Optical Theremin

[martiniandbliss]

So i'm contemplating on getting an optical theremin to fool around with. I dig the TBD from Effector 13 but I'm still thinking abou that. Anyway, the theremins I have seen just have an output to the amp. Is there an A/B box or something with 2 in's and one out? That way I have one in for my guitar and one in for the theremin and the one out to my amp.

[nobody]

Originally posted by martiniandbliss
So i'm contemplating on getting an optical theremin to fool around with. I dig the TBD from Effector 13 but I'm still thinking abou that. Anyway, the theremins I have seen just have an output to the amp. Is there an A/B box or something with 2 in's and one out? That way I have one in for my guitar and one in for the theremin and the one out to my amp.

Just get a 2 channel mixer. Plug your guitar in one channel, the Theramin in the other channel and then to your amp.

[martiniandbliss]

Oh yeah! So check this out....I have a DJ mixer with a crossfader. Oh MAN!!! I can blend them together! Thanks for opening my door!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man, that mixer has been collecting dust for a few months now.

[Cupid0]

The TBD isn't a theremin, it's a fuzz pedal that uses a method similar to an optical theremin(photo resistors) to control some features. There are some wonderful and cheap optical theremins(i've seen them more often referred to as "photo theremins") on ebay.

[fretboardmaster]

matt bellamy has a theramin in one of his custom manson guitars, he puts his hand near it and it changes the frequency and stuff like that. when i saw them play birmingham at the end of stockholm syndrome he starting waving his hand by it and it ruled.

how much are they about? i may consider getting one to fool around with

[::charlie::]

[Cupid0]

optical theremins go for about $50 on ebay.

[ExpAnonColin]

Man, optical theremins are a disgrace to the art that Theremin created so long ago... the whole amazing part of the forum was the fact that the frequency was created from the difference of two radio frequencies, so the tiny bit of capacitance would change the frequency, not that some jackass can make a "theremin" out of a 555 and a photocell (don't get me started on this topic-oh wait, you did).

-Colin

[Chobbs]

theremins are totally cool...Jimmy Page was notorious for using one during the "whole lotta love" solo/break thing...

anyways, i know hiwatt makes one and it goes for 100 bucks new. honestly though, you can find a million of them on ebay for 50-75 bucks in great shape. what's even better is a physicist invented the theremin i think 80-90 years ago? "oddly" enough his name was theremin

if this is not the case, someone tell me so i don't look like a huge jackass.

[ExpAnonColin]

Originally posted by Chobbs
theremins are totally cool...Jimmy Page was notorious for using one during the "whole lotta love" solo/break thing...

anyways, i know hiwatt makes one and it goes for 100 bucks new. honestly though, you can find a million of them on ebay for 50-75 bucks in great shape. what's even better is a physicist invented the theremin i think 80-90 years ago? "oddly" enough his name was theremin

if this is not the case, someone tell me so i don't look like a huge jackass.

In 1918, Leon Theremin created the theremin, so no, you're not a huge jackass (now you can sleep at night!) :D

-Colin

[yaledelay]

Has anyone here seen the Thermin Documentary??? Leon Thermin had a crazy-ass life. Its well worth renting and they play it on the discovery Channel from time to time... there is this great part where a highly medicated Brian Wilson just Freeks out and rambles on about how thermins used to scare him as a kid so he had to use one on Good Vibrations...

[omeed]

How do you guys think a real expensive Moog theremin would compare to a cheaper 50 - 100 theremin? Is there a big difference in quality or what?

[ExpAnonColin]

Originally posted by omeed
How do you guys think a real expensive Moog theremin would compare to a cheaper 50 - 100 theremin? Is there a big difference in quality or what?

The Moog will probably sound much richer, because it's a much more refined device, while a cheaper one is probably just a tone generator. The MOOG is more of an instrument, the cheaper is more of a simple DIY project.

-Colin

[tommyboy27]

The beach boys didn't use a theremin at all. A theremin is the only musical instrument that is played without touching it at all. The capacitance of your body reacts with the RF emanating from the two antennae thus changing either the pitch or the volume of the signal the theremin produces.

They used a similar device invented (and played on the album by) Paul Tanner called the "Tannerin." Also known as the "Electro Theremin", or "slide Theremin"The Tannerin changed the pitch by sliding your finger (or other similarly shaped appendage) across a surface connected to the circuit.

Here is some tannerin info..

http://www.tompolk.com/Tannerin/Tannerin.html

[tommyboy27]

and check out this link that will school you on all things theremin!

His name was actually Lev Termin before Ellis Island immigration changed his name to Leon Theremin.

Check out the Paul Tanner page and learn about the movies and Beach Boys.

[kerb]

Matt Bellamy doesnt have a theremin as such

it's a Zvex Wah Probe plate

[yaledelay]

Originally posted by tommyboy27
The beach boys didn't use a theremin at all. A theremin is the only musical instrument that is played without touching it at all. The capacitance of your body reacts with the RF emanating from the two antennae thus changing either the pitch or the volume of the signal the theremin produces.

They used a similar device invented (and played on the album by) Paul Tanner called the "Tannerin." Also known as the "Electro Theremin", or "slide Theremin"The Tannerin changed the pitch by sliding your finger (or other similarly shaped appendage) across a surface connected to the circuit.

Here is some tannerin info..

http://www.tompolk.com/Tannerin/Tannerin.html thats odd because that documentary definately shows Brian freeking out about thermins... not that there if much difference between the two...

[Horneyefamine]

Optical Theremins don't have nearly as broad a range as the theremins with the two antennae. Also, the E13 is a pedal with an optical expression device built in, it isn't actually a theremin. Theremins are not a guitar effect, they're a separate instrument.

