New Theremin Help!!

I bought a Moog Etherwave the other day and I'm having a couple problems that I don't have any idea how to solve.

First is that no matter what I plug my theremin into (I've used plugged it into a mixer to headphones setup and a guitar amp with a padded direct box and even used a ground lifter to eliminate hum) I get this really high pitched tone that plays above the actual notes I am trying to play. I'm not sure what is causing this, whether it has to do with objects around me or my setup. Anyone have any ideas?

Also, I'm not really sure how to tune and set the settings on the theremin correctly. I've read all the literature that came with the Etherwave and alot of stuff on this site and the message boards, but I still don't understand exactly what I'm supposed to do. Would someone be so kind as to just line it out very clearly and specifically?

If you've followed the tuning suggestions in the manual, you might want to give Moog Music a call. They can usually talk you through a quick troubleshooting session, and if they can't fix it over the phone, they'll probably replace it for you. I'm guessing perhaps there is either some cross-talk between the pitch and volume circuits, or perhaps the volume circuit is tuned such that it's close to the same range as the pitch circuit.

Does this high-pitched squeal change pitch as you move around either antenna?

No, its really just a constant squeal that doesn't change pitch and is audible even when the volume for the normal pitches is inaudible.

In that case, I'd suggest calling Moog Music for technical support. Even if you bought it used, I'll bet they'll help you out. Nice folks there!