Let's Design and Build a (mostly) Digital Theremin!

5.12.12 - 5.12.14

Congratulations on the anniversary of a two-year thread. If it is possible to design a theremin that captures the essence of Lev Sergeyevich and makes it easier to manufacture, I am all for it.

The inventor already created the best theremin; the question today is what new feature will make it most inspirational for a new generation.

Christopher

This has been one of the most diverse and interesting threads ever to have appeared on TW, IMO - It has been almost incomprehensible at times, covering everything from front-end analogue to designing a parallel processor in a FPGA! (the amount of detail and effort Dewster has put into this thread, and his comprehensive documentation of every step of the journey and every thought process and argument, is, IMO, more than enough to warrant him being awarded a doctorate! - Dr Dewster, please step forward ;-)

The fascinating thing to me is how, in these two years, the whole theremin world has changed - almost like this thread was a harbinger or trigger.. We have seen open.theremin and the Theremini appear, and other digital implementations / modules put into production - Oh, there were some digital theremin projects and ideas being floated on the web before then, but mostly these were called 'digital' because they employed logic - but were not truly 'digital' in the way Dewster proposed.

I am sure that digital theremins are the main way this instrument will develop in the future.. I think we are at a similar 'junction' to where we were with synthesisers in the '80's when the DX7 ushered in the 'digital' age.. The vast majority of synthesisers are now digital -

But in the last 10 years there has been a resurgence of analogue synthesisers - even large manufacturers have been forced to put old analogue synths back in production - and young people are a large part of the driving force behind this - they are inspired by the warmth and simplicity of analogue.. Also, a large cottage industry has spung up, and young people are constructing their own synths - one of the few areas of growth in DIY electronics.

There is, IMO, a place for both digital and analogue musical instruments - Analogue and digital synths share the same rack in most electronic musicians set-ups... But for about 20 years people were getting rid of their analogue synths to buy digital ones..

We may be entering that 20 year 'zone' soon - I hope not - I hope that the resurgence of analogue synthesisers will act to buffer the switch of theremins over to digital.... My hope is that the best of both will be applied, and 'hybrid' theremins will evolve (in much the same way as some hybrid analogue / digital synthesisers have evolved) - My fear though is that mass-market  instruments like the Theremini will predominate.

The absurd irony to me is that, during the 20 "digital" years, Moog was  one company who stuck with analogue - Yet they are the ones most likely to usher in the "digital era" for theremins!

Fred.

It sure seems that way, isn't it?

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The absurd irony to me is that, during the 20 "digital" years, Moog was  one company who stuck with analogue - Yet they are the ones most likely to usher in the "digital era" for theremins!

Fred.

"Congratulations on the anniversary of a two-year thread."  - RS Theremin

Thanks for the reminder and for the congrats RS!

"If it is possible to design a theremin that captures the essence of Lev Sergeyevich and makes it easier to manufacture, I am all for it."

Same here.

"The inventor already created the best theremin; the question today is what new feature will make it most inspirational for a new generation."

IMO, the removal of some old features, such as thermal instability and ground sensitivity, might be nice as well.  We've been over many attractive new features (linearity, adjustable sensitivity, realistic vocal tones, responsive real-time pitch display, third axis, intuitive UI, portability, etc.).

"Dr Dewster, please step forward ;-)"  - FredM

If there were a PHD in Thereminology, you would deserve it more than I Fred!

"Congratulations on the anniversary of a two-year thread" -- RS Theremin

My feeling is this thread is as old as Rome (I always thought that he lives at least since the TW foundation). Unfortunately a lot of interesting things are lumped together to one heap making it difficult to search. For me a set of individual topics is more preferable. Nevertheless, good luck dewster!

Ilya, as you know there are over 1000 reasons a theremin will not cooperate. This thread was about many of them. That is why the expression "you must be invited" came about.

The most popular country to my own website is the Ukraine your neighbor. The past six months it has been China with great interest, this kind of makes me wonder if some creative mind there is up to something. Don't anyone be surprised if they show up with something in the next year, especially if the big event happens.  0-:

Christopher

"The past six months it has been China with great interest, this kind of makes me wonder if some creative mind there is up to something." - RS

Oh, there is a LOT of interest from Chinese manufacturers -

I think the Theremini has made a lot of people think and see potential mass-market money - Chinese businesses are different in their approach - they rarely innovate, but are on the ball about exploiting new markets.. And right now they are particularly hungry for new outlets.

I dont think they will produce anything of the required quality to make any thereminist happy, they cut costs to the bone, and I would be real surprised if they brought out anything to compete with say the EW.. But I do think that Moog's latest toy will be targeted, and something similar appear at a lot lower price.

"My feeling is this thread is as old as Rome" - Ilya

LOL ;-) .. 2 years is a long time - but not that long...

With an interesting and diverse thread like this, I tend to print pages to .pdf and file these in topic related folders.. If you look at TW posts, all the real nuggets are tucked away, often in threads with a completely unrelated title.. Its just how things happen when creative people get together - constrain the discussion, and the synergy is also constrained.

IMO, the greatest improvement TW could make would be a more versatile search engine - AND, OR, Strings, Author.. If we had that, we wouldn't need to wonder where Thierry's explanation of EQ was, or have problems locating answers about grounding, or all that stuff... (I often find TW matters more easily by using an external advanced search engine - but it would be nice to have this local to TW IMO)  But at least its easy to remember on which thread the design of a FPGA barrel processor is discussed! ;-)

Fred.

2 years, 36499 views 756 posts ... That averages to 50 views/day and 1 post/day!

Congratulations for this two years old thread.

I think it's time for some new creative input: ;-)

Click me

And perhaps time to remind ourselves of the challenges we face..

Sorry -

;-)

Perhaps the Theremini designers watched a load of videos like this... And perhaps they got it right!

Hehe, that's one of the reasons why I stopped completely thinking of theremin development for a so called "mass-market" and why I keep most of the time out of discussion threads with this subject...

There are IMHO too many people making too much nonsense with the theremin. Both inventors, Leon Theremin and Maurice Martenot, had the idea in mind that their creations should be commonly seen in the same way as all other (acoustic) instruments of the orchestra. Although the Ondes makes rarely apparition, Maurice Martenot managed to do so by not only inventing the instrument, but also buy developing a method, by creating Ondes classes in several conservatories in France and Canada, by co-working with compositors and conductors, to make sure that his creation would take the place which he intended.

The theremin, on the other side, appears often like a young animal which has been let out in the wild too early without enough education and guidance. This is perhaps due to the fact that LT wasn't a professional musician and/or his sometimes discontinuous biography. The result is that we see much more quantity than quality. 

In France, you had to study at the conservatory for at least 5 years and pass several exams before you would be called an "Ondiste" but everybody who spent at least $80 for a simple gesture controlled sound generator is a thereminist. Can't read music? Doesn't matter! I personally find that highly frustrating and that drove me somewhat  away from "the creative way".

Sorry for bothering everybody with my personal observations! I strongly wish that others will not feel the same frustration as I do and continue their creative work, so that we will perhaps see one day real professional instruments for real professional musicians and be it only as a side product of the mass market concepts.