Still a newbie, this time from France

Posted: 1/2/2008 4:00:37 PM
Thierry

From: Colmar, France

Joined: 12/31/2007

Hi all, at first please excuse my bad English, but I'm native speaker of French, German and php...

Having heard a theremin for the first time in my life (I'm 43 years old) on a webradio from Netherlands ("Concertzender") in november 2007, I started gathering informations until I decided some days ago to order a B3 Theremin which will arrive here in eastern France only on 01/19.

When I was a young pupil, then student and had yet neither business nor family, I learned to play violin, piano and flute.

Now I decided to restart making music, almost 20 years later, but this time on a theremin.

There are great videos on youtube, mostly from Thomas Grillo, which will surely help me at the beginning. But all videos have some lacks: sound and picture are not in time an the camera angle gives not a detailed view on the hands when "fingering". A view from behind the right side of the player would be more helpful...

It was Thomas Grillos Vocalise by Rachmaninov played on a B3 on youtube which helped me with my decision to order it, since he showed that it is in fact playable. I'm less worried about linearity since a violin string is also not linear - each next higher octave has only the half distance of the previous one. And I didn't want to spend too much money on a hobby since I have still to nourrish a wife and four daughters...

After the arrival of my instrument and its conversion into a 230V 50Hz version I'll surely come back with lots of questions or needing encouragement.

Thank you in advance for your patience and your help.
Posted: 1/2/2008 4:44:09 PM
TomFarrell

From: Undisclosed location without Dick Cheney

Joined: 2/21/2005

Actually your English is excellent, no need to apologize for it.

Please do keep us up to date with what you think of the instrument and your progress once it arrives. I'm particularly interested in learning what you think about its pitch linearity.

Posted: 1/3/2008 9:46:18 AM
virani

From: paris, france

Joined: 1/16/2007

welcome, newbie from France ;)
We'll be happy to hear about your experience with your new instrument.
Posted: 1/5/2008 5:07:07 AM
coco

From: switzerland

Joined: 1/12/2006

Hello Thierry! Couldn't agree more with Virani, keep us posted!
Posted: 1/8/2008 7:54:25 PM
Thierry

From: Colmar, France

Joined: 12/31/2007

My Theremin is aproaching. Has been successfully shipped from Georgia to Florida, from where my friends will take it with them to Berlin. One of them comes to France on 01/19 and will bring it to me.

I can't await it...

[i]Edit/Update (01/09):[/i]
Still 10 days... got the Eyck Method by post today. Will start doing finger excercises. Remembers me times 33 years ago when starting with my violin.
Posted: 1/19/2008 6:46:16 PM
Thierry

From: Colmar, France

Joined: 12/31/2007

Update 01/19:

Deceived - frustrated. Prepared all for the scheduled arrival of my B3. Bought a 230V-to-115V transformer, a headphone amp, lots of cables and adapters already on Friday.
Waited until nightfall (I may not drive before on Saturdays ;-) ) and drove 12 miles to meet the guy whose girlfriend brought my Theremin from Florida to Germany and who had promised to bring it to France when he would come here for a conference.
The guy finally told me that his girlfriend had simply forgotten to send my B3 from Berlin where she lives to Cologne where he lives. So he wasn't able to take my B3 with him.

I could ("Beep", censored)!

Sorry, but I felt that I had to tell this to somebody... What a sad evening...
Posted: 1/19/2008 7:19:23 PM
teslatheremin

From: Toledo, Ohio United States of America

Joined: 2/22/2006

Thierry,
All good things come to those who wait.
I hope that you can receive your Theremin soon.
Once, you start to play, you will fall in love with the instrument. I wish you well, and welcome you to Thereminworld!

Good Luck!

teslatheremin
Posted: 2/8/2008 2:03:29 AM
Thierry

From: Colmar, France

Joined: 12/31/2007

Did something silly...

The B3 that I ordered on 12/26/2007 isn't still here. That's not Dan Burns' fault, but of my "friends" who would take it with them to Europe.

So I decided yesterday to buy an Etherwave Standard, even if it is 3 times more expensive than the B3, from a Theremin World member in Berlin who wanted to sell it.

So I will perhaps start playing next week!
Posted: 2/14/2008 9:40:11 AM
Thierry

From: Colmar, France

Joined: 12/31/2007

Wahoo! My Etherwave arrived today. But I'm still at work, 30 miles from home. So I can't await the evening and the occasion to try it out.
Posted: 2/18/2008 8:48:22 AM
Diana

From: England

Joined: 2/15/2008

Good luck Thierry, being new to the world of Theremins, but having just left France after living there for seven years I am doubly interested to hear how your project progresses.

Hopefully today will be the day I finally decide which theremin model to order......

Cordialement,

Diana

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