Set-up solution :)

It's the perfect time to hit the sales at stores at the moment - so there is my set-up - it is quite comfortable!

New set-up (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5962606&id=529858197&fbid=487451413197)

Very clean.

A couple of suggestions that you might like to try out - in case they make a difference for you.

1. Because you are playing it reversed, the slope on the volume loop is going the wrong way. Ideally you want the loop to be parallel to your volume hand. This is easily corrected. The volume loop works just fine if it is only affixed with the higher of the two fixing points (the one nearest to the power socket) which means you can adjust the angle to suit you.

2. You have a box you can place your amp on to bring it closer to head height? Again, many players find this preferable.

hmmmm... THe dip of the loop is the closes to my hand... Is that what it should be right? It was harder to screw it that way, but got it in... :)

The amp is close enough as I move it a little when its practice time :)

My personal experience is that when I first realised that it need only be fixed at one point I tried a variety of different ways out of curiosity and couldn't really find any difference between them. When I did the same a year later it felt very clear that the conventional setting (I play volume with my left hand) was the right choice.

Hmm. Doesn't fit into the wrong hole so easily? Do be careful not to strip the thread on the nut. I guess not so big a problem stateside, but over here in the UK the nut is non-standard and tricky to replace.

Which reminds me - when you eventually get around to gigging with your etherwave - there is nothing stopping the nut on the pitch rod from falling off and getting lost when the instrument is dismantled. I have one of my daughter's elastic hair bands low down on the rod acting as a stop to prevent this.

And [i]that[/i] reminds me that I have the little red plastic tweaking stick that came with the theremin gaffer-taped to the inside of the enclosure for when it suddenly decides to need retuning at an inconvenient time. (Also a little note that says "tune L6 to zero beat with right hand, hand about 3 inches from pitch antenna". Here (http://www.moogmusic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=60972#60972) is the long version of that note. FYI "Amos" is Moog's theremin tuning expert.)

Sorry to go a bit off-topic, but... when people talks about retuning by opening the theremin and adjusting inductors, I shiver a bit, since I'm really bad at fiddling with the innards of electronics. I wonder how often is this kind of maintenance required, i.e., how long can one expect an EPlus to Just Work(tm) without having to open it? And is this related with moving the instrument around a lot, can it be expected to need less maintenance if one doesn't take it out to play gigs?

Over five years I have needed to open up my etherwave and tweak it three times.

It is not as scary a process as it seems. Each time all that has been needed to get it working within acceptable parameters is a small nudge of L6. Set aside more time than you will need and make tiny changes, and you will be fine. Things go wrong when you rush or get frustrated.

I have also had my etherwave professionally tuned once by Thierry Frenkel. This gave it a greater range of notes and in consequence a greater linear range - the top and bottom are still non-linear, but there are more playable notes in between them.

I would guess that keeping it in the same place all the time should reduce the need to open it up, but not remove it entirely, as theremins are sensitive to a wide range of environmental factors, including ambient temperature and humidity. My first theremin (not an etherwave) lived for a time in the kitchen and cooking a big pot of pasta was enough to knock it temporarily out of whack.

There are so many factors which influence the basic tuning of a theremin, including aging of the components, that there are no general rules.

The only visible parameter is the fact that you'll discover one day that you can't set up your theremin because you reach the clockwise or counterclockwise end of the pitch or volume tuning potentiometer without obtaining the ideal setting.

The hell is when it worked still at home but does surprisingly not longer work in a different environment, for example on stage, 15 minutes before the gig starts, due to different temperature, humidity, grounding, etc.

That's why I teach "Theremin first aid" at theremin festivals in Europe. I help people to detect and to understand what goes wrong, why it goes wrong and how to fix it rapidly, at least in a rough-and-ready way, so that there is no more reason to panic before a gig.

The red plastic tool is your friend!

Nothing against Amos, and he may be Moog's best tuning expert, but when I see and play brand new Etherwaves which have been sold in the last 12 months, I can't imagine that he takes the time to carefully tune each instrument before it leaves the plant. Most times the volume loop response was just on-off, not very adjustable with the volume tuning knob.

OK, I can't complain since some European people prefer paying me for a precision tuning instead of sending their Etherwaves back to Ashville.

I will probably ask you for a tuning to optimise the linear octaves some day... but first I have to learn to play well enough to get the most out of it :)

You may meet me on several occasions:

a) Each summer at the Theremin Summer Academy in Colmar/France, this year from June 9 to 13

b) Each fall at the Without Touch Festival in Lippstadt/Germany, this year from November 18 to 20

c) Each time the Node Festival in Lausanne/Switzerland is held, no schedule yet for this year.

d) Perhaps this Summer at the Hands Off Festival in Scarborough/England, this year from July 29 to 31.

e) Every time when I'll get an invitation for another festival or workshop.

f) Every time at my home in France when I'm not abroad (see above).