[tommyboy27]

I saw serj tankian play a theremin at the axis of justice show a couple weeks ago. It sounded awesome! He wasn't really playing any types of melodies on it or anything, just using it as a noisemaker. He was also playing a key-tar that had some samples preprogrammed into it. wierd show, eh?

[atmospherics]

Originally posted by tommyboy27
The beach boys didn't use a theremin at all. A theremin is the only musical instrument that is played without touching it at all. The capacitance of your body reacts with the RF emanating from the two antennae thus changing either the pitch or the volume of the signal the theremin produces.

They used a similar device invented (and played on the album by) Paul Tanner called the "Tannerin." Also known as the "Electro Theremin", or "slide Theremin"The Tannerin changed the pitch by sliding your finger (or other similarly shaped appendage) across a surface connected to the circuit.

Here is some tannerin info..

http://www.tompolk.com/Tannerin/Tannerin.html

I know this is a pretty old thread but I was wondering if this might be what Johnny Greenwood uses on The National Anthem.

[debaser98]

jonny greenwood uses an instrument called an ondes martenot in that song. im not completely sure about now it works, but i know it has a keyboard and a string that you run a slide-like device over. onc eagain, im not positive as to how it works.

[squareking]

Any suggestions for a cheap Theremin?

[brokenbabyrobot]

I played a moog theremin once. I wanted it so bad, but I didn't have 300 bucks...bummer.

There are folks that make the theremin sound like a beautiful violin. It's nuts what they can do with that thing.

[nihil]

***jonny greenwood uses an instrument called an ondes martenot in that song. im not completely sure about now it works, but i know it has a keyboard and a string that you run a slide-like device over. onc eagain, im not positive as to how it works***

Even though this isn't guitar related, I may as well say something. The Ondes Martenot is a keyboard used for triggering sounds from a modular synthesiser (ie all voltage, no digital.) There's a company called Analogue Systems that makes a similar trigger called a French Connection, which costs a king's ransom, but whatever.

If you're trying to trigger those Jonny Greenwood type theremin whatevers, there's always the Moogerfooger modular pedals that Moog makes. Paired up with a Death By Audio Total Sonic Annihilation, they get pretty cranky pretty quick. There's always the ZVex Fuzz Probe too, but you can only grab so much melody out of the rf bubble that those have.

Honestly, I think the 2-In-1 running the guitar and theremin is an awesome idea. :)

[acoustic_frippy]

Originally posted by nihil
If you're trying to trigger those Jonny Greenwood type theremin whatevers, there's always the Moogerfooger modular pedals that Moog makes. Paired up with a Death By Audio Total Sonic Annihilation, they get pretty cranky pretty quick. There's always the ZVex Fuzz Probe too, but you can only grab so much melody out of the rf bubble that those have.

The Frostwave Spacebeam is another optical "theramin" :D

http://www.frostwave.com/spacebeam/index.html

[perkins]

i've got a professor tv photo-theremin. it's pretty rad. they're real cheap too. those are at:

http://www.professortelevision.com/theremin.html

i've also seen a japanese company that makes hand-held egg-shaped theremins with retractable antennie. if i think of the site i'll post it.

[perkins]

here's that other one:

http://lalweb.com/th/th-e.html

if anyone gets one of these let me know. they look really sweet.

[DJZ92784]

I wonder how much a Robotic Laser Theremin costs....

http://www.media.mit.edu/resenv/LaserTheremin/laser.html

Scroll down and check out the videos of the skilled players. Cooooooool :D

[Felice]

speaking of having both the guitar and theramin plugged into the amp. I emailed circuit bent asking him if he could make me a theremin with an input, output, and a on/off switch, so that when its off it is true bypass, and when its on it cuts off the input and essentially becomes a theremin with a output.

[debaser98]

Originally posted by nihil
***jonny greenwood uses an instrument called an ondes martenot in that song. im not completely sure about now it works, but i know it has a keyboard and a string that you run a slide-like device over. onc eagain, im not positive as to how it works***

Even though this isn't guitar related, I may as well say something. The Ondes Martenot is a keyboard used for triggering sounds from a modular synthesiser (ie all voltage, no digital.) There's a company called Analogue Systems that makes a similar trigger called a French Connection, which costs a king's ransom, but whatever.

If you're trying to trigger those Jonny Greenwood type theremin whatevers, there's always the Moogerfooger modular pedals that Moog makes. Paired up with a Death By Audio Total Sonic Annihilation, they get pretty cranky pretty quick. There's always the ZVex Fuzz Probe too, but you can only grab so much melody out of the rf bubble that those have.

Honestly, I think the 2-In-1 running the guitar and theremin is an awesome idea. :)

the keyboard part of an original ondes martenot was a monophonic synth, that also had the cool feature of being able to wiggle the key to produce vibrato (i wish my crappy casio did that!). newer versions could just be triggers for synth modules. the string part of the instrument is played by sliding a ring up and down the string to produce pitches. got that all from here: http://csunix1.lvc.edu/~snyder/em/mart.html

[debaser98]

oh yeah, does anyone know where i could find an ondes martenot for sale? im just curious as to how much they go for. are they even made anymore?

[Mocker]

I was gonna suggest the Frostwave spacebeam. Its awesome!!! i have one, i tape it to my guitar and iv re wired my guitr so that i have an input on it, which the theremin goes into. i then plug it in and flick a switch and i can play theremin from my guitar through all my pedals and out my amp, then with a flick of a switch im back to guitar. its an awesome device, especially a sit can be used as a cv control as well! i love it! :)