Theremin Imitation

Hello Everyone,

As time runs out for us old people it is important to remind the new generation to not forget.

The theremin is like a religion where everyone has their own interpretation of what it is all about. The theremin is more than just using the Theremin Family name.

Playing a musical instrument using hand proximity is one of several features of the Theremin Phenomenon that Lev Sergeyevich Termen "discovered" as well as a beautiful natural voice along with ideal pitch field linearity allowing practical playing. This combination is more remarkable than most people realize or pursue why so much imitation has developed over the years with its own place in music.

This captures one of the finest authentic theremin performances.

Performed by Peter Pringle of Canada
https://www.oldtemecula.com/+aranjuez.mp3

Christophe S Becker -  Old Temecula  2025

The first and most famous imitation has to be Paul Tanner or as he called it Paul’s Box which brought more attention to the “authentic theremin” than anything had before.

In my conversations with Paul, his device was inspired by Samuel Hoffman.

Brian Wilson was a childhood friend and neighbor of the Hoffman family which is where his first theremin experience began.

Brian heard Paul’s work and used him because Brian was not happy a real theremin performance could not be accurately duplicated each session.

The Beach Boys hired Paul Tanner and “Paul’s Box” for the fascinating theremin like sound in “Good Vibrations”. The normal recording session usually began after midnight at Brian's home.

“Paul’s Box” was also used on several Hollywood productions including the 1960's TV show "My Favorite Martian", the sound of Martins antennas raising.

Two influential, people “almost” came together on Brian Wilsons last Movie/Album to correct the theremin myth.  https://youtu.be/vPLp9_SpPZA

With the new synthesizer emerging, an engineer well known in the theremin community visited Paul Tanner in search of new ideas. Both agreed that "Paul's Box" was more or less a “Tinker Toy”.

A combination of Gary P Hayes playing skill along with my being a fan of Meg Ryan makes this synth imitation my favorite.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, history, and those incredible videos. As a new theremin “player,” I really appreciate the support from the professional community and the insights into different techniques and sounds. It’s fascinating to learn about the theremin’s history and the creative ways people have shaped its voice.

I recently purchased an original production run Etherwave Standard (#22,113), and while I don’t have any modules or modifications installed, it’s frustrating not knowing exactly what to expect from mods like Thierry’s ESPE01. Without soldering skills, I’m hesitant to tamper with my new EW, so for now, I’m focusing on getting the best results with the stock instrument.

One of my biggest challenges so far has been pitch linearity and fine-tuning the pitch field to get an octave easily with my larger hands. I’m following Carolina Eyck’s finger positions and practicing every day, but I often feel cramped, uncomfortable, and unsure of the optimal stance or arm placement. Today, I tried standing much closer to the EW with my left arm near the volume loop and my body angled diagonally toward the pitch antenna, and it did seem to help a bit—though it’s still far from perfect.

I’ve also experimented with the height of the mic stand, and having it lower seems to feel better for me. There’s still a lot to figure out, but I’m determined to keep going.

Thanks again for sharing these resources and perspectives. Every video and tip helps me see new approaches, and it gives me hope that I’ll find my style and comfort zone eventually!