Burns B3 Adjusting Pitch Sensitivity

I know there are better theremins out there but I'm learning and this was a gift. I've successfully recorded with it but the pitch is far far too sensitive for me to play out with just yet. Is there any was to adjust the sensitivity?

I currently play on a Burns B3 Deluxe. I'm guessing you have the same model. Firstly, the Burns Theremin's are non-liner. Meaning the presumed pitches you wish to find are not necessarily where you would think it would be.

An example being, from position one to the first knuckle position will be different depending on where you are playing. This comes with some experience of what range you're playing in. What I've found is the lower notes express an exaggeration of this position to a full octave. Meanwhile the higher flute voices are more particular to the slightest tilt creating a different pitch and octave as well.

Give it some time and pick songs you enjoy. i.e. classics, 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's to todays' music and hunt and peck tones (notes) you can logically play with. :D

That's what I've been doing so far. The lower the pitch, the more accurate my notes.

dudell: Sensitivity is pretty much fixed for an analog Theremin.  I don't have any experience with the B3, but you might be able to make the sensitivity fairly constant in the mid pitch field by adjusting the null point somewhere around 1/2 meter to 1 meter out.  The pitch response will likely cramp up closer in and further out from the antenna.  This is what my generic sims show anyway, I could be completely wrong here.

Does anyone have a schematic of the B3?

The Burn's Theremin is fairly simple. (As most Theremin players know) It takes about 15-30 minutes to warm up the instrument first. Simply turning on your Theremin and letting it sit for a while, with the AMP on silent as well. Meanwhile, do a load of dishes or something. LOL!

Anyway, I've found the "sensitivity" of the instrument is more responsive after letting the instrument warm up. Meanwhile, I put the volume at about 1-2 o'clock for volume. This to me is the optimal parameters to play the B3. I don't currently have a schematic and would ponder if Google has it. They usually have everything. LOL!

-Sean

"The Burn's Theremin is fairly simple. (As most Theremin players know) It takes about 15-30 minutes to warm up the instrument first."  - Sean

Jesus, that's a long warm-up time for a solid state device!  I imagine it's likely due to ferrite coils.  (My digital Theremin oscillators use air-core coils and are quite stable immediately after power-up.  They're either oscillating dead nuts or powered-off.)

No ferrite involved on the pitch side. RC oscillators around CMOS inverters. The only inductor is in the volume discriminator circuit.

"No ferrite involved on the pitch side. RC oscillators around CMOS inverters."  - Thierry

*vomits* - wow, much worse than I thought.

Hi all! I fell into the hands of the faulty theremin Burns B3 Deluxe... I really want to bring it to life. Unfortunately not found electric diagram of this device. May be somebody knows a place online where I can find electronic diagram of the device? I tried to search, but no luck yet. Maybe there's something similar in principle? This question already sounded in the forum, however I hope to help.

The schematics of the B3 theremins have never been published since Dan Burns insists on keeping his production secret, which do not forcibly understand, but which I highly respect.

Thus, in order to get your B3 DeLuxe fixed, you may send it directly to Dan in the US or to me in Europe.