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

"dewster, are you planning to include antennas and coils into kit?"  - Buggins

Coils: YES.  These will be hand-wound air core single layer solenoids, 1mH (pitch) and 2mH (volume).  Right now I'm planning 1" Schedule 40 PVC (OD 33.4mm) by 110mm long, using 30 and 32 gauge magnet wire.  This will give a fairly high aspect ratio of ~2.5 and fairly low DCR (10.5 ohms and 25 ohms).

Antennas like pipes: NO

Though I will furnish temporary antenna type objects that will be entirely playable, like foil on cardboard or something.  The idea is to have the buyer open the box and be able to start playing the thing almost immediately after plugging it into a USB port, grounding it (if the USB port isn't grounded), and plugging in some headphones.  They can play it that way for a couple of weeks / months / years and then start planning their own more durable enclosure.

AFE & Coil Enclosure

Here's what I printed with white PETG the other day (I'm thinking light gray for the kit) to house each coil and AFE, the dimensions are 60 x 80 x 110 (all mm):

That's 1" PVC on the right (sans windings), the walls on the left, the ends in the center, and the AFE itself down front.

Here it is with the bottom, AFE, and PVC in position, a couple of nylon screws will hold the AFE in place:

And here is how it will appear to the kit buying public:

The hole will have a banana jack in it for connection to the antenna.

Manufacturing ain't for the faint of heart!

Do you ship it to worldwide ?

Dewster - as always, your photos from your “pilot production” 😀 are impressive! As I was contemplating the imminent introduction of the D-Lev Centennial (no pressure - LOL), I was thinking that the term “Centennial” simply has too many negative connotations swirling around it; not to mention it has become so passé and dare I say, trite?

I think that it should be called the “D-Lev Quasquicentennial, the Greatest Theremin of All Time - Now and Into Infinity” (of course, I’ve already seen it in action so I can provide my opinion). Perhaps the “D-Lev Q Edition” would be what aficionados might call it. Indeed, that would be appropriate in that you’re actually sharing advanced photos and real specs BEFORE the upcoming 125th anniversary of Leon Theremin’s birthday (August 28, 1896) and it would also provide a certain one-upmanship of the manufacturer-that-shall-not-be-named 🤪 as their “Centennial Edition” is already six months late and many dollars short 🤪

On a related note - what about a page on Facebook for current and future groupies of the D-Lev Quasquicentennial? Of course, it would be an elite group for enthusiasts of your great instrument. 

"Do you ship it to worldwide ?"  - Mr_Dham

I don't see why not?  Vincent, please contact me via email and we can discuss it if you are interested.

"I think that it should be called the “D-Lev Quasquicentennial... Perhaps the “D-Lev Q Edition” would be what aficionados might call it. Indeed, that would be appropriate in that you’re actually sharing advanced photos and real specs BEFORE the upcoming 125th anniversary of Leon Theremin’s birthday (August 28, 1896)..."

You are a total card!  And here I thought I'd cornered the crazy anniversary naming market by springing "sesquicentennial" on the unwary!  Quite interesting re. his 125th birth date falling so soon.

"On a related note - what about a page on Facebook for current and future groupies of the D-Lev Quasquicentennial? Of course, it would be an elite group for enthusiasts of your great instrument."

If you or someone else were to start it, I would certainly participate.

dewster - “You are a total card!  And here I thought I'd cornered the crazy anniversary naming market by springing "sesquicentennial" on the unwary!”

Moi?! I’ve NEVER be accused of that before (yeah, right).  Although I think you should give a prize (perhaps an e-mail happy face) to the first ten people who can accurately pronounce, “Quasquicentennial.” LOL!

dewster- “If you or someone else were to start it, I would certainly participate.”

Well, I guess I’ll just have to do that (give me a day or so).

The Case Of The Disappearing Resonance

This was rather unexpected: [MP3]

In it, all I'm doing is switching the inharmonic resonator between stereo and mono.  In stereo it sound like a woman with a bit of ambience.  In mono the ambience is much more pronounced, and the phasing almost sounds like distortion.  The pitch correction is more obvious too.  Weird.  The resonator has more more to do with adding realism to vocals than I thought.

The D-Lev has groupies: https://www.facebook.com/groups/154169846769131 - it has arrived!  Thanks much ContraDude!

dewster - The D-Lev has groupies: https://www.facebook.com/groups/154169846769131 - it has arrived!  Thanks much ContraDude!

You’re welcome, dewster! I’d like to invite anyone interested in the D-Lev (who is on fb) to join the group. I remain excited about the D-Lev and with you-know-who still refusing to give an even rough timeline as to when delivery of the you-know-what to the masses, I think that the D-Lev appears to be a superior instrument and, certainly, the available features makes the you-know-what to be something out of the Dark Ages. 🤪

"In it, all I'm doing is switching the inharmonic resonator between stereo and mono." - Dewster

How do you switch stereo/mono?  And is that a preset that I have?

"How do you switch stereo/mono?"  - pitt8rh

RESON | mode[2] is stereo, mode[1] is mono.

"And is that a preset that I have?"

It's a slight variation on fem_4_room.  I'll send it to you.