Moog Theremini!

Posted: 9/20/2014 3:05:14 PM
dewster

From: Northern NJ, USA

Joined: 2/17/2012

Input during the design process is a tricky thing.  You want constructive, well balanced, unbiased criticism, but it's hard to tell where other people are coming from.  And no one likes a backseat driver, too many cooks spoil the broth, etc.  That said, I'd hate to have everyone coming down like a ton of bricks on my baby after the fact. 

The Theremini seems to be a perfect example of exactly the type of thing coalport harps on re. blind engineering producing awkward, nonsensical musical products.  But I also agree with FredM regarding the relatively minor limitations of a competent, detail oriented, open to suggestion developer on the right track, particularly if they have some kind of musical background.

coalport: have you tried the close pitch hand calibration position ~5" away?  This seems to help linearity a lot.  I hold out little hope that a SW update will positively influence the sluggishness, though I'd be happy to be wrong.

Posted: 9/21/2014 4:07:54 PM
dewster

From: Northern NJ, USA

Joined: 2/17/2012

I just tried a longer antenna in my Theremini and it didn't seem to change the linearity much, if at all, over the stock antenna.  Though linearity is (much too) strongly influenced by the calibration procedure, so maybe I'm not doing something right. 

I must say, my CFL desk lamp ~1m away drives the Theremini berserk.  This thing is a hot-house flower.

Posted: 9/21/2014 4:16:02 PM
Thomas Grillo

From: Jackson Mississippi

Joined: 8/13/2006

@dewster: Did you try a hollow, or solid rod? Also, was the rod 19, to 20 inches long?

Yeh, high power CFLs, and even some LED fixtures will affect theremins when placed to near. You should hear the incredible flange effect when I hold my Etherwave near my lighted grand diamond speaker, and move the theremin slowly away from it. :)

Posted: 9/21/2014 4:50:05 PM
dewster

From: Northern NJ, USA

Joined: 2/17/2012

@Thomas: The rod I tried is 18" long and hollow. 

Not doing this very scientifically, but I just tried it again and the linear portion of the pitch field actually does seem somewhat physically larger with the longer antenna.  I think the sensitivity is a bit better as well.  Hmm.

Posted: 9/21/2014 6:37:24 PM
Thomas Grillo

From: Jackson Mississippi

Joined: 8/13/2006

@dewster: Interesting... I'd go for a 19, or 20 inch rod just for the sake of curiosity. I believe the Etherwave Pro's is 19.

Posted: 9/21/2014 9:01:10 PM
dewster

From: Northern NJ, USA

Joined: 2/17/2012

@Thomas: "I'd go for a 19, or 20 inch rod just for the sake of curiosity."

I'm at the point where my curiosity for the Theremini is so low I just want to sell the thing and get it out of here.

Posted: 9/21/2014 9:57:05 PM
Thomas Grillo

From: Jackson Mississippi

Joined: 8/13/2006

@dewster: If you've only had it less than a month, you should be able to get a refund, and ship it back to the seller.

 

Posted: 9/21/2014 10:00:55 PM
FredM

From: Eastleigh, Hampshire, U.K. ................................... Fred Mundell. ................................... Electronics Engineer. (Primarily Analogue) .. CV Synths 1974-1980 .. Theremin developer 2007 to present .. soon to be Developing / Trading as WaveCrafter.com . ...................................

Joined: 12/7/2007

"I'm at the point where my curiosity for the Theremini is so low I just want to sell the thing and get it out of here." - Dewster

ROFLMAO!  ;-)

On the other hand - perhaps you could take its guts out, use the display etc, build a good digital theremin incorporating HIVE into the baguette, and offer the new instrument to M-ugh at some critical point when they need it fixed quick..

The theremini needs a total redesign / rebuild - ok, the baguette is not my choice in style or functionality- but a good theremin inside would make that a minor issue..

Even if M-ugh didn't bite, there's going to be quite a number of theremini owners who may jump at the chance of having their toy turned into a theremin!

Fred.

Posted: 9/21/2014 10:08:00 PM
RS Theremin

From: 60 mi. N of San Diego CA

Joined: 2/15/2005

Come on dewster now is your chance to test the excitement of the theremin market today. Put the Theremini up for auction at ebay and let us see how the world outside of TW responds or did you break it?  LOL

The Theremini has been getting great reviews on Amazon, I tried to warn them politely two months ago and ran into a couple of ex TW individuals. Yes Moog worship is still alive and well.

Christopher

Edit: I just saw Thomas Grillo's review above mine at Amazon. He shares what his experience was, no doubting Thomas there but the crowd still screams give me one, give me one. People are falling down getting crushed by the mob. Even funnier no one checked me or Thomas as having given a helpful review.

This is a situation of people you want the truth.... You can't handle the truth!

Edit2: Fred said: Truth. . . IMO, Pray that you never find it!!!  Where innocence is bliss, ti's folly to be wise!

Fred it seems like you are getting metaphysical as we all have own perception of reality, can love be more than a biological chemical release?

Posted: 9/22/2014 12:15:29 AM
FredM

From: Eastleigh, Hampshire, U.K. ................................... Fred Mundell. ................................... Electronics Engineer. (Primarily Analogue) .. CV Synths 1974-1980 .. Theremin developer 2007 to present .. soon to be Developing / Trading as WaveCrafter.com . ...................................

Joined: 12/7/2007

Bob Moog deserved all the respect and admiration he got, IMO.. "Moog worship" was justified (as much as it can be for any mortal designer / inventor) by those into synthesis and theremins.. Particularly from those who 'knew' him from the early days, before he was muzzled and disabled by bean counters - He shared his ideas, he was happy to guide others with practical and theoretical insights, and wasn't afraid to postulate sometimes unconventional or "whacky" ideas in a humble honest open way.

And I can understand people, in error, defending the company which ABUSES his name.

Love is a strange thing - it can make one blind. Even if one catches glimpses of the reality from the corner of your eye, you avoid looking closely - because you dont want to see what you might see if you did.

As for the "truth"..

IMO, Pray that you never find it!!!  Where innocence is bliss, ti's folly to be wise!

its not, IMO, a case of one person deriding another by saying "you cant handle the truth" - I dont think anyone could handle the truth - and if one ever really did find it, you would need to convince yourself that it wasn't the truth.

I think we may need our delusions more than we need the air we breathe

Fred

Moved off-topic stuff to here

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