Goals for a TW Theremin

Ooooops? Who is calling us "arrogant" European engineers? Fred, do you have a link towards the site? I'd like to see the original... ;-)

Hello Thierry,

I also said a few engineers are silly. The original comment in question may have appeared a little broad, so a correction, the French are "not" arrogant.

The link in question.

PS: I have never sold anything theremin in my 10 years of research, my intention is to give away the commercial printed circuit board I designed.

Merry Christmas Everyone

From the link:

"Theremin research is a "Black Art""

I fundamentally disagree with this.  There are many fine technical and esthetic points, so designing and building them well requires a somewhat varied and unusual background, but they can be completely understood with what we know.

"My theremin design was introduced to the Theremin World community in the past... only to be shunned by the arrogant european engineers."

"Shunned" is the wrong word.  IMO you make fairly bold claims but pretty much refuse to explain them in a way anyone else here can grasp.  The way the world works is the onus is on the person making the claims, not on those trying to understand what is special about what you're doing.  And the more fantastic the claim the more fantastic the proof required.  If you really care about your work you don't want it to go unnoticed, do you?  Often this means understanding your work as best as you are able, and then freely giving that understanding away to others.  Real knowledge is a two way street.

"IMHO I think many retired engineers are so smart that they add unneeded complexity to theremin design to the point their efforts become silly!"

What looks like needless complexity may be a more finessed addressing of the fundamental flaws, or a welcome embellishment, or a lower price for essentially the same functionality, or all of the above.  Or none of the above.  If Theremin & Moog were designing the first Theremin today it wouldn't have tubes, or probably even discrete transistors.  Modern Theremins needn't be chained to the technology of the past in order to function as well (or better than) their predecessors.  Simple analog Theremins at this point aren't necessarily the easiest to design, build, maintain, or play.

To me, in the context of this topic, the only issue of real concern is the statement:

"This may be re-introduced as the $125 TW Theremin"

I feel that this constitutes desception - It does not make any difference whether this theremin is sold or given away or whatever, the "TW theremin" (or theremins, as I feel will be the more likely outcome, as there are different requirements and different levels of complexity likely to evolve from the R+D collectively undertaken here) needs to be entirely defined and developed and "authenticated" here at TW, with all documentation and revisions and discussion freely available HERE without any "selection" process regarding who is "invited" to participate in the project/s.

At this time, a "TW theremin" DOES NOT EXIST! No individual, IMO, should be allowed to privately develop a theremin and release it as "The TW theremin".. Obviously anyone is free to develop whatever they want and make whatever claims they want, But, just as I could not develop a theremin and market it as a Moog EW-Pro+, even if I was to give the things away, I believe that no person has the right to produce a theremin and call it "TheTW theremin" or brand their design as the "TW Theremin" without aproval from TW. Quite honestly, the mere suggestion of doing such a thing strikes me as unbelievable arrogant audacity.

Like all collaborative efforts, the "TW theremin" is likely to evolve quite slowly, and take several different forms IMO. I also think that the actualization of a complete "TW theremin" may be the less important outcome of this project. I suspect that the first complete "TW theremin" will be a basic embodiment of selected designs submitted here, collated to give a usefull theremin which can be constructed and tuned easily by non-engineers.

I think the core circuits for this are already well on their way to achieving this goal - The "RCA Clone" (oscillators and mixer) circuits have been submitted and built, Wave modification circuitry has/is being developed, and the only un-touched area is the volume antenna and related VCA circuitry. I believe it likely that a proposal for the first TW "approved" "TW theremin" should be available early next year - it should, I feel, go through some form of evaluation process and probably have about 10 units in operation, and any required modifications developed and tested over a period of a few months, before it is selected or rejected as worthy of the "TW Brand"... But the exact form such a process takes needs to be defined collectively, and Jason should, I feel, be the final arbiter of what can be called a "TW Theremin".

But - Behind all this is what I see as the most important aspect of this project..

There will be designs submitted which can be explored and discussed - They will be public, and any anvantages or disadvantages with these designs open to public scrutiny. From this process EVERYONE reading or involved in any way will have the oppertunity to expand their understanding and explore new ideas.

To me, (my personal agenda) this will dispell the mumbo-jumbo and the idea that "Theremin research is a "Black Art"" - Everyone with normal IQ who chooses to use their brain will be able to see why and how the "art" works, and that the idea that there is something "black" or "mystical" about it is pure BS.

They will also (if they choose to engage with the deeper stuff) be able to at least glimpse the undelying complexities which cause "shallow" individuals who ignorantly dabble with theremin circuitry, to think that there is a "black art" involved.

And I am sure that many of the circuits and theory which will be presented as the project evolves will never make it into any "TW Theremin" - But will nonetheless be used by theremin developers for decades to come.

Fred.

Fred said: To me, in the context of this topic, the only issue of real concern is the statement:

"This may be re-introduced as the $125 TW Theremin"

You dragged up an obscure link from my webpage so let me ease your pain. I introduced my theremin the first week as an idea and you crapped on it so I removed it. One day I may "re-try" again or re-introduce. Type Theremin Warriors into any search engine and who's link is at the top of the first page long before you started trashing my discoveries. Your fondness of using the word Crap makes me think it means something different in England. I am certain you will one day design a working theremin.

Christopher

"Type Thereminist Warriors into any search engine and who's link is at the top of the first page" - Christopher

This just demonstrates what an utterly dishonest con man you are.

Anyone with ANY involvement in theremins will recognose TW as Theremin World.. I doubt that many have even heard of the stupid name "Thereminist Warriors"

The term "TW Theremin" was born, AFAIK, before you ever used that term - Unless you have evidence that  "TW Theremin" can legitimately be regarded as your copyright, and that this was established before Theremin World effectively acquired the copyright to "TW Theremin" (by merit of publication of this and the automatic conferring of copyright to the author) I believe that you do not have any legal right to use the name "TW Theremin" without the permission of the copyright holders, who are THEREMIN WORLD (or perhaps a member of TW who first posted the proposal for a "TW Theremin").

Fred.

ps

"You dragged up an obscure link from my webpage"

- the "obscure link" was the link you posted on TW a few days ago in this thread. (not the same link you gave to Thierry).

Want to use a search engine to prove a point? try typing: TW Theremin ! I never got one hit which related to "Thereminist Warriors" - Oh, if the bots get here before you do the search, you may now find some "hits" - But they would only be to this discussion!

Anyone have any idea how I post an image from my hard drive?

Hello Roy,

Upload your photo to Photos/Album at the top of this page. Then right click on the image for image info to get the path to the photo. Then post that path here in the text box photo feature, seems like it should work fine.

FredM: With regards to "TW" I use the two letters on a file path to my hard drive, really?

Christopher

Thanks RS Theremin.

I was going to post something but have decided after a few deep breaths not to: throwing fuel on a fire isn't my scene.

R

"Type Thereminist Warriors into any search engine and who's link is at the top of the first page long before you started trashing my discoveries."  - RS Theremin

OK (and not that I have any kind of dog in this fight) I typed "Thereminist Warriors" (with quotes) into Google and got 1 hit, your post on TW today.

Typing "Theremin Warriors" pulls up 7 results that look like computer generated gobbledygook.

"Theremin Warrior" gets three hits, one of them Thierry here at TW, one misc. facebook page, one misc. gaming page.

Am I doing something wrong?