Theremin & Talking Machine

I have just uploaded an mp3 sample of what the ELECTRO-HARMONIX "Talking Machine" is capable of when used with a theremin. Of course, what comes out of the TM will depend on what goes into it. I used my Moog Ethervox theremin with its filter, brightness and waveform dials at 12 o'clock. For the first and last samples you hear, the TM was on BYPASS so you are hearing the Ethervox with no effect at all.

Those were interesting repetitive sound scales, almost meditative, a sound that becomes a voice when given the heart of a Thereminist.

This is the first time I was able to dissect the wave shape of an Ethervox. Usually what I look for visually in displayed sound is confused by added instruments.

I don't do wah-wah, I drink it.

Thanks

RS, don't forget that the Ethervox wave shape you dissected was what comes out when the waveform, filter and brightness dials are all at 12 o'clock. I never play the E'Vox with those settings. I only did it this time to give the instrument as "neutral" a sound as possible.

Interesting. Liked the ya-ya-ya sound. Most jocular.

It's hard resisting the temptation to pump the expression pedal so it goes wah (or yah) on every note, isn't it. :-)

Here is what Julius Goldberg's RCA sounds like with the ELECTRO-HARMONIX Talking Machine (on a fixed open "AH").


http://www.peterpringle.com/music/goldie&tm.mp3


I did not take the instrument out of the tenor range because, as our esteemed uncle pointed out, when you do that the instrument tends to sound like some weird sex change thing!

In my opinion, this is one of the more successful theremin sounds with the TM and by far the most 'human" I have ever heard in this particular range from any theremin anywhere.

Gordon:

It's hard resisting the temptation to pump the expression pedal so it goes wah (or yah) on every note, isn't it. :-)

Yes! I also have great difficulty supressing my tendency to subvocalize on the diphthongs. Every time the instrument goes yah-yah or oy-oy, so do I!

My grandson who is my indispensable side kick tells me this could not be a theremin as it sounds to him like one particular Franciscan Monk that does something similar at High Mass. I think your experiments are taking the theremin to a new level of expression. Are you trying to expose the theremin's soul or could this be your enlightened soul?

Christopher

It's a THEREMONK!

"Here is what Julius Goldberg's RCA sounds like with the ELECTRO-HARMONIX Talking Machine (on a fixed open "AH")."

Absolutely fantastic!  The only thing that gives it away for me is the slightly too slow attack / decay - human voices can start and stop on a dime and this is difficult on the Theremin.

A vocal tract simulator connected to a Theremin certainly is a natural combo.  It would be interesting to combine them into a single instrument, and give more expression over the formants with the left hand.

@ coalport...WOW...the Goldberg RCA plus effect has the most human voice like sound I have ever heard in my short time as a theremin enthusiast (as you pointed out, I'm still a WMEMTN...white middle-aged eclectic musician theremin newbie...and I will be for a while yet..)  Thanks for that clip...You have said before that the theremin is a one trick pony, but THAT was an AWESOME trick...