BUILDING A THEREMIN

Just an old guy who, as a teenager, fell in love with a Theremin back in 1956 when I saw Dr. Samuel Hoffman play one on the Mickey Mouse Club. I detuned an old radio and actually created a pitch only Theremin. After that I wanted an RCA Theremin, but knew I'd never have one. Now, I want to build a Theremin that looks like an RCA. While it will have an audio output for an external amplifier, it will also be self contained with amp and speaker. I'm not enough of a purist to want to build an actual 'tube' unit, and have purchased a Theremin kit that's solid state. I will, however, replicate the RCA cabinet. I am concerned about the antennas. Being on a very tight budget, I am wondering what metals I can use for the pitch and volume antennas. I'm thinking of aluminum since, for the volume, it can more easily be bent. I'd appreciate any thoughts on this.

Dennis said: “Just an old guy who, as a teenager, fell in love with a Theremin back in 1956 when I saw Dr. Samuel Hoffman play one on the Mickey Mouse Club.”

I barely remember that but do remember falling in love with Annette Funicello, I was 5 years old.

The Hoffman Theremin is what Brian Wilson and his brothers played around with as kids. As you probably know it is located here today.

http://www.peterpringle.com/hoffman1.html

With any theremin design you have interest in building get a sound sample as that is probably the best it will sound. If no sample is available then head for the door and save yourself from theremin misery. Unless it is for a simple science project most designs out their fall way short of what a musician would want.

My approach to building a theremin today, after many years of study, is to buy a used EtherWave Standard or EWS kit and modify it. This gives you all the components. Robert Moog did the hard part; his creativity gave us a very functional design to work from. Put these components in your custom cabinet. I can show you how to give it the classical harmonically rich sound using my two pcb add-on; you then just develop the sound with all the modern tools musicians have to work with today. Instead of spending a couple of years to hopefully get it right, do it in a couple of weekends. You will have the finest theremin ever conceived.

Christopher

Thanks much, Christopher. I am not a stranger to electronics (just sold a Williamson dual 70 watt tube amp I built in high school), and have been a musician all of my life. Even played gigs until I became tired of it all in the 1970s. I'm building this because, as a retiree, I have the time and the desire. The Moog, I know, is a great instrument (A Moog was used in a play I directed), and is probably far superior to anything I might otherwise build. But, as I said, I am on a very tight budget and cannot afford the $300+ to purchase it. I'm always open to advise from anyone who knows more than I, and that doesn't take much. So, I appreciate any suggestions you have.

Thanks again, and all the best. Please continue to send me your thoughts.

Dennie

desherer@sbcglobal.net

By the way, thank you for attaching video of Peter Prongle palying Samuel Hoffman's Theremin. I really enjoyed it.

Best, Dennie

"I am concerned about the antennas. Being on a very tight budget, I am wondering what metals I can use for the pitch and volume antennas. I'm thinking of aluminum since, for the volume, it can more easily be bent. I'd appreciate any thoughts on this."  - dennisherer

Antennas can be literally anything that conducts well.  I've used 3/8" PEX plumbing covered in aluminum tape (and an outer coat of heat shrink tubing) with good results.  Cover whatever you use with an insulator so as to protect the Theremin circuitry from ESD.  Or use Christopher's method of snaking an insulated wire inside of a more conventional looking metal pipe.  Sky's the limit here, though long and thin is slightly better for pitch side linearity, and geometry (mostly surface area) will set the static capacitance and absolute sensitivity (which sets the pitch center, and not the octave spacing which will be fairly constant for an analog Theremin).

Thank you, Dewster. Very helpful. Please don't hesitate to send any other ideas you may have.

All the best,

Dennie

Dennie said: "Peter Prongle palying Samuel Hoffman's Theremin"

Ok Ok, you got a smile from me. There is a piece missing to this puzzle you present. After every cheap theremin design you listen to, come back and hear my sound byte I just made. Decide which one has a more musical quality and let me know as my hearing is not the best.

You are a musician wanting the cheapest instrument you can find that still makes noise? humm that is not like you. 

theremin direct to sound card wav

Christopher

"Please don't hesitate to send any other ideas you may have."  - Dennie

If you have a scope and a breadboard I'd encourage you to design your own Theremin from the ground up.  I have some oscillators and a mixer you can try over on my analog thread.

Thanks, a dear friend who is a radio station chief engineer also has some of those things. I may enlist his help as well.

I really appreciate your input.

Thanks, again, Dennie

- roll-over