Does my theremin sound right?

Well I'll be chuzzwozzered. So you can't achieve a low pitch at all?

[i] didn't realise there was a standard setting for playing[/i]

Well, it's a sensible place to start. The etherwave manual suggests it, and it makes some sense. It gives the full range of the instrument and the largest sensible pitch field, and hence good separation between semitones. (Any larger and the volume hand would interfere with the lower pitches.)

I do note though that a number of the best players stand very close to the instrument, and presumably well inside the pitch field of their ePros.

Andy. So what happens when you turn the pitch knob slowly from fully counter-clockwise to fully clockwise?

Could this be a earth-ground problem?
What theremin does Andy have?
teslatheremin

Yes Dave, I'm confused as well. I can find no point where AndyWeber states he has an Etherwave.
It would be somwhat helpful if he told us what model of theremin we are talking about.

Assuming it IS an Etherwave, it's possible it is need of (internal) adjustment. This may explain why he feels he cannot tune it properly. Instructions to "tune" the theremin (circuitry) are available in the Etherwave hot-rodding manual.

We also need to know what kind of amplification he is using as well. If he's using a guitar amp, it's possible it is being overdriven, which may produce a less than pleasant tone. If the amp itself has issues, that would complicate the matter.

As far as "tuning" zero beat...I believe thereminists who like play more "free-form" music would tend to tune their instrument so they can access the entire range.

I suspect therminists who prefer to play more "traditional" music tend to tune for maximum accuracy and playability. Like Mr. Thomas, I prefer to tune so that zero beat is slightly behind me as I rarely play "in the basement" and I would step back if needed.

I tune the theremin to suit me....I do not tune myself to suit the theremin. I tune so I can play notes as accurately as possible with set movements of my hand. This can vary slightly from one day to the next, so it is often necessary to adjust the tuning every day to match my "mood".

This reminds me of the time I asked the wife, "Does this theremin make my playing sound bad?"

She responded, "No, your playing makes your playing sound bad..."

Thanks, Jeff S.!
I thought I was the only one.
teslatheremin

[i]What theremin does Andy have?[/i]

An etherwave. (I remembered from a previous thread.)

http://www.thereminworld.com/forum.asp?cmd=p&T=2299&F=780

Not many of us live here in this cottage called ThereminWorld as does Gordon. Or, have the great recollections of Gordon's mind.
The many of us might go outdoors once in the great while and peer straight into the sun! Or, disconnecting the odd microwave oven door safety, might plunge head-first into its cooking cavity and, after setting the power to maximum, while taking a minute, find brain defrost! Hee!
teslatheremin

I think it's also worth pointing out that irrespective of how well any theremin is tuned, it's going to sound dreadful until you get to be quite good at playing it.

A good vibrato and nice moulding of the notes will change the stereotypical theremin 'oooo' or hum into something that resembles another, more human, instrument. Having said that, using no vibrato sometimes prevents you from sounding like a mad opera singer or overzealous violinist. Using none at all continuously evokes something of the more modern take on the retro sci-fi sound, whilst using lots creates the 50s sci-fi noise.

I have to disagree with that statement.

The premise of this thread is, "Does my THEREMIN sound right?", not "Does my theremin PLAYING sound right?"

Unlike some people, I have no difficulty separating the two concepts. I find it endlessly frustrating when people are told not to post a sound sample of their theremin if they cannot play Beethoven's fifth symphony with pinpoint accuracy. How else will the vast majority of people get the opportunity to hear the differences between theremins? After all, none of the music stores in my area have a clue what a theremin IS, so finding one with a wide selection of theremins to sample will no doubt remain a pipe dream.

The different makes and models of theremin can have a subtly unique voice all their own which can be perceived in a non-musical context. I would think that most people can extrapolate how that voice might sound if played in a skillful manner.

A skilled player can make a theremin with a nice voice sound even more wonderful. I can't say the same for a "theremin" that has a voice with all of the the charm of a chain saw.