ was Marty Faye, but I'm stretching my mind to remember. The Theremin player was a female, kind of old then, and put her hands into the "waves" and played something.

I think I'll stick to my synth but enjoy all sounds.

Green Hornet

 

[tc4b]

My only feeling it is a bit like a harmonica or cello interesting on occasion, but not the most sonorous sound you will ever hear

Really? You're putting cello in a category with harmonica and theremin? Instead of coming down on you, allow me to wholeheartedly recommend some listening:
bach cello suites
dvorak concerto (saw this live, converted me for life)
this CD which is a bunch of kind of show-offish, sometimes encore type pieces by a very talented lady

 

[Somnium7]

I borrowed one of the junky Theremin-type boxes that were built in the 1960s once. The thing had one antenna for both pitch and volume. It was still alot of fun to mess with.

The Buchla Lightning looks intriguing.
http://www.buchla.com/lightning/descript.html