Moog etherwave sounds bad, little red plastic tool?

Hello,

I have just got my first theremin, a moog etherwave. Not as a kit so I have not done anything with it.

It has a tone that sounds like a dual tone, no harmony what so ever. Angry saw shape. And it has a humming sound when in silent zone, more when the shape knob is turned to the left but some when to the right as well.

In the box there was this long red plastic tool, that looks like it is supposed to tune a screw or somthing, like a small screwdriver.

Can I adjust the theremin so it sounds as nice as all the youtube etherwaves?

Sorry for any language errors, my theremin terminology is no good in any language ;)

Thanks,

jon

Welcome to Theremin World, jonkanon.

What amp are you using?

I bought my EW in Europe and that happened to me when I used it in the USA. I solved the problem by buying/using a transformer

I just use computerspeakers before I buy something else or plug it in to the stereo. Just moved to a new apartment. And I have tested with koss in-ear-plug-earphones as well.

Thanks for answers so far :)

“I just use computerspeakers before I buy something else or plug it in to the stereo. Just moved to a new apartment. And I have tested with koss in-ear-plug-earphones as well.”

Do not adjust anything internal or else you will be in trouble! From your explanation the first thing you should try is connecting to a good earth ground. Normally this is achieved, at least here in the states, through the ground side of the main amplifier using a three prong power plug with a ground connection.

For an experiment use a Y connector into your Audio-Out and use the extra side shield connection of the Y-cable and attach it to a good earth ground from somewhere. How this is done in your county I don’t know. (metal water pipe?)

A “heterodyne” theremin needs a good earth ground more than an antenna for the oscillators to perform properly or else they distort the sound and respond with instability.

Christopher
.

It's also very possible that your Etherwave is overloading your inputs, especially if you're plugging it to a typical computer sound card, thus creating the -typical in these situations- overdriven "square" wave that you're describing. Try using a dedicated keyboard amplifier.

That's a good point, Christopher.

Jon, are you using a Shuko (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Schuko_plug_and_socket.png) (side earthed/grounded) plug and socket, or is either the plug or the socket CEE 7-17 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:CEE_7-17_plug_and_socket.png) (Euro 2 pin)?

Or, as Marble Field points out, it could be your speakers. Are you using your computer's built-in speakers by plugging the theremin into the audio-in socket of the computer, or are they separate speakers that you can plug into the computer's audio-out socket, that you have unplugged from the computer and plugged into your theremin?

All outlets are grounded, newly produced apartment so everything should be as it should be after modern standards.

There is no ground on the connector for the computerspeakers, which are powered external speakers. No computer involved :)

Will try to plug it to the main stereo and se if it changes anything?

Thank you all for helping me out.

/jon

IT'S ALiVE!!!

Crappy electronics in the speakers. Sounds great when plugging in to ordinary stereo. Sounds smooth and clean and no humming what so ever.

The only things that sounds bad now is my playing ;) Will work on that.

/Jon

That's great news. Hurrah. :-)