"It hasn't got six strings but it's a lot of fun"

Jack-Flash-Jr

Is that a therami.... OOoooooooeeeeyyaaaaaaawooowooowooowoo.
Don't interrupt a magician at work!

chris77

Oh lawdy, Page plays techno! ?
Seriously though, what the hell is that thing?

JohnnyReggae

chris77 wrote: Oh lawdy, Page plays techno! ?
Seriously though, what the hell is that thing?

I don't know ... but I want one ?

Jack-Flash-Jr

Theramin... check out Whole Lotta Love as well as Dazed and Confused live for Zep examples.
They used it in the 50's to make soundtracks for sci-fi movies.

---mario---

It looks like it uses the same principle as my old and busted radio did, everytime my hand got too close to it, it interferes with the signal ?
But seriously, how can you get/build one??

Tonedef

...mario... wrote: It looks like it uses the same principle as my old and busted radio did, everytime my hand got too close to it, it interferes with the signal ?
But seriously, how can you get/build one??

www.googolplex.com. An odd website, but I remember it having plans to build one. This was a fair number of years ago, dunno if the site still exists.

---mario---

thanx, if it isn't too complicated or expensive I'm gona have a crack at it, could only be interesting. Then I'll put it in a doorway or something, or walk with it through a mall ? probably get arrested but what the hell, it's an instrument ?

Tonedef

Dont bother with the link, its changed and the site i remember is no more. Google for plans instead, im sure youll find something. I remember it being a very simple circuit.

---mario---

allready have after trying the link, you can buy kits to build them even

IceCreamMan

...mario... wrote: allready have after trying the link, you can buy kits to build them even

how much for a kit?

---mario---

don't know will have a quick look again

---mario---

http://www.thereminworld.com/shop_theremins.asp
I didn't click the links at the products so I don't know the prices, but there's a Hiwatt delay pedal, gigbags and what not for the things, looks like there could be some serious thereminists out there ???

Malkav

...mario... wrote: looks like there could be some serious thereminists out there ???

Oh there are...

...mario... wrote: It looks like it uses the same principle as my old and busted radio did, everytime my hand got too close to it, it interferes with the signal ?
But seriously, how can you get/build one??

They're relatively simple and cheap to build, one rod controls pitch while the other controls attack, modulation etc...

The woman in the video above looks like she may be suffering from some kind of condition, however it is because any movement at all can screw with the electromagnetic field, in fact I believe she explains a lot of this stuff so just watch. It's a damn cool video, definitly shines a new light on an old instrument ?

---mario---

:applause:
thats awesome, but after that performance I'd rather step down from the idea, there's absolutely nothing for reference ??? where's the fretless players to comment on this one?

Malkav

...mario... wrote: :applause:
thats awesome, but after that performance I'd rather step down from the idea, there's absolutely nothing for reference ??? where's the fretless players to comment on this one?

Well yeah that's why they didn't catch on...They're f***ing difficult to play. You've literally gotta keep going at it until you just instinctively know where the pitch is, a little like fretless but with no dots or a neck at all to give you some gauge of range. I used to have a fretless guitar, they're a hell of a lot of fun ?

---mario---

haha, yeah, point I was making if you think getting the right pitch on an fretless instrument is difficult, go have a crack at a theremin, haha
I wonder if different materiaals i.e. like if you use a metal/wood/graphite/plastic staaf if it'll have different tonal properties? It should though 'coz each material have a different natural frequency. But on the other hand it's a purely electronic instrument so you could probably just dail a pot. or something to get a similar sound again. Amazing possibilities