Broken theremin?

Hello!! 

I'm new in the forum, I'm from Italy, nice to meet all of you. I need help!

I've been playing a brand-new etherwave standard for some months. Last week, while playing,  suddenly,  something changed in the pitch.

It's become unstable fore some notes around middle C, it's like sobbing, like a sort of irregular and lamenting vibrato. 

I hoped it was the amplifier, but I have the same problem even with the headphones.

I tried to tune the internal volume and pitch circuit again, but nothing changed. 

Is my theremin broken? What could I do? Please help me, I'm completely addicted to my instrument. 

Thank you.

First, make sure that there are no external causes like interferences which can come from multiple sources, computers, refrigerators, Eco-lightbulb, microwave ovens, even in the flat above or below.

Thus, the first thing is to set up your theremin in another room, or still better in another place. If the problem persists there, you can be sure that the problem is really inside your theremin.

Then, there are two options: a) it is still under warranty. Then you have to send it in where you bought it. b) it is not longer under warranty. Then, you might send it in to the only repair point in Europe: my atelier in Colmar/France.

Thanks Thierry! 

I have set up my theremin in another room, almost empty. The problem persists. Now I wonder: How is this possibile? My theremin is very young. Have I done something wrong? What's happening? I'm going mad. :'(

First, there is always a risk that an electronic component breaks before time.

Second, and I hate it to say that today on Bob Moog's birthday, the production quality of the Etherwave Theremins has become worse and worse over the last years. The times when Bob Moog himself or an employee  had learned from him tested and fine-tuned every instrument before it left production have definitively gone. I'm seeing more and more brand-new Etherwaves which come to the clients with lousy playability, just because they weren't produced and calibrated with love and musicality...

Third, concerning your particular instrument, I can tell you more when I'll have had it in my hands. My crystal sphere is actually in holidays... ;-) 

Hi everyone! 

After a long time that the problem i wrote about disappeared spontaneously, here it is again. 

So, i am pretty sure the problem is in the temperature, maybe humidity. 

So I tried to turn off the air conditioning system, and when the room becomes cold, it disappears again. 

What is that? A problem in the capacitance effect with antenna? Does it happen to anyone else?

I am worried that the problem can appear before an exhibition, i cannot bring the air conditioning with me

Any suggestions, please?

Thanks!

The first thing that comes to my mind is your earth ground connection. Does your sound and response get wierd all of a sudden but can still be heard? As Thierry said have you tried it in a completely different building?

If you record a single note sound byte of the bad sound there are a handful of bright minds around here that can read the audio waveform and maybe come up with some ideas.  Handful no, maybe two.

Theremins do not like to be touched, kind of like my ex wife when sparks fly. 

Christopher

"The first thing that comes to my mind is your earth ground connection. Does your sound and response get wierd all of a sudden but can still be heard? As Thierry said have you tried it in a completely different building? If you record a single note sound byte of the bad sound there are a handful of bright minds around here that can read the audio waveform and maybe come up with some ideas.  Handful no, maybe two. Theremins do not like to be touched, kind of like my ex wife when sparks fly.  Christopher"

LOL

I will record the problems when it occurs again.

Thank you!