Episode 72 - Make Electricity Sing: Build a Theremin [Discussion]

[serafina]

Synthesizers are cool, but the theramin is the original electronic instrument. We show you how to build one, and a master theramin player shows you what you can do with it.

Watch and download this episode here

[haku]

Build a Thermian ?


Ohh, Theremin!




Whilst I'd like to have a go with a theremin one day I don't particularly feel the need to spend $250+ on a tricky kit with missing instruction parts to build something that could take years to master - especially if your idea & ability to make music is pressing play on an mp3 player.

edit: Forgot to say, enjoyable show though - glad it's another build-it rather than install-it episode.

[phogan]

For the sake of accuracy:
http://img509.imageshack.us/my.php?i...6215120sg7.jpg

Are actually intermediate frequency(IF) transformers not potentiometers.


Since it is an RF circuit, I imagine neatness counts.

[ieatpunk]

This was a great episode! It would have been cooler IMO to make the circuit board with the acid etching like you did in a previous episode and then bought all of the electronic componentry separate.

I realize you guys talked about how it would have taken too much time to do such a thing, which I understand. Just sayin' it would have been 13373r. But it was still eleeb. Later.

[mikec]

The first time I saw one of these was in the movie "The Song Remains The Same" back sometime in the '70's. Jimmy Page used them with Led Zeppelin.

In the movie "Moog", about the synthesizer pioneer there was a section about his Theremin's.

Cool device but I have trouble with a guitar, this thing probably would drive me to serious booze use.

[lik]

this was really cool, i never heard of seen such things before. good episode.

[samureye]

Originally Posted by lik

this was really cool, i never heard of seen such things before. good episode.

What he said!

[orangebugpro]

Hey I built one of the Paia Theremax kits a while ago!

Couple notes:
Adjusting the field is annoying anything that conducts electricity can disrupt the field. You adjust the field so when you are standing next the Theremin there is no sound coming out. if you put say, a screwdriver 2" closer to the antenna, it changes the field and you have to recalibrate. Even wiggling the wires within the Theremin will change the field.

Learning how to play a Theremin requires Perfect Pitch
Because of the constantly changing field, the player must be able to Hear the changes in pitch, and adjust his hands accordingly. I've got Relative pitch, so I can play simple tunes, but playing along with anything is extremely hard.

I would post a video of me playing my Theremin, but I pulled out of a closet one day and it quit working. The electronics on the board are so sensitive that anything can kick them out of whack, or fry them.

[gamerfreak]

Originally Posted by phogan

Since it is an RF circuit, I imagine neatness counts.

Yep.

I find it hard to believe that they're was working with the wiring like that. Our wires interrupted the frequency when jumbled as in the image.

Bit of a disappointing episode IMO -> "Here is a theramin, here is a theramin kit, here is a theramin kit after we built it." There really wasnt much content.

[dosbomber]

Originally Posted by gamerfreak

Bit of a disappointing episode IMO -> "Here is a theramin, here is a theramin kit, here is a theramin kit after we built it." There really wasnt much content.

At least they actually built the thing. What did you want them to do, hand grind the carbon to roll their own resistors? Home-brew some capacitor dielectric goop in their kitchen? Weave and stack fiber sheets saturated with epoxy to build up their own PCB substrate?