New to the Theremin!

Hey all,

I'm a keyboardist in a progressive metal band, and I've been looking for something to add a little new flavor to my compositions and live performances.

I don't know very much about the theremin, but do you think it would be a good option? Does this sort of instrument offer a good amount of melodic control?

Any info would rock!

Dave

Hi Dave,

Yeah, why not. I've had a listen to your stuff on mySpace, and I can see it working on Bleeding Sun or Temporalcide, played in the upper registers like a death wail.

What you get for your money is a pure clear voice that will slice through the loudest thrash like a violin or the ghost of an opera singer.

The easiest moods to evoke are melancholy, spookiness and 50's sci-fi. Slap a delay box onto it for effects!

With regards melodic playing, that depends how much time you are prepared to spend mastering it, but if you are ready to make the effort it will give you total control.

To get some idea of the diversity of the instrument's capabilities, drop into my mySpace http://myspace.com/beatfrequencyuk and click on my top friends - they are all the biz!

Thanks for the info! I shall definately give your stuff a listen.

Any suggestions on a descent entry-level theremin that wont break the bank?

Dave

Thanks for the info! I shall definately give your stuff a listen.

Any suggestions on a decent entry-level theremin that wont break the bank?

Dave

In particular check out Zentherstick's page and play Saturday Matinee - it's a great rock anthem. My Beat Frequency stuff is more on the experimental side.

About the cheapest theremin worth buying is the Kees Enkelaar (http://people.aapt.net.au/~fwhite/theremin/) - it's got a lovely soft tone and is very playable, I have one and love it to bits, but I wouldn't recommend it for live performances - it's rather sensitive to temperature changes and needs a quarter hour to warm up - and when you're playing outdoors and the band on before you accidentally yanks the cable it's prone to not working.

The popular choice for touring is the Moog etherwave. It has a better volume response than the kees and sounds great at concert volumes with a touch of reverb. (Make our beloved webmaster a happy man and click on the Shop link above.)

I second the Kees, if you want to learn on the cheap. Once you feel comfortable with it you could move up to Moog. It does take a bit to warm up but sounds great once it does. I've not ventured outside of the studio with it yet so I would yield to Gordon's expertise in this area.